The Tarot: History, Symbolism, and Divination by Robert Place

Anyone have any thoughts about this book? I am considering buying it, but want to be sure it will be worth my while.
thanks!

I enjoyed reading it, but since it's at my local library (one of 2 lonely books on tarot in the whole place!) I have not purchased it.

I didn't know anything about tarot so it was an actual introduction on all levels for me. Definitely put to rest any dogmatic statements about evil, etc that I had heard all my life. Being into historical fiction, I think it is what the tipped the scales for me to come on in to the waters.

Excellent book on tarot history and symbolism. Place's analysis of RWS symbology is a wonderful bonus. AT has a couple of thorough reviews of this book here:

http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/books/history-symbolism-divination/

Alan

I would consider it one of the top ten books to own.

I got a lot out of this book and also consider one of my best tarot books.

Thanks to all of your recommendations, I picked up this book myself and must concur. Outstanding in every way.

The sections on Neo-Platonism, Hermeticism and Alchemy were concise and very clear. I can't think of another book on Tarot that explaines the influence of these philosophies on Renaissance thought so perfectly.

Also, the author has worked out a logical reconciliation between the facts and the fancies of the occultists. Too complex to describe here, but he essentially "separates the kernels from the chaff", as he puts it. Instead of completely discounting ALL of de Mellet, de Gébelin, Levi and Etteilla, he points out where they were on the mark -- at least philosophically.

I have this book and found it to be fascinating. There are a lot of good information contained in the chapters, especially about the symbolism which was my first reason for buying the book.

If I had to pick only a few books for my Tarot Library this book would be one of them. It is very well done and informative.

I highly recommend.

This is one book that I'd recommend to EVERYONE and ANYONE who has even the slightest inkling towards the Tarot or Art in general.

However, one teensy lil bit of a minus point - it's a lil dry and does drag in the middle ... but despite that, it's a book I as a tarotist can totally swear by.

You.Must.Own.This.Period.