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3.5 stars

Author Marion Gibson, a historian of witchcraft and magic, writes about ancient and modern witches and witch-trials. In this book, Gibson hones in on thirteen trials that span Europe, Africa, and the Americas.

In modern times people often associate witches with characters in television shows like Bewitched, Charmed, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Mayfair Witches, etc., where the witches are funny or helpful or heroic....protagonists we root for. In the real world, however, witches have generally been thought of as evil beings who use magic to do harm. In the Bible, witch stories extend back hundreds of years BCE, but witch hunts really took off during the medieval period, with the study of demonology by Christian clergymen. According to Gibson, clerics believed witches were committed to wickedness, and "the imaginative world of the 15th to 18th centuries was crammed with curses and blessings, angels, devils, ghosts, sprits that could invade bodies, fairies, and elves."

Witches, thought to be empowered by Satan, caused fear and terror, and had to be rooted out of society. Gibson writes that most witches were thought to be female, and many of them were poor and uneducated. Gibson goes on to say, "Christian priests were all male....[and some] were obsessed with the regulation of women: their sexuality, conduct, and thought." Often, women (and a few men) accused of witchcraft were perceived as wanting revenge for some slight, so that something happened to the offender: their cow died, their wife couldn't conceive, their ship sank, their crops failed, their business lost money, their child took sick, and so on.

Gibson discusses thirteen witch trials, expanding on the lives of the accused as well as the accusers, and she provides background details of the time, place, atmosphere, laws, religious beliefs, witnesses, verdicts, etc. Many 'witches' were tortured into 'confessing', and the tales are shocking and sad.

I'll mention a few examples of witch trials, to give you a glimpse of the book.

Helena Scheuberin (1485) in Austria. Helena was accused of poisoning a knight named Jörg Spiess, who had wanted 'more than friendship' with married Helena. Helena was tried by inquisitor Heinrich Kramer who believed witches were devil-worshippers who had given their souls to Satan; prayed to the devil; killed animals and people; and performed every evil they could imagine.

Tatabe (1692) in Salem, Massachusetts. Native American Tatabe grew up in Barbados and was brought to Salem as a slave. Tatabe was unfortunate enough to be enslaved in the household of a Puritan minister named Samuel Parris when young girls in the home claimed to be bewitched.

Helen Duncan (1941) in Barham, England. Helen was a spiritualist/medium who announced that a British ship, the HMS Barham was lost BEFORE this information was public knowledge. This 'foreknowledge', as well as Helen channeling dead people, materializing ectoplasm, and so on led to accusations of witchcraft.

Stormy Daniels (2020) in Columbus, Ohio. Stormy (perhaps best known for her liaisons with Donald Trump) is an adult film star, tarot-reader, ghost-hunter, medium, and believer in a non-traditional religion. When Stormy sued her lawyer Michael Avenattii for defrauding her, she found herself accused of being 'a witch who practices witchcraft.'

The libeling of Stormy Daniels shows that accusations of 'witch' still occur in modern times. Gibson notes, "Witchcraft is still criminalized in multiple nations and quasi-states." The author observes that in Guatemala, traditional healers were killed for being witches in 2021; during Nepal's civil war (1996-2006), suspected witches were beaten or burned to death; in Britain in 2000, a 'child witch' of African descent was tied up in a bath, beaten with hammers and chains, burned, and cut. And more.

The author has done an immense amount of research for the book, which has extensive notes and an index. The narrative is interesting but dry and repetitive, and the author tries too hard to connect incidents in disparate places. What comes across very clearly is that men have felt compelled to control women from time immemorial, and an accusation of witchcraft is one tool in their arsenal. Historically, this has been a powerful tool, and it continues in some places today.

The book is well worth reading for readers interested in the subject matter.

Thanks to Netgalley, Marion Gibson, and Scribner for a copy of the book.

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It's rare to find a witchcraft history book that doesn't end up becoming a slog to get through. I enjoyed Witchcraft by Marion Gibson because it keeps my attention, even when my brain is taking in so much information at once. You can tell the author knows her stuff and took a lot of time and effort to research the history of witches, and make sure to dish out the right, correct information.

I like how the author tied in present day issues witches everywhere face and I like how she showcased that witch trials are not a thing of the past, they exist in present day.

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This is a book everyone who is interested in witchy things should read. The amount of informative information on each trial is well-written and easily digestible. I enjoyed it!

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I’ve always been interested in the history of the Salem witch trials, and I’ve even read some about those in Europe. But adding in Africa, as well, makes this an even more interesting read for me. I said, and claimed others did. A great read.

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I thought this had good coverage of the thirteen specific trials, so it was exactly what was "on the tin" so to speak. However, I wish there was more of a philosophical overview of the concept and patterns of witchcraft and witch trials in general. There was some in the introduction, but I wish there was more.

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It is so striking and insightful. It was quite different from what I expected from the cover in the best possible ways. I’m so glad i gave it a chance.

