Overview

Chilling real-life accounts of witches, from medieval Europe through colonial America A Penguin Classic Chilling real-life accounts of witches, from medieval Europe through colonial America, compiled by the New York Times bestselling author of The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane and The Daughters of Temperance Hobbs From a manual for witch hunters written by King James himself in 1597, to court documents from the Salem witch trials of 1692, to newspaper coverage of a woman stoned to death on the streets of Philadelphia while the Continental Congress met, The Penguin Book of Witches is a treasury of historical accounts of accused witches that sheds light on the reality behind the legends. Bringing to life stories like that of Eunice Cole, tried for attacking a teenage girl with a rock and buried with a stake through her heart; Jane Jacobs, a Bostonian so often accused of witchcraft that she took her tormentors to court on charges of slander; and Increase Mather, an exorcism-performing minister famed for his knowledge of witches, this volume provides a unique tour through the darkest history of English and North American witchcraft. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

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9780143106180

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Reviews

This comprehensive collection of carefully selected documents and published primary materials, coupled with judicious and informative introductions, will help modern readers understand the seemingly inexplicable and persistent popular phenomenon of belief in witchcraft from the seventeenth century into more modern times -- Mary Beth Norton (author of In the Devil's Snare) Fascinating and insightful. With her usual skill, Katherine Howe navigates the winding path leading to Salem's hysteria and beyond. A must-read for anyone who wants to know not only what happened but also how and why -- Brunonia Barry (author of The Lace Reader)

Fascinating and insightful. With her usual skill, Katherine Howe navigates the winding path leading to Salem's hysteria and beyond. A must-read for anyone who wants to know not only what happened but also how and why. --Brunonia Barry, New York Times bestselling author of The Lace Reader This comprehensive collection of carefully selected documents and published primary materials, coupled with judicious and informative introductions, will help modern readers understand the seemingly inexplicable and persistent popular phenomenon of belief in witchcraft from the seventeenth century into more modern times. --Mary Beth Norton, author of In the Devil's Snare

Author Information

Katherine Howe(editor), the direct descendant of three accused Salem witches, is the New York Times bestselling author of the novels The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane, The Daughters of Temperance Hobbs,andThe House of Velvet and Glass, as well as the young adult novelsConversionandThe Appearance of Annie van Sinderen. Shelives with her family in New England and New York City.

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