This book is perhaps one of the most thorough overviews of the lives and legends of both fictional and historical individuals associated with the magical arts. Written by the English journalist William Godwin, this impressive volume contains an account of the most eminent persons in successive ages who have claimed for themselves, or to whom has been imputed by others, the exercise of magical power. Godwin thoughtfully summarizes the histories and tales of mankind from ancient Rome and Egypt to the witchcraft trials of Europe and the New World. Godwin presents a fascinating overview of mankind's obsession with the magical arts and the impact it has on the collective psyche.