The Magical Worlds of Harry Potter

This is the ultimate guide to the underlying mythology contained in the multimillion selling books and the record-breaking film. Colbert digs deep into the different cultures to piece together the origins of the griffins and goblins, and why Harry is such a hero.

J.K. Rowling fills her books with references to history, myths, legends, and literature. The Magical Worlds of Harry Potter presents the stories behind the stories. The enriching trip includes many other worlds, both real and imaginary, from ancient Egypt and Greece to India and Japan. It includes encounters with wizards like Circe and Merlin, and real-life alchemists of the Middle Ages. It reveals astonishing origins of magical creatures such as the phoenix and the hippogriff. Adding to the experience are writers as noted and varied as William Shakespeare, Gustave Flaubert, Charles Dickens, Ovid, John Donne, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Ursula K. Le Guin.