Description: The first ever history of magic books - or grimoires - from the ancient Middle East through to the modern day, from harmless charms and remedies to sinister pacts with the Devil.
Review Quotes: "An amazing achievement, not just for its depth of research but its breadth, from Massachusetts to Martinique to Mauritius. It must become the classic work on the subject."--Ronald Hutton, author of The Triumph of the Moon: A History of Pagan Witchcraft
"Excellent and nuanced."--History Today"A sweeping, fascinating history....Highly recommended."--CHOICE"Among the many pleasures of reading Davies' book is the simple, shiver-producing enjoyment of scanning the rich, ominous-sounding titles that he catalogs in the course of charting their historical development."--Los Angeles Times"Davies...opens up sp many new and fascinating areas in the history of magic."--Michael D. Baily, Iowa State University"Davies' book is indeed a remarkable accumulation of exotic data...Owen Davies' Grimoires is an extraordinary assortment of riches - it is highly recommended."--Alternative Spirituality and Religion Review