100,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock πŸ‡³πŸ‡Ώ

Overnight NZ-wide delivery on in-stock orders πŸš€

Land of Mist and Magic

The Myths and Legends that Shaped Britain
Brief Description
Britain is a land steeped in legend. From the Scottish Islands to the valleys of Wales, or the coves and inlets of Cornwall, scarcely a hillock, spring or churchyard is without its own story of mythical creatures, magical adventures or glimpses into another world. Land of... Read More
Format: Hardback
$6999
AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 4-6 weeks

Found a better price? Request a price match

Britain is a land steeped in legend. From the Scottish Islands to the valleys of Wales, or the coves and inlets of Cornwall, scarcely a hillock, spring or churchyard is without its own story. Composed of beautifully illustrated retellings, Land of Mist and Magic is a treasure-house of the stories that shaped our nation.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Britain is a land steeped in legend. From the Scottish Islands to the valleys of Wales, or the coves and inlets of Cornwall, scarcely a hillock, spring or churchyard is without its own story of mythical creatures, magical adventures or glimpses into another world.

Land of Mist and Magic collects and retells these stories of ghosts, fairy changelings and demon dogs deeply embedded in the landscape, together with those of more familiar heroes such as King Arthur, Beowulf and Robin Hood, that lie at the very threshold of recorded history.

With introductory sections setting out the historical background and origin of the myths, the book is composed of beautiful retellings of the stories, illustrated from the British Library's unparalleled collection of manuscripts and printed books. Visually stunning and packed with stirring and surprising tales, Land of Mist and Magic is a treasure-house of the stories that shaped our nation.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780712355148

Publisher: British Library Publishing

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 21 October 2025

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: British Library Publishing

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 156.0mm

Height: 234.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 352

About the Author

Philip Parker is a writer, consultant and publisher specialising in ancient and medieval history as well as cartography. He studied history at Trinity Hall, Cambridge. He is the author of The British History Puzzle Book (2021), The Magnificent Maps Puzzle Book (2019), the DK Eyewitness Companion Guide to World History (2016) and The Northmen's Fury (2010).

Also by Philip Parker

View all
  • To the Ends of the Earth
    This lavishly illustrated book provides a unique insight into the evolution of mapmaking and the science behind it, from the stone age to the digital age. Britain's leading cartographic author takes us on a historical journey through how the greatest maps were created. Exploring key cartographers and mapmaking methods, as well as fascinating interludes on subjects such as the very...
    Hardback
    $5999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • History of Cities in Maps
    A fascinating cartographic study of urban development, perfect for map and history lovers. The city, a concept nearly as old as history itself, is a paradox of human innovation and intervention, order and conflict. From ancient civilisations to modern-day metropolises, maps have played a crucial role in urban progress. History of Cities in Maps explores the development of cities through...
    Hardback
    $7999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The British Library Magnificent Maps Puzzle Book
    The British Library Magnificent Maps Puzzle Book offers a captivating exploration of one of the largest and most impressive cartographic collections in the world. The British Library's archives include manuscript maps and atlases, administrative records and plans, large-scale surveys, and digital maps. From this extensive and rich resource, 100 fascinating examples have been selected to form the basis of this...
    Paperback
    $3999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Atlas of Atlases
    This beautiful book is a lavishly illustrated look at the most important atlases in history and the cartographers who made them. Atlases are books that changed the course of history. Pored over by rulers, explorers and adventurers, these books were used to build empires, wage wars, encourage diplomacy and nurture trade. Written by Philip Parker, an authority on the history...
    Hardback
    $6500
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The British History Puzzle Book
    A spectacular, puzzle-fuelled, myth-busting journey through the hidden history of Britain in 500 questions. Britain's history is one of the richest and most complex in Europe. From the first Stone Age settlers, through the Roman occupation, the waves of Germanic and Viking invaders, the wars of the Middle Ages, the consolidation of the United Kingdom, the British Empire, the two...
    Paperback
    $3999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • History of the World in Maps
    Every map tells a story, and this book tells the incredible history of our world through maps. From Babylonian tablets to digital mapping, the world has evolved rapidly, along with the ways in which we understand and depict it. In this time, cartography has not only kept pace with these changes but has often driven them. In this fully revised...
    Hardback
    Sold Out
  • Small Island
    The gripping exploration of Britain's ever-changing identity, through the guise of 12 poignant maps over 2,000 years of British history. Can the questions of Britain's future be answered by the maps of our past? A fascinating analysis of a dozen maps from critical points in British history over the last 2,000 years, from the Celtic period when Britain was just...
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • The History of Everywhere: All the Stuff That You Never Knew Happened at the Same Time
    Discover history as you've never seen it before – and all the stuff you never knew happened at the same time! Did you know the woolly mammoths were still around when the Egyptians built their pyramids? Or that Leonardo Da Vinci lived at the same time as Henry VIII and the Aztecs? Welcome to The History of Everywhere, a fascinating...
    Hardback
    Sold Out

