Witchfinders

Gives the ordinary reader a visceral sense of mid-seventeenth-century England ... satisfyingly complex * Selina O'Grady, Literary Review *
Very highly recommended * The Cauldron *
an 'evocative travelogue...setpieces of rich description' * TLS *
Gaskill has become an expert on the Great British witch-hunt ... a completely readable non-fiction book on a gripping subject.' * Suffolk Journal, Norfolk Journal, The Essex Magazi *
The incessant peculiarity of the accusations could easily make the stories told in this book seem quaint rather than horrific. But Gaskill avoids this trap by describing each case in a vivid manner, making one aware at all times of the human tragedy. His description of a hanging, for instance could leave no reader unmoved * Craig Brown, Book of the Week, Mail on Sunday *
It is a riveting subject, engagingly told, and worth a read. * Catholic Herald *
The book is a timely warning for those who think that witch trials are a matter of history. * The Times *
This is a terrible tale marvellously told ... This is how history should be known. * the oldie *
He's a very lucid and human writer, very good at setting the social context, helping you understand how the phenomenon of witchfinders came out of the dislocation of the civil war. * Independent on Sunday *
Gaskill tells the story of the witch-hunt in full and accurate detail, for the first time, and with uncommon skill ... His book is both a solid contribution to knowledge and a splendid example of history as gripping literature * Ronald Hutton, Independent *
Malcolm Gaskill patiently untangles the history of East Anglian witchcraft * Guardian *
'Lucid and humane' * Hilary Mantel *
Written with sympathy, respect and deep human understanding. * The Sunday Times *
Wonderfully detailed, well-written and judicious ... tragic yet fascinating * Daily Telegraph *
A must ... a lucid companion piece to the classic horror movie Witchfinder General. * Guardian *
A brilliant new study ... In the vivid three-dimensionality of its dramatis personae, the eloquence of its writing, and the richness of its evocations of vanished worlds of landscape and belief ... Gaskill displays a masterly wizardry all his own * John Adamson, Sunday Telegraph *
'A splendid example of history as gripping literature.' * Independent *
'Fascinating' * Daily Mail *
'Superb, chilling' - Alastair Sooke * Daily Telegraph *
'A sophisticated examination of East Anglia's mania in the 1640s' - Rosemary Goring * Glasgow Herald *
'A chilling history of the witch-trials' * History Today *
'A fascinating history of the infamous witch-hunts and their main protagonist, Matthew Hopkins. This book is easily labelled as essential for anyone with an interest in the macabre... less obviously, it's also a good expose (and timely reminder) of how large-scale tragedies can occur once the right mix of circumstances are present' * Irish Times *
'[Gaskill's] meticulously researched book paints a vivid picture of a horrific period in English history and its causes' * Lucy Land, Essex Life & Countryside *