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I thought this was very interesting and insightful. This covered early witch trials across the globe all the way up to modern “witch hunts” as seen in recent politics. Not only were the trials themselves covered but also the events leading up to and after the trials’ conclusion were throughly discussed. I’m glad this important information was included as the events between all persons involved in these trials is relevant as to why they were accused and found guilty or innocent. In the third part, the modern terminology and practice of being a witch is discussed at length. I enjoyed this section so much because it laid out the parallels between politicians and witchcraft accusations and the witch trials of centuries ago. This book covers an incredible amount of information in just 300 pages and is a must read for anyone interested in the history of witch trials.

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A much-needed book [especially in these times], which gives a healthy reminder of just what happened during the past [usually, by men {as women were "voiceless"}in the name of God/Jesus while filled with pious morality {and often overlooking their own personal lack of morality}, all while burning OTHER HUMAN BEINGS ALIVE in punishment for something they could never, ever prove] and just how easy it is to rile up a crowd with the simple words of "witch" or "witch-hunt" [and how quickly that same crowd will let anger overcome them and lead them to do such atrocities that most rational people thought we were far past [but apparently not] and lead them to seek out those who are causing harm and chaos [without seeing it is their very selves that are causing it].

Meticulously researched and delivered with both compassion AND with unflinching honesty, this is a must-read book for times such as right now. We cannot forget the past - it helps us fight the evils of today.

"If you're being encouraged to blame someone - attack, despise, persecute, banish, demonize them - think about whether they ave any of the characteristics of the "witch" as an innocent person wrongly accused. Do accusers' claims remind you of of any made by witch-hunters? If so, how can you challenge their binary thinking, disentangle reality from fiction, and stop witch-hunting - in politics, religion, wider society, even the courts? For the fortunate, a witch-hunt is just a metaphor - but this history should make clear how many witches are still on trial."
Marion Gibson [from the Epilogue]

Thank you to NetGalley, Marion Gibson, and Scribner for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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What a truly fascinating book! It's apparent (& highly appreciated!) that there was a lot of time, energy, and research that went into this. I'll be honest- history is not my strong suit, and never has been. That said, I've always found the the Salem with trials incredibly fascinating, so it was awesome to read, in depth, about other with trials across the world. It's insane to me how a witch hunt begins (and ends, for that matter), and I mean both literal and metaphoric witch hunts..... I'd definitely say this book is worth picking up. It's well written, in depth, concise.... just an overall interesting read.

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It is obvious a lot of research went into this book which covers 13 different witch trials over the years. Being from Massachusetts, I am obviously very familiar with the Salem witch trials but it was interesting to see what was going on in many other parts of the world. I think this book is not as much for the layperson but rather a person who has already learned about a few of the witch trial crazes who wants to find out even more in depth information.

I received a copy of this book for a review, but opinions are my own.

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I received this book in exchange for a honest review from NetGalley.

This was an excellent look at witchcraft and witch trials through the lives and trials of the persecuted. These women were tried many times for their unconventional beliefs, looks, or thoughts. They were tried for being different or more something many of us can identify with today. This book definitely follows in the footsteps of other books (predominately true crime) that try to center the stories of those who were the victims. Overall excellent work.

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Witches and witch hunting—literally and metaphorically—are comfortably ensconced in our cultural landscape with witch costumes remaining among the top choices for generations of trick-or-treaters. The witch hunt, which began in Europe and found its way to the colonies through the Puritan culture, is still alive today, but accusations of witch hunting are generally made in a metaphorical sense.

The term witch hunt made it into the political lexicon with McCarthy during his effort to root out communism. Today, it is an often-used tool in partisan politics to either discredit a rival, deflect accountability for wrongdoing, or disempower an allegation. It’s interesting that the first witch trial in 1485 Austria was motivated to silence dissent. One way or the other, the goal is to silence a real or perceived opponent.

Gibson argues that demonology was shaped with the either/or thinking of the Reformation when the Christian Church began to split over church doctrine. The hatred that grew through this polarization was the prerequisite for witch hunting—the permission to kill fellow Christians. While magical practitioners were common during that period, their perceived power came under scrutiny as Christian clergymen reframed magical practice as “a career committed to wickedness,” one that sets itself against the church. By and large, women were the accused. The Eve myth led to the conclusion that women are more susceptible to Satan’s temptations, especially those who are poor and powerless. They are, the thinking went, most likely to trade their souls for empowerment and a comfortable life.

In this book, Gibson covers thirteen trials that represent stages in the evolution of witch-hunting over the centuries from the mid fifteenth to the twenty-first in which modern technology and communication come into play.

The arguments made in this book would be stronger had writer’s distance been honored, as would be expected in an academic work. One hopes to be walked to conclusions rather than dragged with loaded language.

Marion Gibson is a Professor of Renaissance and Magical Literatures, Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, Director of the Flexible Combined Honours degree programme.

Thank you to Scribner and NetGalley for providing this eARC.

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Fantastic read! I can't tell you how much I enjoyed this book. The author was extensive in the historical stats regarding Witchcraft/ Witchery. I thought I knew almost everything about Witchcraft trials. But I learned lots of new things and stories that went untold. I highly recommend this book! It is a valuable tool that should not be missed.

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I received this copy of Witchcraft, for an honest review, from NetGalley and Scribner. Thank you very much!

