Uses an eighteenth century German case-study to examine the clandestine, and sometimes illegal, practices of the early modern European book trade
Addresses questions of censorship regimes and efficiency, of the textual-ritual tradition and eventual canon formations of ‘Western learned magic’, and of the status and use of handwritten books in an alleged ‘age of print’
Provides a methodological pathway towards an interdisciplinary, integrative, and thus more comprehensive analysis of books of ‘learned magic’ in and beyond early modern times
Uses an eighteenth century German case-study to examine the clandestine, and sometimes illegal, practices of the early modern European book trade Addresses questions of censorship regimes and efficiency, of the textual-ritual tradition and eventual canon formations of ‘Western learned magic’, and of the status and use of handwritten books in an alleged ‘age of print’ Provides a methodological pathway towards an interdisciplinary, integrative, and thus more comprehensive analysis of books of ‘learned magic’ in and beyond early modern times Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras
Daniel Bellingradt
Book history Book market Print culture Manuscript Collector
“This is a tremendously valuable contribution to the study of a pivotal period in the development of modern magic. Undoubtedly, it will become a standard point of reference not only in understanding Enlightenment magic, but also the transmission and transformation of medieval and renaissance traditions. It is also a highly useful bibliographic tool. On that ground alone, no library of modern magic traditions should be without it.” (Frank Klaassen, Associate Professor of History, University of Saskatchewan, Canada, and President of Societas Magica)
“This book will provide a valuable resource for the increasing number of scholars working in the field of post-medieval literary magic.” (Owen Davies, Professor of History, University of Hertfordshire, UK)