John Putnam Demos is at Yale University.
"A book that will rank with the best, a book that shows how much we still may learn from these people. This is not simply a monograph on witchcraft but a major attempt to understand the kind of society and the kind of culture in which witchcraft had a place. Rich in insights."--
The New York Review of Books"A remarkable piece of scholarship. Vividly illustrates what made certain individuals vulnerable to charges of witchcraft."--The New York Times Book Review
"History in such capable hands becomes much more than a chronicle: it makes the past seem as vivid and dimensional, and every bit as compelling, as the present."--
Newsweek"With the publication of this book, the historical study of American witchcraft finally comes of age."--
American Historical Review"Beautifully written and exhaustively researched."--
Virginia Quarterly Review"Well written and easy to read.... More than a history of witchcraft. It is placed within the wider social context and is thus a history of early New England culture.... Very well documented."--
History: Reviews of New Books"A work that sets the stage for the eruption in Salem and promises to transform the terms in which we understand that extravagant episode.... A rewarding and fascinating achievement well worth reading."--
American History Illustrated"Demos has done an excellent job of researching a subject of great interest today."--William C. Viser,
Ouachita Baptist University"An ambitious, informative work."--Paul Tiverow,
Missouri Southern State College"Brilliant."--Herbert Cederberg,
University of Wisconsin