Owen Davies is Professor of Social History at the University of Hertfordshire. He has written extensively on the history of magic, witchcraft, ghosts, and popular medicine, including The Haunted: A Social History of Ghosts (2007), Grimoires: A History of Magic Books (2009), Paganism: A Very Short Introduction (2011), Magic: A Very Short Introduction (2012), and most recently America Bewitched: The Story of Witchcraft after Salem (2013).
As well as a masterly summary of Voltaires life, the reader gains a much better understanding of 18th-century France and Europe. * David Lorimer, Network Review * An absorbing and illuminating study... Owen Davies succeeds in delivering an excellent, extremely useful work. * Clive Prince, Magonia Review * Another quality book from Oxford University Press ... a goldmine for anyone looking for information on witchcraft and magic and perhaps those looking for inspiration and some unusual little fact or nugget if they want to dabble in some fiction involving witches or magicians, dark or otherwise. * Ian Hunter, Concatenation * The breadth of knowledge shown here is impressive ... It informs, shocks, repulses and entertains ... a scholarly and impressive work * On Magazine (Yorkshire) * Comprehensive and impeccably researched, but also well written and fascinating to read... * Bad Witch * readable and compelling ... this ambitious project presents a helpful... contribution that should find a home as supplemental reading material in relevant undergraduate courses. * Jodie Ann Vann, Nova Religio *