Embodiments of the invention provide a write head for perpendicular recording in which the magnetic field intensity applied at a read element is reduced with larger write-field gradients and the distance between a write element and a read element is small. In one embodiment, a pair of magnetic bodies for shielding a read element are provided on the leading and trailing sides of the read element respectively and whichever one of the two shields is the longer in the length from the air bearing surface is shorter than the length up to the back contact position P.sub.BK at which a main pole and an auxiliary pole are connected.