Product Description

By the spring of 1645, civil war had exacted a terrible toll upon England. Disease was rife, apocalyptic omens appeared in the skies, and idolators detected in every shire. In a remote corner of Essex, two obscure gentlemen began interrogating women suspected of witchcraft, triggering the most brutal witch-hunt in English history.
Witchfinders is a spellbinding study of how Matthew Hopkins, 'the Witchfinder General', and John Stearne extended their campaign across East Anglia, driven by godly zeal. Exploiting the anxiety and lawlessness of the times, and cheered on by ordinary folk, they extracted confessions of satanic pacts resulting in scores of executions.

(20050812)

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #36164 in Books
• Published on: 2006-04-24
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 384 pages

Review
Gaskill has become an expert on the Great British witch-hunt ... a completely readable non-fiction book on a gripping subject.' -- Suffolk Journal, Norfolk Journal, The Essex Magazi 20050301 'Very highly recommended' -- The Couldron 20050508 'It is a riveting subject, engagingly told, and worth a read.' -- Catholic Herald 20050513 'This is a terrible tale marvellously told ... This is how history should be known.' -- the oldie 20050507 'A very lucid and humane writer' -- Hilary Mantel 'He writes with sympathy, respect and deep human understanding' -- John Guy, Sunday Times 'A must ... a lucid companion piece to the classic horror movie Witchfinder General.' -- Guardian 20050506 'Gaskill presents a compassionate, measured view dispelling several myths along the way.' -- Independent on Sunday 20050501 'A wonderfully detailed, well-written and judicious account of a tragic yet fascinating episode in our social and religious history' -- Saul David, Daily Telegraph 20050501 'A brilliant new study ... In the vivid three-dimensionality of its dramatis personae, the eloquence of its writing, and the richness of its evocations of vanished worlds of landscape and belief ... Gaskill displays a masterly wizardry all his own' -- John Adamson, Sunday Telegraph 20050501 'He's a very lucid and human writer, very good at setting the social context, helping you understand how the phenomenon of witchfinders came out of the dislocation of the civil war.' -- Independent on Sunday 20050501 'Gives the ordinary reader a visceral sense of mid-seventeenth-century England ... satisfyingly complex' -- Selina O'Grady, Literary Review 20050401 'The incessant peculiarity of the accusations could easily make the stories told in this book seem quaint rather than horrific. But Gaskill avoids this trap by describing each case in a vivid manner, making one aware at all times of the human tragedy. His description of a hanging, for instance could leave no reader unmoved' -- Craig Brown, Book of the Week, Mail on Sunday 20050401 'Gaskill tells the story of the witch-hunt in full and accurate detail, for the first time, and with uncommon skill ... His book is both a solid contribution to knowledge and a splendid example of history as gripping literature' -- Ronald Hutton, Independent 20050401 'Gaskill vivdly shows how the barbarity and fanaticism of civil war could spill over into the administration of justice ... He writes with sympathy, respect and deep human understanding.' -- Sunday Times 20050508 'Malcolm Gaskill patiently untangles the history of East Anglian witchcraft' -- Guardian 20050507 an 'evocative travelogue...setpieces of rich desription' -- TLS 20050812 'The book is a timely warning for those who think that witch trials are a matter of history.' -- The Times 20050726 'A chilling history of the witch-trials' -- History Today 20050501 'A fascinating history of the infamous witch-hunts and their main protagonist, Mathew Hopkins. This book is easily labelled as essential for anyone with an interest in the macabre! less obviously, it's also a good expose (and timely reminder) of how large-scale tragedies can occur once the right mix of circumstances are present' -- Irish Times 20050501 '[Gaskill's] meticulously researched book paints a vivid picture of a horrific period in English history and its causes' -- Lucy Land, Essex Life & Countryside 20050501

Review
'Gives the ordinary reader a visceral sense of mid-seventeenth-century England ... satisfyingly complex' (Selina O'Grady, Literary Review 20050507)

an 'evocative travelogue...setpieces of rich description' (TLS 20050508)

'The incessant peculiarity of the accusations could easily make the stories told in this book seem quaint rather than horrific. But Gaskill avoids this trap by describing each case in a vivid manner, making one aware at all times of the human tragedy. His description of a hanging, for instance could leave no reader unmoved' (Craig Brown, Book of the Week, Mail on Sunday 20050508)

‘The book is a timely warning for those who think that witch trials are a matter of history.’ (The Times 20050507)

'He's a very lucid and human writer, very good at setting the social context, helping you understand how the phenomenon of witchfinders came out of the dislocation of the civil war.' (Independent on Sunday 20050507)

'Gaskill tells the story of the witch-hunt in full and accurate detail, for the first time, and with uncommon skill ... His book is both a solid contribution to knowledge and a splendid example of history as gripping literature' (Ronald Hutton, Independent 20050507)

'Malcolm Gaskill patiently untangles the history of East Anglian witchcraft' (Guardian 20050507)

'Lucid and humane'

(Hilary Mantel 20060422)

'Written with sympathy, respect and deep human understanding.' (The Sunday Times 20060415)

'Wonderfully detailed, well-written and judicious ... tragic yet fascinating' (Daily Telegraph 20050501)

'A must ... a lucid companion piece to the classic horror movie Witchfinder General.' (Guardian 20050501)

'A brilliant new study ... In the vivid three-dimensionality of its dramatis personae, the eloquence of its writing, and the richness of its evocations of vanished worlds of landscape and belief ... Gaskill displays a masterly wizardry all his own' (John Adamson, Sunday Telegraph 20050501)

'A splendid example of history as gripping literature.'

(Independent )

'Fascinating'

(Daily Mail )

'Superb, chilling' - Alastair Sooke

(Daily Telegraph )

'A sophisticated examination of East Anglia's mania in the 1640s' - Rosemary Goring

 

(Glasgow Herald )

'A chilling history of the witch-trials'

(History Today )

‘A fascinating history of the infamous witch-hunts and their main protagonist, Mathew Hopkins. This book is easily labelled as essential for anyone with an interest in the macabre... less obviously, it’s also a good expose (and timely reminder) of how large-scale tragedies can occur once the right mix of circumstances are present’

(Irish Times )

‘[Gaskill’s] meticulously researched book paints a vivid picture of a horrific period in English history and its causes’

(Lucy Land, Essex Life & Countryside )

Literary Review
'Gasgill's stories of accusers and accused give the ordinary reader a visceral sense of mid-seventeenth-century England'.

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Customer Reviews

A brilliant book on a disturbed era of English history!
Having a large interest in the local history of East Anglia I immediately became absorbed into this book. The writing style is a perfect balance of facts, quotes, political background information in relation to the Civil War, religious views of the times and objective research by the author, making this a joy to read. The pages turned a lot faster than normal for a book set in this era!

The book follows the rise AND fall of the famous Witchfinders, Matthew Hopkins and John Stearne from their large scale witch hunts in the 1640's. Starting in their local area of Manningtree in Essex and spreading, like the contempory and proverbial plague, through into Suffolk, Norfolk, Huntinghdonshire and Cambridgeshire and further, with ultimate influence on the witch hunts in America.

The personal details of the witchfinders characters and views along with their methods of finding witches is just compelling reading. Most of the time the reader will feel many emotions, from suprise and incredulity at the so-called confessions of witches to utter disbelief and revulsion at how people such as judges and jurors sentenced these confused and often poor women AND men for execution from such peculiar methods of proof from the witchfinders.

The book concludes, telling of how the two main witchfinders ended their days, and what legacy they left behind in society. With a neat little conclusion on how far humanity has come and that some countries still use witch hunts.
An excellent read! 5 Stars!