This is probably the first book I have read about Tarot cards. On the other hand, I've read books about Giordano Bruno, Jacob Boehme, Cornelius Agrippa, etc. From my casual familiarity with Tarot cards, it seemed obvious enough to me that they fit nicely into the tradition of alchemical emblems. So I was delighted to find this book in a bookshop recently... enough so not merely to buy the book but to read it, too!

It fulfilled my hopes quite well. Place reviews the history of Western esotericism at a nice pace, providing lots of fascinating details without getting bogged down. His discussion of Lull's Blanquerna inspired me to track down a copy for my shelves.... I expect it will take me longer to get to reading that, though!

All the history of philosophy sets up the detailed review of the cards, creating a context for the catalog. Place discusses and compares the cards one by one, comparing versions from maybe half a dozen different decks. It's a bit of a slog but again Place does a good job of not getting bogged down.

This kind of historical and philosophical perspective probably won't appeal to somebody who just wants to use the cards to pick business investments etc. But for folks who are curious as to how the cards work, it's a wonderful introduction. ( )