Witches: James I and the English Witch Hunts
Author(s): Tracy Borman
September 1613. In Belvoir Castle, the heir of one of England's great noble families falls suddenly and dangerously ill. His body is 'tormented' with violent convulsions. Within a few short weeks he will suffer an excruciating death. Soon the whole family will be stricken with the same terrifying symptoms. The second son, the last male of the line, will not survive. It is said witches are to blame. And so the Earl of Rutland's sons will not be the last to die. Witches traces the dramatic events which unfolded at one of England's oldest and most spectacular castles four hundred years ago. The case is among those which constitute the European witch craze of the 15th-18th centuries, when suspected witches were burned, hanged, or tortured by the thousand. Like those other cases, it is a tale of superstition, the darkest limits of the human imagination and, ultimately, injustice - a reminder of how paranoia and hysteria can create an environment in which nonconformism spells death. But as Tracy Borman reveals here, it is not quite typical. The most powerful and Machiavellian figure of the Jacobean court had a vested interest in events at Belvoir. He would mastermind a conspiracy that has remained hidden for centuries.
Product Information
A tale of bloody witchcraft, which led all the way to James I's right-hand man
"Borman provides a fascinating account of the circumstances surrounding the case." -- Amanda Foreman Mail on Sunday "Moving and spirited." -- Anne Somerset Literary Review "A tantalising history... A panoramic survey of the witch craze that swept through Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries." -- John Carey Sunday Times "On March 11, 1619, in the city of Lincoln two sisters, Margaret and Phillipa Flower, were hanged for witchcraft. Tracy -Borman's new book investigates their tragedy and traces the dramatic events which unfolded at one of England's oldest and most spectacular castles four hundred years ago." The Beat That My Heart Skipped "Excellent." -- Thomas Quinn Big Issue
Tracy Borman studied and taught history at the University of Hull and was awarded a PhD in 1997. She went on to a successful career in heritage, and is now Chief Executive of the Heritage Education Trust and interim Chief Curator of Historic Royal Palaces. Tracy is the author of a number of highly acclaimed books, including Matilda: Queen of the Conqueror and Elizabeth's Women, which was Book of the Week on Radio 4.She regularly appears on television and radio, and is a contributor to BBC History Magazine.Tracy gives public talks and lectures across the country on a wide range of subjects.She lives in Surrey with her daughter.
General Fields
- :
- : Vintage Publishing
- : Vintage
- : 0.271
- : 01 September 2014
- : 198mm X 129mm
- : United Kingdom
- : 01 November 2014
- : books
Special Fields
- : Tracy Borman
- : 352
- : 941.061
- : Paperback
42 High Street South, Carterton