Critique of Founding Mothers and Fathers by Mary Beth Norton

Cawthorne, Nigel, Witch Hunt: History of a Persecution. Booksales Inc., 2006. 144pp., index, illustrations.

Nigel Cawthorne is a prolific author whose nonfiction books encompass subjects as broad as Robin Hood, English law and pirates. In fact, one of Cawthorne's series of nonfiction books encompasses the sex lives of popes, emperors, and composers. Cawthorne has authored a number of works of popular fiction, too, as well as a range of historical books including those that address the Vietnam War and the Cold War. All of Cawthorne's fiction and nonfiction is addressed to a popular audience rather than a scholarly one. In Witch Hunt: History of a Persecution, Cawthorne recounts the history of the persecution of witches in Europe.

Witch Hunt: History of a Persecution presents a graphic portrait of the European witch hunts and trials, with tacit mention of the carryover into the American colonies and especially Salem. There is no argumentative thesis of Witch Hunt: History of a Persecution, which is more of a descriptive work. If the author had a thesis, it would be that the witch-hunts were an extension and manifestation of ignorance, superstition, and misogyny in European culture. The book is organized not only chronologically but geographically. Cawthorne's objective with Witch Hunt: History of a Persecution is to describe in vivid detail what specific physical horrors the persecutors meted out on the persecuted, how witch hunts were organized, and what religious and political ideologies motivated them.

As a descriptive work of history, Cawthorne's books is useful. The author includes references to specific methods of torture ranging from ovens to beatings. Blood and gore contribute to the trade book quality, and make the book appealing to American readers. As a work of scholasticism, though, Cawthorne falls well short. Cawthorne does not purport to be a scholarly historian, though, so it cannot be said that the author falls short of an intended goal. However, Cawthorne's bibliography is paltry and there is a conspicuous lack of in-text and other internal citations that would have substantiated claims.

What the book lacks in meticulous academic detail and discourse, the author makes up for in gory detail. Accompanied at times by illustrations, the events that took place during the rabid witch hunts in Europe seem appalling and brutal to modern readers. Yet when taken into a greater historical perspective, it is clear that witch hunts still continue today in the likes of Guantanamo Bay. What would make Cawthorne's argument stronger would be a more global and historical perspective. Witch Hunt: History of Persecution is interesting but not as informative as it could be in terms of sheer historical analysis. For example, Cawthorne could spend more time on the role of misogyny in the witch-hunts, and could draw greater parallels with genocidal events such as the Holocaust. Cawthorne also glosses over the witch-hunt phenomenon in the American colonies. The omission might be on purpose, given the widespread availability of books on Salem.

In spite of its lack of critical analysis and scholarly insight, Witch Hunt: History of Persecution remains easy to read. The language is accessible as Cawthorne keeps his trade book audience in mind. Moreover, in spite of its disturbing content, the book is enjoyable. Its main strength is the vividness of detail and the mention of specific "witches" that were brought to trial and tortured. Also, Cawthorne carefully selects evidence from throughout Europe and including diverse cultures such as Spain and Germany. Cawthorne addresses the differences between the European cultures mainly in terms of the differences between Catholicism and Protestantism.

The lack of citations and a poor excuse for a bibliography at the end are the book's primary weaknesses. Although it seems as if Cawthorne draws from primary sources, those sources are not cited in a manner befitting a historian. Cawthorne remains a casual, amateur historian whose work can serve as an introduction or adjunct to the subject but certainly not as a go-to reference. Scholars will be frustrated with Cawthorne's book because the author seems to have researched the subject well but was just too lazy to document his work. This means that future researchers can mainly use Cawthorne's book as a springboard for further investigation as opposed to a credible citable source. It also seems as if Cawthorne is more interested in a Bruckheimer-esque version of the witch hunts: rather than organizing the history according to theme the author does so according to sensationalism.