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More copies of this ISBNThis title in other editionsThe Enemy Within: 2,000 Years of Witch-Hunting in the Western Worldby John Demos
Synopses & ReviewsPublisher Comments:A cultural history of witch-hunting, from the Romans through McCarthy The term“witch-hun” is used today to describe everything from political scandals to school board shake-ups. But its origins are far from trivial. Long before the Salem witch trials, women and men were rounded up by neighbors, accused of committing horrific crimes using supernatural powers, scrutinized by priests and juries, and promptly executed. The belief in witchcraft--and the deep fear of evil it instilled in communities--led to a cycle of accusation, anger, and purging that has occurred repeatedly in the West for centuries. Award-winning historian John Demos puts this cultural paranoia in context. He takes readers from the early Christians persecuted in Rome through the Salem witch trials, McCarth‛s hunt for communists, and the hysteria around child sex-abuse cases and satanic cults in the 1980s. An original and fascinating look at the cultural, societal, and psychological practice of witch-hunts, The Enemy Within illuminates the dark side of communities driven to rid themselves of“evil” no matter what the cost. Review:"Noted Yale historian Demos has devoted almost half a century to studying the European and American witch crazes, and his new book distills all he has learned. The book focuses from roughly A.D. 500 through 1700, with a concluding section on the characteristically modern phenomenon of 'witch-hunts without witches' — such as McCarthyism. What all witch hunts have in common is a targeting of 'the enemy within' — a member of the community who is identified as disloyal. Such fears coalesced: toward the turbulent end of the Middle Ages, when one was expected to adhere to Christian beliefs; in late 18th- and 19th-century America, when Masons' loyalty to republican principles was questioned; and in the late 20th century, when threats real and imagined to the family culminated in the day-care satanic cult allegations. Succinct and lucid in his analysis, Demos offers vivid examples of the accuseds' travails as well as probing the mindsets of their tormentors. This should appeal to a wide array of general readers and specialists alike." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.) Synopsis:Award-winning historian Demos offers a cultural history of witch-hunting, from the Romans through the McCarthy era, in this original and fascinating work that illuminates the dark side of communities driven to rid themselves of evil, no matter what the cost.
About the AuthorJohn Demos is Samuel Knight Professor of History at Yale University. He is the author of several histories of early America, including Entertaining Satan, which was awarded the Bancroft Prize in American History, and The Unredeemed Captive, which received the Francis Parkman and Ray Allen Billington prizes in American history and was a finalist for the National Book Award. What Our Readers Are SayingAdd a comment for a chance to win!Average customer rating based on 1 comment:
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