Try free for 30 days

  • Magic and Superstition in Europe

  • A Concise History from Antiquity to the Present
  • By: Michael D. Bailey
  • Narrated by: 5395 MEDIA LLC
  • Length: 12 hrs and 13 mins
  • 3.0 out of 5 stars (1 rating)

1 credit a month to use on any title, yours to keep (you’ll use your first credit on this title).
Stream or download thousands of included titles.
Access to exclusive deals and discounts.
$16.45 a month after 30 day trial. Cancel anytime.
Magic and Superstition in Europe cover art

Magic and Superstition in Europe

By: Michael D. Bailey
Narrated by: 5395 MEDIA LLC
Try for $0.00

$16.45 per month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $27.99

Buy Now for $27.99

Pay using voucher balance (if applicable) then card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions Of Use and Privacy Notice and authorise Audible to charge your designated credit card or another available credit card on file.

Publisher's Summary

The only comprehensive, single-volume survey of magic available, this compelling book traces the history of magic, witchcraft, and superstitious practices such as popular spells or charms from antiquity to the present day.

Focusing especially on Europe in the medieval and early modern eras, Michael Bailey also explores the ancient Near East, classical Greece and Rome, and the spread of magical systems, particularly modern witchcraft or Wicca, from Europe to the United States. He examines how magic and superstition have been defined in various historical eras and how these constructions have changed over time. He considers the ways in which specific categories of magic have been condemned, and how those identified as magicians or witches have been persecuted and prosecuted in various societies.

Although conceptions of magic have changed over time, the author shows how magic has almost always served as a boundary marker separating socially acceptable actions from illicit ones, and more generally the known and understood from the unknown and occult.

©2007 Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. (P)2016 Redwood Audiobooks
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History

Critic Reviews

"A sweeping, broadly accessible account of magic, religion, and 'superstition' over the past two thousand years. This book deserves to be widely read." (H. C. Erik Midelfort, University of Virginia)
"Bailey's style of writing is captivating and the results of his archival research are impressive." (Svitlana P. Kukharenko, University of Alberta)
"An ambitious survey of the history of magic from the ancient world to the modern West… shows admirable command and understanding of a wide range of material." ( The Catholic Historical Review)

What listeners say about Magic and Superstition in Europe

Average Customer Ratings
Overall
  • 3 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    0
  • 4 Stars
    0
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 1 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    0
  • 4 Stars
    0
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    1
Story
  • 3 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    0
  • 4 Stars
    0
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Awful, awful narration

I have no idea if the book was good or not, I assume it probably was, but I couldn’t bear to listen to the narrator. It was like listening to the kid in high school that the teacher would make read out loud who should just have been left alone in the corner and quietly helped later on. Did they not audition people for the job? Unbearable. But as a positive, maybe I can get a job narrating audio books. It’s given me hope.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.