Michael D. Bailey is Professor of History at Iowa State University. He is founding co-editor of the journal Magic, Ritual and Witchcraft and has published extensively on the history of witchcraft and superstition in medieval Europe.

"This book offers a clear and very readable guide to the notorious complexities of defining and studying magic, by showing that the very essence of magic, both historically and in the present, lies in its ambiguous and contested character. It is written with lightness and wit, but addresses serious and difficult issues without ever moralising or simplifying."Jonathan Barry, University of Exeter, UK "Michael Bailey has written an extremely successful introduction to an elusive and enduring phenomenon. He is an informed and engaging guide and this book will be of great value to those new to the academic study of magic as well as those well established in the field."Justin Meggitt, University of Cambridge, UK "...Bailey has succeeded in creating a fairly easy and accessible read that won’t scare off undergraduates—a rarity when it comes to recent works on “magic.” For both its breadth and accessibility, it is certainly a book that will be worth placing on student reading lists."Ethan Doyle White, University College London, UK

• AcknowledgementsIntroduction: A Magical WorldChapter 1: The Meanings of MagicChapter 2: Magical ActsChapter 3: Magic Contested and CondemnedChapter 4: Magical IdentitiesChapter 5: The Reality of MagicChapter 6: Magic in the Modern WorldGlossaryFurther Reading

Michael D. Bailey is Professor of History at Iowa State University. He is founding co-editor of the journal Magic, Ritual and Witchcraft and has published extensively on the history of witchcraft and superstition in medieval Europe.

"This book offers a clear and very readable guide to the notorious complexities of defining and studying magic, by showing that the very essence of magic, both historically and in the present, lies in its ambiguous and contested character. It is written with lightness and wit, but addresses serious and difficult issues without ever moralising or simplifying."Jonathan Barry, University of Exeter, UK "Michael Bailey has written an extremely successful introduction to an elusive and enduring phenomenon. He is an informed and engaging guide and this book will be of great value to those new to the academic study of magic as well as those well established in the field."Justin Meggitt, University of Cambridge, UK "...Bailey has succeeded in creating a fairly easy and accessible read that won’t scare off undergraduates—a rarity when it comes to recent works on “magic.” For both its breadth and accessibility, it is certainly a book that will be worth placing on student reading lists."Ethan Doyle White, University College London, UK

• AcknowledgementsIntroduction: A Magical WorldChapter 1: The Meanings of MagicChapter 2: Magical ActsChapter 3: Magic Contested and CondemnedChapter 4: Magical IdentitiesChapter 5: The Reality of MagicChapter 6: Magic in the Modern WorldGlossaryFurther Reading