This book does very well at its aim, which is an academic-lite view of the process Rowling went through to write the series, as well as the many historical influences she incorporated in her magical world. The visuals included are excellent. I enjoyed all of the various world contexts that were included, but one thing that I found frustrating is that they place the site of knowledge for all of these things in museum exhibitions in London and New York. The repatriation of a lot of these magical relics is no doubt a complex issue, but I found it tone deaf that the book often emphasizes how they were gathered to these colonial centers. Other than that, the book is really excellent.

This book was a beautiful insight into the making of Harry Potter. It allowed me to see just how much effort J.K. Rowling put into each of her stories and it was fascinating, (as a long time fan) to experience all her hard work "first hand". I was captivated by the articles and all of the historical elements that I, myself was unaware of. The illustrations in this book were spectacular and I found myself going back and looking at them again and aging. The only issue I had with the book was at times I felt like some of the articles didn't fit in the section they were under but other than that I loved this book.
It allowed me to expand my love for J. K. Rowling's world and see it from a new perspective. I wish I had the opportunity to visit the exhibit in person but this companion book served well as an alternative. I would recommend this book to any lovers of the Harry Potter Franchise, who love history and want to know more about the making of the story.

Great narration. I found the part about witches and sexism especially fascinating.

I wasn't able to visit the exhibition in 2017, so I listened to the audio book instead, while looking at the paper book version simultaneously. You will need the print version to augment the audio book, or you will miss a lot of visual pleasure as it is first and foremost an exhibition catalog. The audio book gives a lot more background information, like an audio tour in the museum, with the book on your lap as the exhibition. I especially enjoyed the conversations with Jim Kay, in which he tells about the background of certain drawings. The illustrations made be J.K. Rowling were a surprise too. A pity that some illustrations of Olivia Lomenech Gill, talked about in the audio version, didn't make it into the book. I later discovered that the juvenile version of the catalog:[b:Harry Potter: A Journey Through A History of Magic|35704107|Harry Potter A Journey Through A History of Magic|British Library|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1500670878s/35704107.jpg|57200177], does contain those missing illustrations. Even if you have seen the exhibition, the book and audio book will be an enhancement of your memory; well worth your time.

Unlike the fascinating TV programme, this felt confused and muddled. Didn’t finish.

Almost reads like a documentary about the inspiration behind the world, magic, & creatures from Harry Potter. The audio version especially feels documentary-esque, as there are many voices used to narrate (from people both involved in publishing the books as well as people educated in the inspirations for the series). While it might not be particular interesting for a more casual Harry Potter fan, it is quite informative.