Witches: The history of a persecution

When bigotry and power-mania take control, disaster always follows for subjugated persons - even when the power is wielded by the Church.

Witchcraft was viewed as devil-worship. Between 1450 and 1750, one hundred thousand people were accused, subject to the most bestial tortures and usually executed. Witches examines the wildfire-spread of witch hunting across Europe and America, revealing the disturbing and brutal realities of these witch hunts and their roots in misogyny and religious persecution.

It includes:
* Letters and trial testimonies from those charged with witchcraft, as well as some from self-proclaimed witches
* Biographic detail of key witch hunters, such as Matthew Hopkins (the so-called Witchfinder General) who was responsible for hundreds of executions
* Accounts of famous witch trials, from Chelmsford to Salam

Nigel Cawthorne doesn't shy away from the violent details of this persecution, exploring the events as they transpired, the contexts that triggered them and tracing it back to its source.

Please note: This title contains descriptions of a violent and sexual nature and is not intended for younger readers. Discretion is advised.

Read more Continue reading Read less BOOK DESCRIPTION
Witches examines the wildfire-spread of witch hunting across Europe and America. It includes tragic letters and testimonies from those accused, information on key witch hunters, and stories of chilling witch trials, from Chelmsford to Salam. --This text refers to the paperback edition. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nigel Cawthorne studied at University College, London, where he gained an Honours degree in Physics, before turning to writing as a career. He has been a writer and editor for over 25 years, the last 21 freelance. He has written, contributed to and edited more than sixty books, including Fighting Them On The Beaches: D-Day, 6 June 1944, The Battle of Britain, Vietnam: A War Lost and Won, Stalin, and The Story of the SS. His work has also appeared in over a hundred and fifty newspapers, magazines and partworks on both sides of the Atlantic - from the Sun to the Financial Times, and includes contributions to Nam, Eyewitness Nam and The Falklands War. Nigel also visited Vietnam with the legendary Tim Page, where he researched the material for Nam, Eyewitness Nam, and The Bamboo Cage. He is also the creator of websites on the Battle of Hastings, and Pearl Harbor.

--This text refers to the paperback edition. Read more Continue reading Read less