Re: The Salem Witchcraft Trials (review)
Searles

Wed Feb 23 09:58:05 2011
Jenny*br* wrote,*br*: Hi everyone, *br*:*br*: I just finished Peter Charles Hoffer's _The Salem *br*: Witchcraft Trials: A Legal History_, and I have to *br*: say that it gets my vote for best introduction to *br*: Salem. *br*:*br*: The title might lead you to believe that this is a *br*: specialized text, one that focuses on the legal *br*: precendents and issues raised in the trials. Well, *br*: it's not! It's a general overview of the trials, *br*: though it does pay a little more attention to *br*: legal issues than other books do. *br*:*br*: What sets it apart, however, is the beautifully *br*: concise and insightful way that Hoffer summarizes *br*: the trials *and* their social setting. The book is *br*: aimed at a general audience -- Hoffer doesn't even *br*: presume that his readers know what a Puritan is. *br*: And so, scattered discretely throughout the book, *br*: there are paragraphs describing various aspects of *br*: colonial life. What Puritans were. The political *br*: situation in 17th century Massachusetts. The *br*: differences between English and American law on *br*: witchcraft. These asides are woven into the main *br*: text seemlessly. They never jar, never detract *br*: from the main story. And they're not so long or *br*: involved that they'll tire a reader who does know *br*: a bit about the topics. *br*:*br*: It's a masterful job. I am amazed at the way *br*: Hoffer brings colonial Salem to life, in only 150 *br*: pages. *br*:*br*: The only drawback is that this *is* a general *br*: text. The explanations are occasionally *br*: over-brief, and Hoffer doesn't go into as much *br*: detail as some might want. But if you're looking *br*: for a superb introduction to Salem or want a *br*: pleasant, brief summary of Puritan life and *br*: history, you couldn't do better than this! *br*:*br*: Jenny*br*: *br*Test
The Salem Witchcraft Trials (review)

Jenny

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 Tue - May 12 - 01:26am