Since school I have been interested in witches and the background of witch hunts and witch trials so it was fantastic to learn new information about witches and more detailed history than I had previously read.

"Every old woman with a wrinkled face, a furrowed brow, a hairy lip, a gobber (protuding) tooth, a squint eye, a squeaky voice or scolding tongue...a dog or cat by her side, is not only suspect but pronounced for a witch" John Gaule (1646)

This quote epitomises the sterotype of witches in the last few centuries, but what is a witch really? This was just the opinion of one clergyman in the height of witch-hunting hysteria in the 1600s, but in Phil Carradices fascinating book "Witches and Witch Hunts Through the Ages" we are taken on an extensive exploration through history to the ancient Shamans and the first perceived witch Lillith, and right the way up to the "Witch Hunt mentality" of McCarthyism, a dark time in US history.

Throughout, the writing style is engaging, explorative and intriguing, comparing perception to reality and manipulation of soceital hysteria and the effects it has on individuals. An absolutely fascinationg book and highly recommended

Thank you to Netgalley, Pen & Sword, Pen & Sword History and teh highly knowledgable author Phil Carradice for this very interesting ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

#WitchesandWitchHuntsThroughtheAges #NetGalley

I've become a big fan of Pen and Sword Published works, and this book is no exception. I'm an amateur historian and I spend a lot of time doing research of niche topics that I find interesting, one of these being Witchcraft. I thoroughly enjoyed the content of this book, while also being delightfully engaged with the premise of discussing witch hunts in a more figurative sense. This book articulates what so many witchcraft scholars struggle to bring to the public's mind-- witch hunts weren't just about a moral turpitude in conservative societies, but it runs that gamut into some pretty far-flung conspiracies-- highlighting the dangers of groupthink and what it means to be afraid of questioning the loud and obviously wrong or improbable.

Thank you to the author, Phil Carradice, and the Publisher, for granting my wish and allowing me to access this book. I read it all in one sitting and I look forward to buying a physical copy for my collection.