Book Review: The Wizards’ Handbook – Author Dr. Robert Curran

The Wizards’ Handbook: An Essential Guide to Wizards, Sorcerers, and Magicians and Their Magic

The Wizard’s Handbook, and what a more appropriate time to feature such mythical treasures from our past. With the world’s focus on things magical and secret, we get our fix today merely in cinema revelations. The days of sects, covens, ancient manuscript and alchemy mixtures are behind us. In fact, we tend to believe if it’s not on the Internet, it doesn’t exist. Though there was a time when technology was not the tool of choice. Past believers would often spend lifetimes experimenting and exchanging secrets meant to be kept from public eye. The Wizard’s handbook details some of this history stemming from the early days of Druids, Shaman, Templar and alchemists. The school of wizardry was both revered and feared which led to different segments in history that both exalted and condemned. This kind of lore is often the subject of many fantasy games, films and novels. We no longer tackle the title of a wizard any more serious than a store clerk in our world which has relied more on scientific fact than old handed down documentation..

Still within this civilized nature, we hear fantastic tales of past wizardry which dealt with spirit raising, controlling the dead and summoning forces from beyond. That ever intriguing notion of “what if?

Merlin, a well showcased magician gets a feature along with Hermes and Cathbad. Many of these talents usually escape common knowledge only to be buried within the scrolls of legends. Nostradamus, probably one of the most known from this batch has been well received in past decades. Merely due to his fortune telling prophecies which are sensationalized into near matches. Though within our society, this interest still exists in smaller cliche circles. We can find much of this knowledge now in Barnes and Noble or a quick click or 2 within Amazon.com

Could a former Pope be an actual wizard? This was the case many eons ago before Popes were proclaimed as Holy men of the church. Faust who we know from the numerous books and films, is said to have furnished a deal with the devil giving him great success and notoriety. Certainly these images of manuscripts, scrolls, documents and sacred teachings had to amount to something? This is the biggest mystery of all. We have generation who swear by their handed down knowledge, and yet we live in a world that is far from any “real” magic today. John Dimond, The Earl of Desmond, Adam Weishaupt and others get a chapter devoted to their legends. The Wizard’s handbook is not a teaching tool to conjure loved ones from the beyond but an essay of wizard greats from our time and past.

The Barron’s educational series release features a rather unique inclusion of old imagery and paintings. While one would think this book is geared at children, it is in fact written with the more intrigued sector of readers in mind who study historical facts. Presented in its usual fashion as its sister reads, it is bound in an attractive hard cover with colorful glossy pages within. The series continues to grow containing some of the most fascinating of the metaphysical realm. Like others, this book is authored by the talented Dr. Robert Curran who I’m guessing must lead an interesting life delving into so much off beat research. Curran delivers with articulate writing appropriate for all ages of interest.

The Wizards’ Handbook: An Essential Guide to Wizards, Sorcerers, and Magicians and Their Magic