Discover how one man's obsession changed the world. 

Witches – whether broomstick-riding spell-casters or Wiccan earth-worshippers – have been culturally relevant for centuries. For centuries, too, belief in the potency of witchcraft has been debated, accused witches have been hunted and punished, and film and TV productions have brought the witch and the witch-hunter to big and small screens.

But where did our perception of witches – good and bad – come from? What motivated wide-scale panics about witchcraft during certain periods? How were alleged witches identified, accused, and variously tortured and punished?

Steven Veerapen traces witches, witchcraft, and witch-hunters from the explosion of mass-trials under King James VI and I in the late sixteenth century to the death of the witch-hunting phenomenon in the early eighteenth century. Based on documents and the latest historical research, he explores what motivated widespread belief in demonic witchcraft throughout Britain as well as in continental Europe, what caused mass panics about alleged witches, and what led, ultimately, to the relegation of the witch – and the witch-hunter – to the realm of fantasy and the fringes of society.

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'A superbly researched history of witches . . . well organised and written in an approachable and accessible style that ensures this is a book that can be absorbed by anyone with an interest in the subject . . . engaging, fascinating, and compelling'

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'With his trademark brio and imagination, Veerapen tells the story through the most prominent trials and those involved in them'

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'This judicious study offers a nuanced understanding of of James VI and I’s preoccupation with witches and witchcraft... gives the story an overdue subtlety'

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'A fascinating read for anyone interested in early modern history, witch hunts, or the rationale behind the irrational'

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'A new cultural history on witchcraft, tracing both origins and lasting stereotypes across the sixteenth century and throughout the mass hunts organised by King James VI'

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'What Witches: A King’s Obsession does so strongly and convincingly is illustrate that witchcraft was real in hearts and minds beyond doubt, thereby illuminating its organic dynamism and its inveterate connectedness to every other aspect of early modern life'

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'A meticulously researched book and so well written as to be completely accessible to the general reader who is able to follow not only the history of witchcraft but also the political, religious and social conditions of the day'