The golden bough - James George Frazer

Sir James George Frazer originally set out to discover the origins of one ancient custom in Classical Rome - the plucking of the Golden Bough from a tree in the sacred grove of Diana, and the murderous succession of the priesthood there - and was led by his invetigations into a twenty-five year study of primitive customs, superstitions, magic and myth throughout the world.
The monumental thirteen-volume work which resulted has been a rich source of anthropological material and a literary masterpiece for more than half a century.
Both the wealth of his illustrative material and the broad sweep of his argument can be appreciated in this very readable single volume.