Content area
Full text
Encyclopedia of Witchcraft: The Western Tradition. Ed. by Richard M. Golden. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO, 2006. 4 vols. acid free $485 (ISBN 1-57607-243-6).
Covering the period from the late Middle Ages until the late eighteenth century, this encyclopedia fills a distinct void in the literature of witchcraft in the Western world, especially Europe. The editor has skillfully selected and edited 757 entries, providing a depth of coverage unparalleled by other works on witchcraft and giving the reader ready access to articles on all aspects of the history of witchcraft.
During the centuries included by the encyclopedia, it is estimated that nearly 100,000 people were prosecuted for witchcraft in Europe and the Americas, with between 35,000 and 50,000 accused witches executed. Countries as diverse as Moravia, France, England, Italy, Norway, Iceland, Peru, and Bermuda all witnessed trials...