Just holding a book of shadows, grimoire or magical text can make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. As you turn over the first page, you can feel the tingle of the book's power on your finger tips.

It's no wonder that Owen Davies, professor of social history at the University of Hertfordshire, has chosen this mysterious subject as the focus of his new book, Grimoires: A History of Magic Books.

He says, "Grimoires are books that contain a mix of spells, conjurations, natural secrets and ancient wisdom. Their origins date back to the dawn of writing and their subsequent history is entwined with that of the religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, the development of science, the cultural influence of print, and the social impact of European colonialism."

In the book Owen lists his top ten spine-tingling texts which include Petit Albert (little Albert), an 18th century book with spells to catch fish, heal and invisibility, and Dragon rouge (red dragon), a 17th century read that features an invocation of the devil. The Fourth Book of Occult Philosophy, The Magus, The Necronomicon and the Wiccan Book of Shadows are also named in the list.

You can buy Grimoires: A History of Magic Books from Amazon for £11.49 with free delivery to the UK.