Customer Reviews

The Devil's Disciples: The Makers of the Salem Witchcraft Trials

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Peter Hoffer examines the roots of the witch hunt in Salem by actually telling the narrative of the the witch Tituba. He writes of slavery, family relationships and social relationships giving a fresh outlook to how the Salem witch hunt came to be. Students who would like to understand the Salem witch craft and are looking for an accurate book full of quotes dates and footnotes, yet at the same time not at all boring, should read "The Devil's Disciples". This book seems like a story being told and the reader really gets a feel of what it was like to be living at those times and what the people's mentality was like. You'll know the facts--but better yet, you'll feel the facts after you've read this book

The Devil's Disciples is well-researched study presented in a pleasant, readable style. One of the problems with many of the Salem witch trial books is that the authors try to ascribe the entire phenomenon to only a single cause. Hoffer successfully examines various possibilities and integrates them, showing how a multitude of factors conspired to generate and sustain the hysteria. The information he provides regarding the personalities and experiences of key individuals is particularly interesting. His assessment of frontier conditions at the time helps the reader take the perspective and mind-set of the town. Well worth reading, especially if some of the older, better-known resources, such as John Demos' Entertaining Satan, are familiar.

The Salem Witch trials, possibly one of the most analyzed and anomolous events in American history, are documented with basic accuracy in Hoffer's book. However, in an attempt to say something new about such an overdone subject, Hoffer fills his book with references to supposed neo-witch trials (the satanic craze surrounding heavy metal in the 1980's), makes references to popular culture, and even pulls in the godawful, ridiculous wheat ergot theory. In addition, the cover is absolutlely eye-hurting horrid. If you are forced to write a paper on this book, as I was, and must look at it for several weeks, I would sugggest a very good pair of sunglasses.