Harry Potter: A History of Magic Audiobook By Pottermore Publishing, Ben Davies cover art

Harry Potter: A History of Magic

An Audio Documentary

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Harry Potter: A History of Magic

By: Pottermore Publishing, Ben Davies
Narrated by: Natalie Dormer
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The history of magic is as long as time and as wide as the world. In every culture, in every age, in every place and, probably, in every heart, there is magic.

Harry Potter: A History of Magic reveals some of the hidden stories behind real-world magic and explores some of J.K. Rowling's magical inventions alongside their folkloric, cultural and historical forebears.

Narrator Natalie Dormer and a host of experts will take you on an audio journey like no other; from ancient China, to a 14th-century apothecary's shop, on to the Salem witch trials and beyond. They delve into a rich body of writings about magic and explore intriguing artefacts to bring to life deep-rooted ideas of mysticism from around the world.

Along the way, you can listen for handy tips on how to capture a basilisk, make yourself invisible or create your very own philosopher's stone. You'll hear about the dozens of drafts and drawings that went into J.K. Rowling's writing process and enjoy exclusive interviews with Jim Dale, Stephen Fry and illustrator Jim Kay, who all share their experiences of working on these incredible stories.

The extraordinary and thought-provoking tales in this audiobook are perfect for anyone who wants to know a little more about magic and the wizarding world.

In this audio documentary, Natalie Dormer takes you on a spellbinding exploration of the real-world history that influenced J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter stories. While not written by J.K. Rowling herself, nor taught by the slumbering Professor Binns, the documentary is inspired by the exhibition held at the British Library in 2017, which came to the New-York Historical Society in 2018. This audiobook is packed full of exclusive interviews, folkloric facts, and musings on intriguing artifacts and mysticism from around the world.

Music composed by Patrick Neil Doyle

Sound effects licensed from ProSound Effects

©2018 J.K. Rowling/Pottermore Ltd. (P)2018 J.K. Rowling/Pottermore Ltd.
Magic Users Magic World History Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths Middle Ages Science & Technology Mystery & Wonders Medieval Fiction

Listen to clips from this book

Divination: Ready for a lesson in real-world Divination? Take a seat, Trelawney.
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Charms: What are the origins of the word Abracadabra?
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Herbology: Earmuffs away—you won’t need them for this real-world lesson on Mandrakes.
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Potions: Unicorn horns have long been used in potions and medicines.
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Defense Against the Dark Arts: What is the significance of the wand?
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  • Harry Potter: A History of Magic
  • Divination: Ready for a lesson in real-world Divination? Take a seat, Trelawney.
  • Harry Potter: A History of Magic
  • Charms: What are the origins of the word Abracadabra?
  • Harry Potter: A History of Magic
  • Herbology: Earmuffs away—you won’t need them for this real-world lesson on Mandrakes.
  • Harry Potter: A History of Magic
  • Potions: Unicorn horns have long been used in potions and medicines.
  • Harry Potter: A History of Magic
  • Defense Against the Dark Arts: What is the significance of the wand?
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Harry Potter The Full Cast Audio Editions on Audible
Fascinating Historical Connections • Insightful Magical Background • Excellent Narration • Rich Cultural References

Highly rated for:

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I will buy and the paper book and DVD to see the collections mentioned in the audio book. I love history and enjoyed listening to the stories. J.K Rowling's is amazing in her knowledge of her subject and her marvelous creativity this audio book gave me some insight to how she created this world.

Very enjoyable!

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This was really enjoyable except for the music they played in the background throughout the entire audiobook. It was a nuisance and a distraction.

Good except for the background music

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I enjoyed listening to this book. I had two small issues with the presentation on Audible-

1) I wish there were pdf pictures to go with the narrations so I could refer to those as I listened but it is okay without them as I know enough about HP lore to stay interested.

2) I didn’t mind the different voices as much as others did, one male commentator had a voice that was a bit low and harder for me to hear so I had to keep turning the sound up and down.

These two things led to the four rather than five star ratings. I usually am able to give Audible books five stars for narrations, sound quality and such.

If you like world history, trivia and know the Harry Potter stories, this is an enjoyable listen!

History of actual magic as it relates to Harry Potter

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I so much loved "HPHoM"!! I enjoyed the "each side of the pond" interviews and discussions! I will re-listen to the audiobook again!!
Thank you ever so much!!

A Must for Any Potterhead!!

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Really great listen!! I’m a massive Harry Potter fan, so it was fascinating to learn about not only what inspired JK Rowling in her writing of the Harry Potter series, but also how the world has perceived and interpreted different facets of magic throughout time.

Great narration, fascinating bits of history, interesting interviews

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