Witches & Neighbors by Robin Briggs

Witches & Neighbors by Robin Briggs

Witches and Neighbours is a highly original and unconventional analysis of a fascinating historical phenomenon. Unlike other studies of the subject which focus on the mechanisms of persecution, this book presents a rich picture of witchcraft as an all-pervasive aspect of life in early modern Europe.

Robin Briggs combines recent research with his own investigations to produce a brilliant and compelling account of the central role of witchcraft in the past. Although the history of witchcraft can only be studied through records of persecutions, these reveal that trials were unusual in everyday life and that witchcraft can be viewed as a form of therapy. Witchcraft was also an outlet and expression of many fundamental anxieties of society and individuals in a time when life was precarious. The book argues that witchcraft - its belief and persecutions - cannot be explained by general causes but was as complex and changing as the society of which it formed a vital part.

Since its original publication in 1996, this book has become the standard work on the subject of witchcraft. It now appears in a revised edition with an updated bibliography.

This book is not available from Blackwell in the United States and the Philippines.

Robin Briggs is an All Souls College Fellow and an Oxford Lecturer in Modern History.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780670835898
ISBN 10	0670835897
Title	Witches & Neighbors
Author	Robin Briggs
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	Viking Adult
Year published	1996-09-26
Number of pages	480
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.