"Entre science et nigromance : Astrologie, divination et magie dans l'Occident médiéval (XIIe-Xve siècle)" by Jean-Patrice Boudet

Does anybody have some information about this book?
I think the title looks very interesting

Marco

It does look interesting. I could get it through interlibrary loan from several libraries - or buy it for 42 euros.

http://www.chapitre.com/CHAPITRE/fr/BOO ... 78589.aspx

It's a large book of 600 pages and weighs a kilo, and published by the Sorbonne so it should be full of information. I wish Google Books or amazon could give a look inside or a snippet view though, before I plunk down the money for the library loan or to buy it.

Ross G. R. Caldwell wrote:It does look interesting. I could get it through interlibrary loan from several libraries - or buy it for 42 euros.

http://www.chapitre.com/CHAPITRE/fr/BOO ... 78589.aspx

It's a large book of 600 pages and weighs a kilo, and published by the Sorbonne so it should be full of information. I wish Google Books or amazon could give a look inside or a snippet view though, before I plunk down the money for the library loan or to buy it.

Oh - please get it, Ross. You have to read it for the rest of us. I'm sure there will be plenty of goodies in it, even if there's no mention of Tarot.

Thank you Ross. It seems that Chapitre can ship to Italy, so I could get a copy from them (on Amazon.fr the book is not available and Fnac does not seem to ship outside France).
Could you find any information about the author? I guess that the fact that the publisher is the Sorbonne is a sort of guarantee...

Marco

Yes, it and he is described at the priceminister page on the book -
http://www.priceminister.com/offer/buy/ ... .html#info

"Ancien élève de l'École normale supérieure de Saint-Cloud, agrégé et docteur en histoire, Jean-Patrice Boudet a soutenu son habilitation à diriger des recherches en 2003, à l'université Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne, et il est professeur d'histoire médiévale à l'université d'Orléans."

So he has a PhD in history and teaches at the University of Orléans.

The second part of the book deals with popular methods of divination including lot-books, which might provide some interesting insights.

Main priceminister page on this book -
http://www.priceminister.com/offer/buy/ ... Livre.html

I'll be able to take a quick look at it this afternoon at the Bodleian and will check the index to see what is listed under tarot. I'll photocopy the plates as well.

Great Robert! (says emerald-green with envy Ross)

Please look not only for tarot of course, but playing cards and lot books, and games in general.

that would be "livres des sorts", "sorts", "cartes à jouer", "jeux". Maybe also "images" and "talismans".

Happy hunting!

Ross

Seems indeed like a book worth reading!

I look forward to more details as well

Well folks, it's so hard for me to give an opinion because I just have no idea what was being talked about in the book. I can say that I didn't see anything that seemed directly tarot related in the illustrations, nor was tarot mentioned in index. Out of the list of words Ross suggested to check in the index, the only one that did have any matches was "sorts". I photocopied the pages, and will try to scan them and put them up this week.

It's a thick book, paperback, and I must say that if it was in English or if I could read French, I would put it on the list of books that I would want to own. I'm sure there is much to interest anyone interested in the title.

Really, it's going to take someone who understands the content to give a fair evaluation. There were lovely illustrations of astrology, alchemy, etc... and even some illustrations that made me think a bit of tarot (I photocopied one page that I'll put up).

Sorry I couldn't be more helpful.

best,
robert

Thanks Robert! That's a very good indication. I can't wait to see the scanned pages.

I'm sure I'd like to own it, but I went on a bit of a spending blowout recently, and I have to be careful.

The illustrations must be good. I think I'd be most interested in his discussion of alchemy, since most discussions of alchemical literature focus on the 16th century and later.