The Witches
Salem, 1692

This book, a historical account of the Salem witch trials by an author whose prior work has been highly acclaimed, turned out to be a long-winded and tedious disappointment. I regret the many hours I spent slogging through it. Schiff takes a textbook-like approach to the writing, throwing facts and a......more

I have really been into non-fiction lately, and this is a TOME ladies and gentlemen. Impeccably researched, sometimes to it's fault, but fascinating and depressing at the same time. I particularly loved how I could really place myself in the world of 17th century America. And it is weirdly reflectiv......more

When you predicted an apocalypse, you needed sooner or later to produce one.Stacy Schiff attempts to provide a coherent review of an incoherent time. IN 1692 THE Massachusetts Bay Colony executed fourteen women, five men, and two dogs for witchcraft. Salem, Massachusetts is infamous even toda......more

In "The Witches: Salem, 1692", Stacy Schiff provides a thorough exposition of what happened during the Salem, Massachusetts witch frenzy of 1692. The trouble seems to have begun when two young girls, Abigail Williams and Betty Parris, took to twitching, convulsing, yipping, rolling around on the flo......more

I feel like I missed something reading this book. Namely, the point. That might be because there is no point, or perhaps I did just miss it in some way. I expected this book to be like pretty much all history books, with an introduction and a thesis, something the author was trying to prove. I assum......more