Killing the Witches
By Bill O'Reilly & Martin Dugard
- Release Date: 2023-09-26
- Genre: U.S. History
Description
The Instant New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Publishers Weekly Bestseller!
Killing the Witches revisits one of the most frightening and inexplicable episodes in American history: the events of 1692 and 1693 in Salem Village, Massachusetts. What began as a mysterious affliction of two young girls who suffered violent fits and exhibited strange behavior soon spread to other young women. Rumors of demonic possession and witchcraft consumed Salem. Soon three women were arrested under suspicion of being witches--but as the hysteria spread, more than 200 people were accused. Thirty were found guilty, twenty were executed, and others died in jail or their lives were ruined.
Killing the Witches tells the dramatic history of how the Puritan tradition and the power of early American ministers shaped the origins of the United States, influencing the founding fathers, the American Revolution, and even the Constitutional Convention. The repercussions of Salem continue to the present day, notably in the real-life story behind The Exorcist and in contemporary “witch hunts” driven by social media. The result is a compulsively readable book about good, evil, community panic, and how fear can overwhelm fact and reason.
Reviews
Applicable to today
5By Longhorn5555This is yet another well-written, thoroughly entertaining book in the “killing” series. While at first the hysteria and irrationality in Salem seems incredible, pay attention, and you will see that those who hysterically pushed the COVID narrative, and turned in their neighbors, would have been right at home in Salem.Great read.
5By Carol PruchnicIt was a wonderful book. I have read all of the Killing books. I loved all of them.Must Read
5By KDispenzaI could not put this down. Really good Fall read for history buffs!Poor title
3By RobertMedic30A more appropriate title would be, killing the accusation and conspiracy, the witch’s are only half the book, there is a diatribe into Ben Franklin, then it’s pirates, and finally the exorcist without a resolution on fact or fake, definitely interesting, somewhatHistory
3By Sgt BanksNot my favorite Killing books. Good read and history lesson.
