A review by skycastleshay
The Black Arts : A Concise History of Witchcraft, Demonology, Astrology, and Other Mystical Practices Throughout the Ages by Richard Cavendish

challenging dark mysterious slow-paced

2.0

As a historian of this particular field of interest, I went into this book with an open mind. I fully recognize and realize that this is a dated source in terms of how mainstream some occult practices have become but wow. Cavendish should have just written a Crowley biography, is there a chapter in this book where he doesn't bring him up? Crowley is not a reliable source, or the only source in matters of the occult. Not only that but this book is poorly organized. It does have some interesting bits and pieces here and there (that's why this is 2 stars and not 1) but honestly it's not worth it for all the nonsense you have to endure to get there.