Servants of Satan

<p>This is the first book to consider the general course and significance of the European witch craze of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries since H.R. Trevor-Roper's classic and pioneering study appeared some fifteen years ago. Drawing upon the advances in historical and social-science scholarship of the past decade and a half Joseph Klaits integrates the recent appreciations of witchcraft in regional studies the history of popular culture anthropology sociology and psychology to better illuminate the place of witch hunting in the context of social political economic and religious change.<br /><br />In all Klaits has done a good job. Avoiding the scandalous and sensational he has maintained throughout with sensitivity and economy an awareness of the uniqueness of the theories and persecutions that have fascinated scholars now for two decades and are unlikely to lose their appeal in the foreseeable future. --American Historical Review<br /><br />This is a commendable synthesis whose time has come. . . . fascinating . . . --The Sixteenth Century Journal<br /><br /> . . . comprehensive and clearly written . . . An excellent book . . . --Choice<br /><br />Impeccable research and interpretation stand behind this scholarly but not stultifying account . . . --Booklist<br /><br />A good solid general treatment . . . --Erik Midelfort<br /><br />Servants of Satan is a well written easy to read book and the bibliography is a good source of secondary materials for further reading. --Journal of American Folklore</p>