Overview

A vivid history of witches from the explosion of trials under King James VI to the end of the witch-hunting phenomenon in the early 1700s. Witches--whether broomstick-riding spell-casters or Wiccan earth-worshippers--have been culturally relevant for centuries. For centuries, too, belief in the potency of witchcraft has been debated; accused witches have been hunted and punished; and film productions have brought the witch and the witch-hunter to the heights of popular culture. But where did our perception of witches--good and bad--come from? What motivated wide-scale panics about witchcraft during certain periods? How were alleged witches identified, accused, tortured, and punished? Steven Veerapen traces witches, witchcraft, and witch-hunters from the explosion of mass-trials under King James VI and I in the late sixteenth century to the death of the witch-hunting phenomenon in the early eighteenth century. Based on documents and historical research, he explores what motivated widespread belief in demonic witchcraft throughout Britain and Europe, what caused mass panics, and what led to the relegation of the witch--and the witch-hunter--to the realm of fantasy and the fringes of society.

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Steven Veerapen lives in Glasgow. Pursuing an interest in the sixteenth century, he was awarded a first-class honors degree in English for writing his dissertation on representations of Henry VIII's six wives. He is the author of The Wisest Fool: The Lavish Life of James VI and I. Witches is his first book published in America. Peter Noble is an Audie Award-winning narrator who has recorded hundreds of audiobooks and audio dramas, including the 2021 Booker Prize winner, as well as Audible and New York Times bestsellers. Peter is a brain injury survivor, and has a unique understanding of the music of language. He was born in South Africa, in a valley Alan Paton called ""lovely beyond any singing of it."" He grew up traveling and studied music and drama at the University of Cape Town. In South Africa, Peter worked in the theater, touring the country with a small repertory company, as well as appearing on radio, TV, and film. Peter moved to London to study classical acting at LAMDA. He went on to train as a singer at the Royal Academy of Music, where he was part of the second graduating cohort of the legendary RAM Musical Theatre program. He also has an MA in creative writing from the University of East Anglia. He lives just outside of London, in Hertfordshire.

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