Harry Potter: A History of Magic cover art

Harry Potter: A History of Magic

An Audio Documentary

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Harry Potter: A History of Magic

By: Pottermore Publishing, Ben Davies
Narrated by: Natalie Dormer
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About this listen

The history of magic is as long as time and as wide as the world. In every culture, in every age, in every place and, probably, in every heart, there is magic.

Harry Potter: A History of Magic reveals some of the hidden stories behind real-world magic and explores some of J.K. Rowling's magical inventions alongside their folkloric, cultural and historical forebears.

Narrator Natalie Dormer and a host of experts will take you on an audio journey like no other; from ancient China, to a 14th-century apothecary's shop, on to the Salem witch trials and beyond. They delve into a rich body of writings about magic and explore intriguing artefacts to bring to life deep-rooted ideas of mysticism from around the world.

Along the way, you can listen for handy tips on how to capture a basilisk, make yourself invisible or create your very own philosopher's stone. You'll hear about the dozens of drafts and drawings that went into J.K. Rowling's writing process and enjoy exclusive interviews with Jim Dale, Stephen Fry and illustrator Jim Kay, who all share their experiences of working on these incredible stories.

The extraordinary and thought-provoking tales in this audiobook are perfect for anyone who wants to know a little more about magic and the wizarding world.

Music composed by Patrick Neil Doyle

Sound effects licensed from ProSound Effects

©2018 J.K. Rowling/Pottermore Ltd. (P)2018 J.K. Rowling/Pottermore Ltd. Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths History Magic Science & Technology World Middle Ages Magic Users Fiction Wizardry Fantasy
Harry Potter The Full Cast Audio Editions on Audible
All stars
Most relevant  
This audiobook would have been better as a series of televised documentaries but none the less a brilliant performance and a joy to listen to.

More Documentary than book.

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I’m glad I’ve finally got the chance to listen to this audiobook. It’s a must for every Harry Potter fan. Great job

Amazing

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This was a fascinating read. top marks for all involved. well worth reading. Natalie Dormer did a brilliant job narrating this.

An interesting read/ listen

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It’s always really weird trying to review a non-fiction book. I’m not really well versed in the history of magic, or history in general. That said, I really enjoyed learning more about it. I’ve never been able to really remember names or dates but I love learning interesting tidbits, which this book was.
I found the sections on potions, charms, magical creatures, and herbology to be super interesting. However, I didn’t love the sections on astrology and divination.
Overall, if you are interested in magic throughout human history, I think this is a fairly accessible way to learn about it. Particularly if you are a Harry Potter fan.

An interesting read

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This is the best audiobook Ive listened to this year! There's so much detail and its so well narrated. Fascinating... definitely a must for Harry Potter geeks.

Geek Heaven

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I struggled to listen to this, not because of the content or the overall narration, but the choice to have the guest commentary at a different volume to Dormer. So frustrating to have to alter my settings all the time!
I hope to see this exhibit at some point, so it's a good intro.

the performance let this one down

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helped my quiz wizarding world.
great historial events and information great listening
looking forwards to more

Helped with Wizading Quiz

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I was disappointed that this wasn’t a novel, I should have read the reviews. It was informative but quite boring. I was expecting jk Rowling normal fantastic ness but no , it was a mishmash of all bits of information which was inconsistently recorded in volume or quality.

Disappointed

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I absolutely LOVED listening to this book and will listen to it over and over. Natalie Dormer is a beautiful narrator (although she pronounces Voldermort with a silent "t" which is annoying) and has a true magical way of weaving through this magical history. The story itself is a genuinely interesting insight into magical history and how it aligns with the world of Harry Potter.
Some of the interview recordings earlier in the book are at times a little hard to hear but this seems to improve and the book progresses.

For any history or harry potter fans I would highly recommend this book!

I could not love this book more if I tried!

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Highly recommend this audiobook. Despite not seeing the exhibition, this book was still an absolute joy to listen to!

A joy to listen to

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