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Witches: A First Book
Describes witches and witchcraft in history and in fiction from ancient times up to the modern resurgence of the "witch business."
62 pages, Library Binding
First published August 1, 1979
4 people want to read
About the author
Rhoda Blumberg
34 books6 followersRhoda Blumberg has written about the opening of Japan (1853-1854) in Commodore Perry in the Land of the Shogun, a Newbery Honor Book, which also won the Boston Globe/Horn Book Award and the Golden Kite Award. Her acclaimed histories also include The Incredible Journey of Lewis & Clark, The Great American Gold Rush, and The Remarkable Voyages of Captain Cook, all ALA Notable Books. She is the winner of the Washington Post/Children's Book Guild Award for her overall contribution to nonfiction.
Rhoda Blumberg says that while doing research for Commodore Perry, "I read about the ordeals and strange adventures of Manjiro, then spent years replaying his life story in my mind until I felt impelled to write about him."
The author and her husband, Gerald, live in Yorktown Heights, New York.
Rhoda Blumberg says that while doing research for Commodore Perry, "I read about the ordeals and strange adventures of Manjiro, then spent years replaying his life story in my mind until I felt impelled to write about him."
The author and her husband, Gerald, live in Yorktown Heights, New York.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
February 3, 2016
1979, Rhonda Blumberg.
The book starts with describing witches at different times and places. It also discusses how witches were treated and, at times, executed, then closes the section talking about the Inquisition.
The next section talks about books that were written about how to hunt and torture witches. The book does not really explain correctly what sabbats and covens were and are, although it brings up various witch hunts not often covered in other books.
The book uses the 200,000 figure to say how many were killed during the Inquisition-inspired witch-hunts in Europe. It also goes into a fair amount of detail on methods of torture.
The next chapter is on British witches. It points out that the trouble in England mainly started during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, a Protestant, who was advised that Catholic witches were plotting against her.
Politics can be incredibly strange at times, indeed.
King James I, the next rule of England, even wrote a book called Demonology. He hated witches even more than his predecessor. The book says about a thousand witches were hung in England, and an equal number were killed by mobs.
The next chapter is about witches in America. It notes that around ten witches had been hung in the colonies even before the Salem problems. the book has something I haven't seen elsewhere. That Tituba practiced a form of fortunte telling is in many books, but in this one it is noted that the girls saw a coffin during one session, and after that their “attacks” started.
The book says the girls were definitely suffering from contagious hysteria.
The following chapter is about “witches today.” This chapter seriously misrepresents what happens in actual Wiccan gatherings, confuses shamanism with Wicca, and spends a lot of time making fun of modern witches, basically holding that they are in it for the money.
The rest of the book is fairly decent, but the final section seriously damages the overall quality of the book.
The book starts with describing witches at different times and places. It also discusses how witches were treated and, at times, executed, then closes the section talking about the Inquisition.
The next section talks about books that were written about how to hunt and torture witches. The book does not really explain correctly what sabbats and covens were and are, although it brings up various witch hunts not often covered in other books.
The book uses the 200,000 figure to say how many were killed during the Inquisition-inspired witch-hunts in Europe. It also goes into a fair amount of detail on methods of torture.
The next chapter is on British witches. It points out that the trouble in England mainly started during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, a Protestant, who was advised that Catholic witches were plotting against her.
Politics can be incredibly strange at times, indeed.
King James I, the next rule of England, even wrote a book called Demonology. He hated witches even more than his predecessor. The book says about a thousand witches were hung in England, and an equal number were killed by mobs.
The next chapter is about witches in America. It notes that around ten witches had been hung in the colonies even before the Salem problems. the book has something I haven't seen elsewhere. That Tituba practiced a form of fortunte telling is in many books, but in this one it is noted that the girls saw a coffin during one session, and after that their “attacks” started.
The book says the girls were definitely suffering from contagious hysteria.
The following chapter is about “witches today.” This chapter seriously misrepresents what happens in actual Wiccan gatherings, confuses shamanism with Wicca, and spends a lot of time making fun of modern witches, basically holding that they are in it for the money.
The rest of the book is fairly decent, but the final section seriously damages the overall quality of the book.
Displaying 1 of 1 review