This book lit a fire behind my eyes and burned me from within. I raged … quite a bit while reading this, and in the best way possible. Gibson guides us along a timeline of witchcraft through 13 different trials (that actually happened!).

Witchcraft caught my attention purely for the subject matter and it definitely lived up to my high expectations. It had the same feel as The Five by Hallie Rubenhold in that the focus is on the victims rather than the accusers. Gibson walks the line of providing historical context, environmental expectations, and giving a voice to the victims beautifully. While not all the trials have as much actual documentation, Gibson is upfront about this and does not purely rely on speculation or a fiction to get us through to the end.

Gibson’s research is apparent and I applaud this. I appreciated the different sections and the use of time-skipping, while still holding on to the earlier trials and drawing parallels. With each trial and each “reason” for being persecuted, I was deeply upset (and rightly so). You absolutely should be upset when reading about these trials. Gibson also gives an outlet for where the rage and anger should be directed, what to do currently and how to mitigate such misogyny, egotism, and outright bigotry (in this context).

Doing even the tiniest bit of online poking, it is clear that Marion Gibson is well-versed in this subject matter, passionate about history, and refuses to let these victims and trials disappear.

I do recommend this book to anyone who is even remotely interested in witchcraft or witches in general, anyone who is a lover of history, and anyone who rages against the patriarchy.

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Witchcraft: A History in Thirteen trials looks at the persecution of those deemed as witches through trials across history and the globe, from the past into the modern day.

One of the things I really enjoyed about this book was the focus on the perspective of the victims of these trials. I was a bit concerned that it might lean a little too much into speculation in the cases where there is less information but the author strikes a really good balance. Looking at these different perspectives from so many different backgrounds and cultures was super fascinating. It was also interesting to see the impact historically of these trials and the impact they had on future trials and impacting laws in other countries. I loved learning about people like Helena Scheuberin who fought back and won and learning more about more famous figures that you may have thought you knew about but finding out so much more like in the case of Tatabe (also known as Tituba) and how her roots were most likely indigenous Latin American Arawak.

As we move from trial to trial some survive, some don’t, and the fates of some hauntingly are never even recorded. While the second part gets a bit bogged down in minutiae despite the interesting times and people, the pacing picks up again in part three.

Would recommend to lovers of history and anyone interested in witches with a focus on the perspective of the victims and covering countries and cultures around the world and the lasting impact.

I received an advance review copy, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book.

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Great in-depth study of different witch trials in history. Loved the “intermissions” and the Epilogue “what is a witch now” very informative.
However the chapters were each trial and VERY long winded.

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Witchcraft gave a succinct history and examination of the 13 witch trials identified. I appreciated the way Marion Gibson set up the periods before, during, and after the trials as well as connected them to the broader context of witch trials and hunts throughout the world. Gibson explains the complicated history in a manner that facilitates an easier understanding of it for the reader.

The writing style was not my favorite, and I drudged through a few sections. However, it may better suit those who enjoy historical writings more than I do. The subject was fascinating even if I did not always agree with Gibson's take/interpretation. I enjoyed the first half of the book more than the second half.

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A look at witchcraft throughout history and how it changed. This book was really well detailed and researched, which was my favorite part. However, I don’t think the author’s argument came through strongly enough and/or was not a strong enough argument to carry through the chapters. I almost wish it had been just a heads up look into some interesting cases of witch trials throughout history, although that wouldn’t have made the last chapters fit as well (modern day “witch” hunts).

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

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I really enjoyed this book. As someone who went into history specifically to study early modern witch trials, this book was fresh and fascinating. As someone who stayed in academia (though from the publishing side) I found it to be engaging and definitely not too "academic" or "dry". It was fun to revisit some old cases that I knew so well, learn about trials I hadn't known about before. I especially liked Gibson's take on Tituba/Tatabe and view this seminal figure in the Salem Witch Trails from a different lens. I also liked seeing the author bring in current events and showing how traces of historical thinking affect us still today.

Thanks to Netgalley and Scribner for an advanced e-copy. I will for sure be buying a physical copy of this for my bookshelf to reference later and I think the content lends itself very well to audio.

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Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this book for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Wow. I have not read a nonfiction book that has gripped me as much as this one in a long time. I did not know much of anything about the history of witch trials (or witchcraft, for that matter) and this book provided a great, comprehensive overview of this unusual history.

Not only was this book detailed, it was also incredibly approachable and each trial often read more like an engaging story than a bland historical text. I have never claimed to be a history fan, but hey, if more history books were like this one, I could easily be converted into one.

I also liked how the author made sure to connect the thirteen witch trials to their underlying causes of sexism, racism, classism, and ableism. I loved how this line of patriarchal oppression against these groups was traced throughout history and across the globe. Given that these themes were explored so thoroughly, I was pleasantly surprised that the technical language was kept to a minimum and that this book was understandable to normal folks like myself!

In addition to all of this, I teach New England Gothic literature in my classroom, which was heavily influenced by the Salem Witch Trials. I plan on getting this book as a reference book for my classroom and hopefully incorporating more of this history into my lectures!

Publication Date: January 16, 2024.

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