Overview

A Supernatural War reveals the surprising stories of extraordinary people in a world caught up with the promise of occult powers.It was a commonly expressed view during the First World War that the conflict had seen a major revival of 'superstitious' beliefs and practices.Churches expressed concerns about the wearing of talismans and amulets, the international press paid considerable interest to the pronouncements of astrologers and prophets, and the authorities in several countries periodically clamped down on fortune tellers and mediums due to concerns over their effect on public morale. Out on the battlefields, soldiers of all nations sought to protect themselves through magical and religious rituals, and, on the home front, people sought out psychics and occult practitioners for news of the fate of their distant loved ones or communication with their spirits. Even away from concerns about the war, suspected witches continued to be abused and people continued to resort to magic and magical practitioners for personal protection, love, and success.Uncovering and examining beliefs, practices, and contemporary opinions regarding the role of the supernatural in the war years, Owen Davies explores the broader issues regarding early twentieth-century society in the West, the psychology of the supernatural during wartime, and the extent to which the war cast a spotlight on the widespread continuation of popular belief in magic.

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9780198862659

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Reviews

This is another wonderful book from the leading expert in the history of magic between 1740 and 1940. Readers will never look at the First World War in the same way again. * Ronald Hutton, author of The Triumph of the Moon: A History of Modern Pagan Witchcraft * Owen Davies notes that great conflicts invariably generate an upsurge of belief in the mystical, visionary and occult. In A Supernatural War Davies surveys, in remarkable detail, the range of such beliefs, from cheap pamphlets prophesying the coming war to the legend of the medieval archers known as the Angels of Mons to the lucky charms worn by Italian soldiers. * Michael Dirda, Washington Post * It is not often that you run across a piece of writing which is both unusual and packed with detail that even a military historian like myself has never encountered. Owen Davies' A Supernatural War does just that. * Sebastian Phillips, Concatenation * Owen Davies's book seems to me to be arranged in a [...] logical and reader-friendly manner, with individual chapters dealing with particular topics such as prophecies of the war, lucky charms and superstitions, and a review of how churches and religious figures regarded the stories that were emerging from the battlefields. * John Rimmer, Magonia Review * Fascinating. * Leon Burakowski, Shrewsbury Chronicle * Riotous and engaging. * Tony Jasper, Methodist Recorder * A detailed and fascinating study. * David V Barrett, Catholic Herald * Owen Davies will provide you with a comprehensive overview of wartime weirdness. * David Clarke, Fortean Times * A fascinating insight into supernatural beliefs and practices prevalent during the First World War. * Paradigm Explorer * Davies is one of the undisputed leaders in his field. A Supernatural War is impossible to describe without simply rattling off a list of highlights ... a fascinating deep dive that offers tantalising glimpses of a very different world. * All About History * A fascinating account of how the first modern industrialised global war revitalised traditional superstitions, and infused supernatural power into all kinds of objects. * Nick Saunders, Military History Matters * A Supernatural War provides a nuanced and learned exposition of its subject ... Such a broad approach suggests that this book will remain the definitive work for a long time to come. * Graham Seal, Literary Review * A marvellous book ... even readers who know Davies' impressive writing on witchcraft, cunning folk and ghosts will find a new glint of ambition here. * Simon Young, Times Higher Education * Review from previous edition This is a rich and thought-provoking study of how the First World War ensured the widespread continuation of a popular belief in magic - even in the 'modernity' of the post-1914 age - and why this is important to our understanding of life during and after the conflict. * Catriona Pennell, BBC History Magazine *

Review from previous edition This is a rich and thought-provoking study of how the First World War ensured the widespread continuation of a popular belief in magic - even in the 'modernity' of the post-1914 age - and why this is important to our understanding of life during and after the conflict. * Catriona Pennell, BBC History Magazine * A marvellous book ... even readers who know Davies' impressive writing on witchcraft, cunning folk and ghosts will find a new glint of ambition here. * Simon Young, Times Higher Education * A Supernatural War provides a nuanced and learned exposition of its subject ... Such a broad approach suggests that this book will remain the definitive work for a long time to come. * Graham Seal, Literary Review * A fascinating account of how the first modern industrialised global war revitalised traditional superstitions, and infused supernatural power into all kinds of objects. * Nick Saunders, Military History Matters * Davies is one of the undisputed leaders in his field. A Supernatural War is impossible to describe without simply rattling off a list of highlights ... a fascinating deep dive that offers tantalising glimpses of a very different world. * All About History * A fascinating insight into supernatural beliefs and practices prevalent during the First World War. * Paradigm Explorer * Owen Davies will provide you with a comprehensive overview of wartime weirdness. * David Clarke, Fortean Times01/03/2019 * A detailed and fascinating study. * David V Barrett, Catholic Herald * Riotous and engaging. * Tony Jasper, Methodist Recorder * Fascinating. * Leon Burakowski, Shrewsbury Chronicle * Owen Davies's book seems to me to be arranged in a [...] logical and reader-friendly manner, with individual chapters dealing with particular topics such as prophecies of the war, lucky charms and superstitions, and a review of how churches and religious figures regarded the stories that were emerging from the battlefields. * John Rimmer, Magonia Review * It is not often that you run across a piece of writing which is both unusual and packed with detail that even a military historian like myself has never encountered. Owen Davies' A Supernatural War does just that. * Sebastian Phillips, Concatenation * Owen Davies notes that great conflicts invariably generate an upsurge of belief in the mystical, visionary and occult. In A Supernatural War Davies surveys, in remarkable detail, the range of such beliefs, from cheap pamphlets prophesying the coming war to the legend of the medieval archers known as the Angels of Mons to the lucky charms worn by Italian soldiers. * Michael Dirda, Washington Post * This is another wonderful book from the leading expert in the history of magic between 1740 and 1940. Readers will never look at the First World War in the same way again. * Ronald Hutton, author of The Triumph of the Moon: A History of Modern Pagan Witchcraft *

Author Information

Owen Davies is Professor of Social History at the University of Hertfordshire. He has published widely on the history of witchcraft, magic, ghosts, and popular medicine, including Grimoires: A History of Magic Books (2009), Paganism: A Very Short Introduction (2011), Magic: A Very Short Introduction (2012), and America Bewitched: The Story of Witchcraft after Salem (2013), and was the editor for The Oxford Illustrated History of Witchcraft and Magic (2017).

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