The Story of the Salem Witch Trials

by Bryan F. Le Beau

Book Overview

Providing an accessible and comprehensive overview, The Story of the Salem Witch Trials explores the events between June 10 and September 22, 1692, when nineteen people were hanged, one was pressed to... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0134425421
• ISBN13: 9780134425429
• Release Date: January 1997
• Publisher: Prentice Hall
• Length: 308 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Hang Thy Neighbor

This is a very straightforward and unassuming study of the Salem Witch Trials, an event that encompassed a rather small group of people over a short time period, but continues to capture our imagination. It's the mother of all witch-hunts and amply illustrates how seemingly rational people can be swept up by mass hysteria. Le Beau's most interesting revelations here involve how dozens of people were tried and executed based on the circumstantial testimony of just a few teenage girls. These girls were proven to be influenced by the hysteria around them, coached by the authorities, and even afflicted with psychosis. Le Beau finds that the Salem saga was at its core an outbreak of social control arising from some minor political strife in the town, the rapidly changing social order, the desire to punish those women (and a few men) who spoke their minds and refused to fit into rigid Puritan social strictures, and closed-minded religious mania. Le Beau acts as an impartial investigative journalist here and mostly refrains from offering his own opinions and conclusions, instead sticking to analyses of theories offered by other historians. Le Beau's avoidance of taking a stand does make this book rather dry and workmanlike, but we are rewarded with an impartial study that we can use to reach our own conclusions. Some extra food for thought is the connections Le Beau finds between the Salem saga and other mass persecutions that could be called symbolic witch-hunts - like communist purges, anti-communist red scares, child abuse allegations, satanic cult conspiracy theories, and other types of social hysteria that will continue to torment the innocent in the future.

Great work on a depressing time!

I had to write a research paper on the Salem Witch Trials. My teacher recommended this book. I thought it was wonderful! This was the only book I needed for my research paper and I got an A+! My relative's were some of those killed and put in jail during the Salem Witch Trials! The only problem I have is that the author doesn't write books for all of my research papers! Thank You!

Accurate summation of a wholesale tragedy!!!

The author did an excellent job of documenting his findings as to the root causes behind the Salem Witch Hunt of 1692; mainly, spite of the Putnams. Three of my maternal ancestors, Rebecca (Towne) Nurse, Susannah (North) Martin and Mary (Perkins) Bradbury were among those falsely accused and the first two were executed. Mary Bradbury escaped.The author did my ancestors (indeed all of the victims of this wholesale tragedy) justice: They refused to sell the truth to serve the hour. May they rest in peace.