Explores the development of witchcraft and of the belief in it, the sixteenth- and seventeenth-century obsession that spawned witch-hunting, the eventual decline of witchcraft, and the phenomenon's fascinating 'afterlife' that has involved the Nazis' fixation and modern treatments including Arthur Miller's acclaimed The Crucible.



Witchcraft haunts the Western imagination to this day, from Central Europe to Britain to North America. This book explores the development of witchcraft and of the belief in it (stressing the difference between the two), the sixteenth- and seventeenth-century obsession that spawned witch-hunting, the eventual decline of witchcraft, and the phenomenon’s fascinating ‘afterlife’ that has involved the Nazis’ fixation and modern treatments including Arthur Miller’s acclaimed The Crucible. Fully illustrated with historical documents and colour photographs, and expertly written by Professor David Nash, this book is the perfect introduction to a subject that is compelling, disturbing and a little-understood cultural touchstone.