More from Science & Nature

View all
  • Murder Under the Mistletoe
    BOOK 4 IN THE BESTSELLING CANON CLEMENT MYSTERY SERIES 'The best of the new cosy crime writers' Daily Telegraph 'You'll want to take a front row pew in Champton while this delicious series unfolds' Janice Hallett It is Christmas Day and at Champton Rectory, Canon Daniel Clement and his mother Audrey are joined by the residents and guests of the...
    Paperback
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • John and Paul
    THE SUNDAY TIMES AND NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER LONGLISTED FOR THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION 'A triumph.' Deborah Levy, New Statesman 'Tremendous.' Alwyn Turner, The Times 'Revelatory.' Simon Schama, Financial Times 'The gold standard of Beatles books.' Anthony Quinn, Observer 'As enthralling and astonishing as their music.' Jon Dennis, Sunday Telegraph 'A masterpiece.' Dylan Jones, Evening Standard '[Ian Leslie]...
    Paperback
    $2800
    Elsewhere:
    $3299
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Raising Hare
    THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES AND NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER SHORTLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION 2025 SHORTLISTED FOR WATERSTONES BOOK OF THE YEAR 2024 SHORTLISTED FOR THE HATCHARDS AND BIOGRAPHERS' CLUB FIRST BIOGRAPHY PRIZE A BOOK OF THE YEAR FOR THE HAY FESTIVAL, SUNDAY TIMES, THE TIMES, FINANCIAL TIMES, SPECTATOR AND iNEWS 'A beautiful book' - ANGELINA JOLIE 'I...
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • What If? 10th Anniversary Edition
    CELEBRATING TEN YEARS OF THE MILLION-SELLING POP SCIENCE CLASSIC WITH A SPECIAL EDITION. THIS IS WHAT IF? . . . x10. THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 'Nerd royalty' β€” BEN GOLDACRE 'Totally brilliant' β€” TIM HARFORD 'Required reading across the world' β€” NEW YORK TIMES From the creator of the wildly popular xkcd.com, experience hilarious and informative answers to important questions...
    Hardback
    $4200
    Elsewhere:
    $5000
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Nuclear War
    The Sunday Times bestselling non-fiction thriller that has to be read to be believed. Baillie Gifford shortlisted, a favourite of Steven Bartlett, with an average reader rating of 4.6, sure to be a mass-market hit. Up to now, no one outside of official circles has known exactly what would happen if a rogue state launched a nuclear missile at the...
    Paperback
    $2500
    Elsewhere:
    $2800
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Anxious Generation
    A powerful argument for reclaiming childhoodβ€”and all human relationshipsβ€”from the online world, from the influential social psychologist and international bestselling author. Jonathan Haidt has spent his career speaking truth and wisdom in some of the most difficult spacesβ€”communities polarised by politics and religion, campuses battling culture wars, and now the mental health emergency hitting teenagers today in many countries around...
    Paperback
    $2299
    Elsewhere:
    $3000
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Prisoners of Geography
    Prisoners of Geography looks at the past, present, and future to offer crucial insights into one of the major factors that determine world history – because if you don’t know geography, you’ll never have the full picture. Originally published in 2015, this completely revised and updated edition brings it up to date with the events and trends of the past...
    Paperback
    $2899
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Booker Prize
    Orbital
    Winner of the Booker Prize 2024. Chair of the judges, Edmund de Waal, describes the winner as 'a book about a wounded world' adding that the panel's 'unanimity about Orbital recognises its beauty and ambition'. Life on our planet as you've never seen it before. A team of astronauts in the International Space Station collect meteorological data, conduct scientific experiments...
    Paperback
    $2200
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Diddly Squat: Home to Roost
    It's been another memorable year on Diddly Squat Farm - will the chickens finally come home to roost? Welcome back to Clarkson's Farm. The spring crop failed. Farming sheep, pigs, and cows was hardly more lucrative (better off breeding ostriches...) But in the face of uncooperative weather, bureaucracy, and the world's persistent refusal to recognise his genius, our hero's not...
    Paperback
    $2600
    Elsewhere:
    $3000
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Place of Tides
    To save the world, we have to start somewhere. One afternoon many years ago, James Rebanks met an old woman on a remote Norwegian island. She lived and worked alone on a tiny rocky outcrop, caring for wild ducks and gathering their down. Hers was a centuries-old trade that had once made men and women rich, but had long been...
    Paperback
    $3000
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Ultra-Processed People
    Launching the runaway bestseller with ambitions to be the biggest non-fiction paperback of the year IT'S NOT YOU. IT'S THE FOOD. "If you only read one diet or nutrition book in your life, make it this one" - Bee Wilson "You've got to get this book in your life . . . Completely compelling . . . Read a page...
    Paperback
    $2500
    Elsewhere:
    $2800
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Island of Missing Trees
    The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak is a captivating and poignant novel that delves into the intertwined lives of two star-crossed lovers in war-torn Cyprus and their enduring legacy decades later. This Sunday Times bestselling novel intricately weaves themes of love, loss, and identity amidst a backdrop of cultural and historical turmoil. Set in 1974 on the island...
    Paperback
    $2300
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.