Review (PDF) American Witches: A Broomstick Tour Through Four Centuries
The history of American witches is way weirder than you ever imagined. From bewitched pigs hell-bent on revenge to gruesome twentieth-century murders, American Witches reveals strange incidents of witchcraft that have long been swept under the rug as bizarre sidenotes to history.On a tour through history that’s both whimsical and startling, we’ll encounter seventeenth-century children flying around inside their New England home “like geese.” We’ll meet a father-son team of pious Puritans who embarked on a mission that involved undressing ladies and overseeing hangings. And on the eve of the Civil War, we’ll accompany a reporter as he dons a dress and goes searching for witches in New York City’s most dangerous neighborhoods.Entertainingly readable and rich in amazing details often left out of today’s texts, American Witches casts a flickering torchlight into the dark corners of American history.
File Size: 4376 KB
Print Length: 336 pages
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing (August 23, 2016)
Publication Date: August 23, 2016
Sold by: Digital Services LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B01HDVC1CI
Text-to-Speech: Enabled
X-Ray: Not Enabled
Word Wise: Enabled
Lending: Not Enabled
Enhanced Typesetting: Enabled
Best Sellers Rank: #414,342 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store) #149 in Books > History > World > Religious > New Age, Mythology & Occult #493 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > New Age & Spirituality > Wicca, Witchcraft & Paganism > Wicca #500 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Religion & Spirituality > Earth-Based Religions > Wicca & Witchcraft
American Witches is a light and engaging account of some of the darkest times in America's history. Susan Fair has a good voice and tells the multitude of witchy tales in a modern voice with laymen terms that will appeal to even the most casual reader and/or student.The history of witchcraft that ran rampant across America started even before people made it to the country. Bringing suspicions from England (and everywhere else), many would-be settlers never made it across the ocean due to bewitched voyages. Thus begins a journey through the history of America from the early settlers, through the Salem Witch Trials, American Indian witch hunts, and beyond. Accounts of bewitched children, livestock (especially pigs), unknown monsters, vessels and crops were not uncommon in the charges lodged against many society outcasts. Reading these fantastical tales that were all absolutely true really make you question human nature, and how neighbors could turn on one another with such viciousness.While most of the book is an entertaining history lesson, there are also a few modern tidbits, some pop culture type info, including an insightful look at the Blair Witch Project and an interview with the director. While I found this book interesting and entertaining, keep in mind that history accounts are slower reads. That being said, I recommend this book to just about anyone that finds America's witchy history intriguing. It would also be a good read for students who find it difficult to learn from dry and boring history books. I know I certainly would have remembered more of my history lessons if they were written in this manner.I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
An Excellent book on the history of American Witches. You can tell the author put a lot of time into research of American Witches. well done. I may have to get another copy for my friend who enjoys reading about American Witches. Wish the Author would release more books.
This book simply left me cold. Fair’s unrelenting sense of levity was not a good fit for the content. Little context is provided and Fair doesn’t provide much new insight. Most of the content can be found in better told books. Disappointing.
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