Overview

Full Product Details

Author:   Emerson W. Baker (Professor of History, Professor of History, Salem State College)
Publisher:   Oxford University Press Inc
Imprint:   Oxford University Press Inc
Dimensions:   Width: 16.50cm , Height: 3.60cm , Length: 23.60cm
Weight:   0.680kg
ISBN:  

9780199890347

ISBN 10:   019989034
Pages:   416
Publication Date:   30 October 2014
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Tertiary & Higher Education ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   To order  
Stock availability from the supplier is unknown. We will order it for you and ship this item to you once it is received by us.

Table of Contents

Introduction: An Old Valuables Chest Chapter One: Satan's Storm Chapter Two: The City upon a Hill Chapter Three: Drawing Battle Lines in Salem Village Chapter Four: The Afflicted Chapter Five: The Accused Chapter Six: The Judges Chapter Seven: An Inextinguishable Flame Chapter Eight: Salem End Chapter Nine: Witch City?

Reviews

Of many books about the Salem witch-trials, only a few really matter. This is one of them. Combining deep learning and clear-sighted good sense, A Storm of Witchcraft retells a story that has long managed to be familiar yet puzzling and misunderstood. Emerson Baker's masterly dissection of events is both genuinely original and utterly persuasive, not least because the importance of political circumstance, legal expediency and personal relationships seems obvious once it is pointed out. Baker reminds us that witchcraft was above all a religious crime, which took on terrifying significance at a time of extreme danger in New England's history. But his analysis of Salem's causal roots and painfully enduring ramifications does more than just demystify the trials: it illustrates universal truths about human emotions and their place in modern society. --Malcolm Gaskill, University of East Anglia, UK, author of Witchfinders: a Seventeenth Century English Tragedy Baker, professor of history at Salem State College, places the trials in the larger context of American and English history, examining not only their prominent place in our collective memory, but also what made them so different from other witch trials of the era. Baker convincingly demonstrates that the trials were a pivotal point in American history and presents the mass hysteria surrounding them in very poignant terms. --Publisher's Weekly This extraordinarily researched, expertly written, and convincing study is suitable for and will appeal to a wide audience. --Library Journal

Of many books about the Salem witch-trials, only a few really matter. This is one of them. Combining deep learning and clear-sighted good sense, A Storm of Witchcraft retells a story that has long managed to be familiar yet puzzling and misunderstood. Emerson Baker's masterly dissection of events is both genuinely original and utterly persuasive, not least because the importance of political circumstance, legal expediency and personal relationships seems obvious once it is pointed out. Baker reminds us that witchcraft was above all a religious crime, which took on terrifying significance at a time of extreme danger in New England's history. But his analysis of Salem's causal roots and painfully enduring ramifications does more than just demystify the trials: it illustrates universal truths about human emotions and their place in modern society. --Malcolm Gaskill, University of East Anglia, UK, author of Witchfinders: a Seventeenth Century English Tragedy Baker, professor of history at Salem State College, places the trials in the larger context of American and English history, examining not only their prominent place in our collective memory, but also what made them so different from other witch trials of the era. Baker convincingly demonstrates that the trials were a pivotal point in American history and presents the mass hysteria surrounding them in very poignant terms. --Publisher's Weekly

Of many books about the Salem witch-trials, only a few really matter. This is one of them. Combining deep learning and clear-sighted good sense, A Storm of Witchcraft retells a story that has long managed to be familiar yet puzzling and misunderstood. Emerson Baker's masterly dissection of events is both genuinely original and utterly persuasive, not least because the importance of political circumstance, legal expediency and personal relationships seems obvious once it is pointed out. Baker reminds us that witchcraft was above all a religious crime, which took on terrifying significance at a time of extreme danger in New England's history. But his analysis of Salem's causal roots and painfully enduring ramifications does more than just demystify the trials: it illustrates universal truths about human emotions and their place in modern society. --Malcolm Gaskill, author of Witchfinders: a Seventeenth Century English Tragedy Baker, professor of history at Salem State College, places the trials in the larger context of American and English history, examining not only their prominent place in our collective memory, but also what made them so different from other witch trials of the era. Baker convincingly demonstrates that the trials were a pivotal point in American history and presents the mass hysteria surrounding them in very poignant terms. --Publisher's Weekly This extraordinarily researched, expertly written, and convincing study is suitable for and will appeal to a wide audience. --Library Journal

Baker's work is a model of responsible historiography ... I anticipate that his historiography will serve as a model for other historians as they deal with similarly complex subjects ... His rock solid historical work and lively, engaging prose made this book both an indispensable contribution to scholarship and a delight to read. I suspect that this is the book on Salem witchcraft for this generation. Scott D. Seay, American Historical Review Baker's book takes a broader picture than many ... [looking] at the relationships between the accusers and the accused, but, more perhaps uniquely into the often close family relationships between the judges. Peter Rogerson, Magonia a cogent, readable, and comprehensive analysis of the literature on the Salem witch trials ... [Baker's] emphasis on the choices made by individuals - to take action or remain passive - makes this work a welcome addition to our attempts to understand the significance of the Salem events of 1692. Elaine G. Breslaw, Journal of American History I found it a really fascinating book. ...once I had started reading it I couldn't put it down. As history books go, I found it is a real page-turner. A Bad Witch's Blog

Author Information

Emerson W. Baker is Professor of History at Salem State University. He is the author of The Devil of Great Island: Witchcraft and Conflict in Early New England, and co-author of an award-winning biography of Sir William Phips.

Tab Content 6

Author Website:  

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

No review item found!

Add your own review!

Countries Available

All regions