Not quite the book I anticipated. The author is incredibly well versed, but we read "Magic" differently. For him, it is what is contained in philosophical texts, and thus this (rather long) book is a discussion of the literary ruminations about occult matters, which focused on magnetism and the like. Magic was primarily a label given to causes that could not be explained, and thus the text ends with as history crosses the line over into truly scientific treatment of these subjects.

Little attention is given to what the ordinary person considered to be "magic," and what types of causes warranted burnings at the stake. Most likely the chimney sweep knew nothing at all about the gentile exchanges between effete scholars, but rather more about the fears of supernatural agents who could effect astounding displays.

While the first is interesting in its own right, it leaves the reader who wanted to know what real people were thinking about magic and the arcane undercurrents of their mundane existences feeling a bit frustrated and disappointed. But perhaps this is to fault it for the book it isn't than for what it is. At the very least, though, the title should reflect the rather narrow slice it looks at, even if it does so in exquisite detail. ( )