Harry Potter: A History of Magic (American Edition) Hardcover – 9 October 2018

I loved thetext and the other pictures of harry Potter cghnvthjb nhfsdvbf bhed vdsf csfb fdaf vfsg hgfd cdgb

Good, but, some parts of the book are damaged.

It's amazing to hold a hard bound glossy HP book in hand, however personally felt this entire book is a marketing gimmick as Potterheads will buy anything new in market that has even the remotest connection with the series. It's better to buy the new illustrated versions of the books than get this one...you don't see anything that you already don't know.

I didn't get the jacket

good buy. Interesting read. But the corner came a little bit dented from the weak packaging situation.

This book is great for you if you want to know the different inspirations which Rowling worked through to fabricate the vibrant world of Harry Potter Universe. It is full of illustrations and really helps us delve deeper into the realm of Magic.Also, the book was delivered by Amazon in a perfect condition. Really appreciate their services.

If you are a Harry Potter fan, you must not miss the chance to read this amazing background to the magical world created by JK Rowling. Majestic, nuanced and beautifully put together with the most intrinsic illustrations by Jim Kay and JK Rowling herself. One of my best purchases this year <3

Loved it a must buy for all Potter heads it really tells everything about the magical world beautiful illustrations worth every penny It tells about the different subjets learnt at Hogwarts

To commemorate 20 years of Harry Potter, the British Library hosted a Harry Potter: A History of Magic exhibition and this book is essentially a behind the scenes look at some of the manuscripts, artefacts and history of the magical or mythical creatures or items featured within Harry Potter.The collection is divided into sections, such as “Charms”, “Herbology” or “Magical Creatures” and each of the sections delves slightly deeper into the mythology or folklore surrounding some of these themes. I particularly enjoyed the artwork included by Jim Kay, who illustrated the special hardback editions of (at present) the first three books; the artwork is really beautiful, authentic and captures the intentions of Rowling’s characters perfectly – there are even a few specific clues within the character portraits if you look close enough.A number of original drawings of Rowling’s are also included, which showcase how she initially envisaged her characters would look – complete with buckteeth for Hermione and freckles for Ron. It was also interesting to see how some of these drawings differed from the eventual product, for example a secondary character named Gary was later, we know, named Dean. These might seem like trivial changes, but the progression into the published works is something readers wouldn’t usually be so privy to. Original manuscripts are also included to similar effect.The exhibitions showcased in here were likely truly impressive in person, but in book format they were often superficial. Very little information was actually provided in the book, choosing to present very limited text and large images or extracted quotes from the books relevant to the item on show. I was expecting a more in-depth look at some of the mythology or lore surrounding some well-known Harry Potter related creatures or objects, but sadly for the most part this consisted of a brief paragraph at best.In all honesty, this felt like a useful marketing tool for the British Library to demonstrate the items they have for the public to view rather than a genuinely detailed look at any of them. Whilst I can appreciate this might be a nice addition for a fan, particularly one who wanted to attend the exhibition and perhaps couldn’t, it’s far too superficial and contains a lot of information (including the aforementioned artwork and manuscripts by Rowling) already available on the Pottermore website. Incidentally, the font was really tiny too even for perfectly good eyesight.After finishing this book I’m left feeling a little bit underwhelmed but mostly disappointed that my expectations of what this collection might teach me about the world of Harry Potter and the history of its magic were far too high.

My wife expressed interest in this book when we saw so I purchased for her birthday. I am not sure what I expected but it seems very in depth with regarding the magic and spells of Harry Potter.We've not seen the exhibition which this book appears to be a supplement to.If you are seriously in to HP then I would say a great book. It is a fairly large book with loads of pages so I would say great value for money!For me, someone who enjoys the films for what they are I was a bit confused about the contents of the book - there is so much in there that I've never even seen in all the films so overall so 4 stars from me.

This is a beautiful book which shows the depths and magnitude of J.K. Rowling's imagination which seems to know no bounds. This book not only looks at the history of magic but is accompanied by J.K. Rowling's writing journey of Harry Potter. I wish I had been to see the exhibition (no excuse as it is an 1hr train journey away😔) but Google have created this online version which goes brilliantly with the book. A must for all Harry Potter fans!

I visited the exhibition itself and wanted a reminder of that beautiful set up. Honestly one of the most thought through exhibitions I've been to. If you do not have time to go see it in person, this book is a perfect solution; It contains everything that was on display apart from the interactive activities and objects.

Bought as a gift for a family member who is Harry Potter mad, and he loved it. Very good quality print. Is what it is, and he loved it so recommend for anyone who loves Harry Potter.