The Witch Hunts
14 Mar 07

As Satan emerged as an omnipresent evil in western images, the fear that enemies were attacking “good Christians” started to spiral out of control.  Superstition, panic and terror combined into a formidable and angry force bent on the most extreme aggression against the perceived agents of the devil - witches.

Tens of thousands lost their lives, lynched by the mob, tried and condemned to death on the flimsiest circumstantial evidence and “confessions” extracted through horrendous torture.

After many months studying rare book collections and archives, and travelling to the villages named in original interrogation reports, Robert W Thurston has produced a concise, yet compelling account of the witch-hunts.

Looking at the social and political context surrounding the hunts, the book shows that the persecutions were highly erratic affairs, which depended on a host of factors, particularly the willingness of the resident elite to suspend older standards of evidence. 

He also shows that the fears that fed the mob to persecute, torture and kill “witches” featured some of the same kinds of constructed, widely publicized fears that circulate in the West today.  Fears of the enemy within - paedophiles, religious fundamentalists and other bogeymen - which can still inspire mob culture.

Written as an accessible introduction, the book combines straightforward analysis with personal observations.  It explores who the victims and persecutors were, how the stereotype of the witch was created, what influenced the courts behaviour, and how the hunts were finally ended.

	The Witch Hunts
	Author	Robert Thurston
	Pub Date	18 Dec 2006
	Price	£11.99
	Publisher	Longman
	ISBN10	1405840838
	ISBN13	9781405840835
		Click here for further information or to purchase The Witch Hunts.

For further information please contact:
Elie Ball, PR Manager
t: 07803 392 710
e: elie.ball@pearson.com

View more news releases, in our latest news area.

All information and prices correct at time of writing.