This is the most important and accessable resourse for anyone intersested in the Salem Witch Trials. It seems a real shame that a person can buy Journey albumn released ten years ago but books go out of print so quickly, especially books as vital as this one. Let's hope the publish on demand people flourish!

This was a great book for explaining the history behind the various Christmas customs that we observe. I was, however, a tad disappointed to have some of my delusions about what constitutes an "old-fashioned" Christmas shattered. But if you really want to know why we go Christmas caroling, or why we drag trees into our houses, the author provides detailed explanations that go well beyond the simple ones that you may have accepted. The book does read like a scholarly work, however, and there were parts that made my eyes glaze over or that I skipped entirely. Overall, though, a good book.

How many of us feel guilty each year as the holiday season approaches, feeling that we are not celebrating the holidays with the spiritual ferver and simplicity of our ancestors? Well, it turns out that our ancestors, at least until the 19th century, were probably getting drunk, partying, and possibly taking in a bit of "chambering" (an old euphamism for fornication) during the Xmas season. This is a fascinating book that shows through solid data that our preconceived ideas of what Xmas used to be are largely incorrect. Cotton and Increase Mather both preached against the celebration of Christmas from the pulpit because the celebrations at the Xmas season in their lifetimes were seen to be so immoral as to be unfit for Christians. I found this book to be so interesting and pertinent that I spent a hour in a church class explaining its contents to my fellow churchgoers. I highly recommend this book for any curious and thoughtful person and bet it will liberate you from guilt and stress based on incorrect perceptions of Xmases past.

With a highly entertaining style and meticulous research (including dozens of letters, diaries, and newspaper articles), Stephen Nissenbaum takes on the fearsome institution of Christmas in America.

The results of his research answer a few nagging questions, such as why does Santa make all those funny gestures in Clement Moore's poem? And where did the Christmas tree come from, anyway? And why is it especially fashionable to give to charity at Christmastime, when charitable donations tend to run a bit thin during the rest of the year? Surprise, surprise: since the mid-19th century, Christmas in America has been a commercial holiday. Before that, it was viewed with some suspicion, especially by the Puritans, who accurately observed the holiday's Pagan origins. I always wondered why Santa Claus wore that red suit.

Boyer and Nissesnbaum's work on Salem is a fascinating look into the social stresses which were at the root of the explosion of accusations in this small Massachusetts town. Each of the elements in this disaster, i.e. the questionable ministerial skills of Samuel Parris, property disputes between the Proctors and Putnams, the conflicts between Salem Village and Salem Town, are thoughtfully analyzed as part of a whole. I higly reccomend this book for anyone wishing to have a deeeper understanding of the true causes of the Salem trials.

Finally, someone to take the hocus pocus out of this period of history and actually try to make some sense out of a sociological phenomenon gone wildly awry. While others relied on the tabloid type accounts of events left behind in court depositions, Nissenbaum and Boyer get into the nitty gritty to show you what really happened. Accessing Parris's sermons, wills, seemingly unrelated civil conflict court records, tax records, censuses, and more, this book starts from the beginning - the founding of Salem Village and takes you step by step through the most likely scenario of what really happened in this conflict in terms of personal power struggles, family legacies, societal conflicts between agrarian and commercial lifestyles and so on. This book also changed my perspective on the Puritan way of life and stirred my interest in the Great Awakening of 1751 which had similar outbreaks as the "spectral evidence" of Salem but was interpreted in a wholly different way.

This has been a very popular book with many Salem Witch Trials researchers. This particular book focuses on the competition and jelousy over land in Salem Village. Some very excellent chats also depict the "Anti Parris" people of the time and how they were connected to those accused. Interesting points are also made in regards to taxation.

A definite book to check out if you are interested in all aspects and theories of this truly sad time.

This book is a collection of trial transcripts, maps, and other documents and information regarding the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. The most famous of witch trials, the hysteria is recaptured here for you to sort through yourself. This book is NOT a "story", but a valuable tool for doing your own research on the matter. Fabulous reading, wonderous facts, mysterious information, and education abound. Buy this book today!

the story is marvelous and i really did like i

These four professors are at the top of the historical profession, and their thoughts on the regions in whose histories they specialize will fascinate any reader. Whether it's the newness of the black-and-white New England house facade, the contingency of the identity of a "South," or any of a number of other questions they consider, virtually every point made in this book is made both deftly and with great learning. Ayers and Onuf, in particular, are simply great stylists. Buy it, you'll like it!