The Elizabethan natural philosopher and magus John Dee (1527–1609) has been the subject of at least half a dozen monographs over the last few decades, ranging from specialist studies in intellectual history to popular biographies that border on the journalistic. Glynn Parry's Arch-conjuror of England balances skilfully between these two poles. This latest addition to the Dee literature pays careful attention to secondary and primary sources, and presents a well-crafted biographical narrative in a style that makes the material accessible to the casual reader. Some of the stylistic choices may, perhaps, appear unnecessary and a bit annoying to experts, especially the choice to normalise early modern spelling to conform to conventions of modern English. The use of fictionalising reconstructions of early modern Europe as conceived of by the author may also be a bit excessive, but they also blow life into the past in a way that few other Dee scholars have managed to do. These are in any case minor stylistic concerns, and do not appear to interfere with the accuracy or substance of the narrative. In fact, the major achievement of this biography is its ability to make use of and synthesise the best available secondary literature on Dee and the broader Elizabethan intellectual and religious culture. Readers wishing to explore any given issue in greater detail will find helpful references in the endnotes. A final section on suggested further reading will also be valuable to readers who encounter Dee for the first time. Dee specialists and experts in early modern cultural history are not likely to find any provocatively new ideas or discoveries in this book, but for a first encounter with the complex relationships between magic and prophecy, politics and prognostication, and science and religion that John Dee's life and activities embodies, The arch-conjuror of England is an excellent choice. This will be the new standard biography of this fascinating and ambiguous figure, finally replacing Peter J. French's 1972 biography as well as Benjamin Wooley's more recent journalistic alternative.