The Witches: Salem, 1692

Book Overview: The Witches: Salem, 1692

The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Cleopatra, the #1 national bestseller, unpacks the mystery of the Salem Witch Trials.

It began in 1692, over an exceptionally raw Massachusetts winter, when a minister’s daughter began to scream and convulse. It ended less than a year later, but not before 19 men and women had been hanged and an elderly man crushed to death.

The panic spread quickly, involving the most educated men and prominent politicians in the colony. Neighbors accused neighbors, parents and children each other. Aside from suffrage, the Salem Witch Trials represent the only moment when women played the central role in American history. In curious ways, the trials would shape the future republic.

As psychologically thrilling as it is historically seminal, THE WITCHES is Stacy Schiff’s account of this fantastical story — the first great American mystery unveiled fully for the first time by one of our most acclaimed historians.

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Editorial Reviews

“A gripping, meticulously researched, sumptuously written history of the Salem witch trials and their historical context.”
–Kevin Nance, Chicago Tribune

“A masterful modern reassessment of the deadly and tragic mania that gripped the colonies in the late 17th century.”
— Globe and Mail

“A vivid investigation of the original American nightmare. Schiff brilliantly teases apart the strands of myth and history. In an age when superstition remains a vibrant and dangerous force, her book is, alas, also relevant.”
–Russell Shorto, author of The Island at the Center of the World

“From Cleopatra to the Salem coven. From intelligent rule to hysteria, mayhem, and murder. The Salem witch trials offer Stacy Schiff an out-sized drama that seized Americans’ imaginations more than 300 years ago. All of Schiff’s books demonstrate her rigor as a historian and her dexterity as a stylist. The Witches proves she has something else: the instincts of a thriller writer. This book needs a seat belt.”
–Kathryn Harrison, author of Joan of Arc

“Brilliant, exceptionally well-researched.”
–Alden Mudge, BookPage

“Schiff writes with conviction and a strong sense of narrative, elevating the dry snooze of history to a new level. It’s an endlessly fascinating read.”
–Megan Reynolds, Gawker

“Compulsively readable…. The best-selling Schiff never disappoints.”
–Margaret Flanagan, Booklist (Starred Review)

“[Schiff] writes with such spirit and agility that to read her books is something like watching a great dancer. To say that her latest book is fascinating and insightful is hardly sufficient. It’s brilliant from start to finish.”
— David McCullough, Favorite Reads of 2015

“ Enchanting. Out of the shadows of the past come excitable young girls, pompous ministers, abusive judges, grieving parents, and angry neighbors, all of them caught up in a terrifying process that seemed to have no end: discovering who among them deserved death for being in league with Satan. The Witches is as close as we will ever come to understanding what happened in and around Salem in 1692. Courtrooms, streets, churches, farm yards, taverns, bedrooms-all became theater-like places where anger, anxiety, sorrow, and tragedy are entangled. An astonishing achievement.”
–David D. Hall, Bartlett Research Professor of New England Church History, Harvard University

“Schiff’s books are based on serious scholarly research, yet they’re conveyed in bright, accessible prose… She displays the same sharp intelligence and eclectic interests that distinguish her body of work.”
–Publishers Weekly, “Most Anticipated Books of the Fall”

“Schiff has beautifully combined remarkable story telling with historical accuracy and insight. She has opened up important new avenues for Salem scholarship.”
–Bernard Rosenthal, editor of Records of the Salem Witch-Hunt

About the Author

Stacy Schiff

Stacy Schiff is an acclaimed American biographer, historian, and Pulitzer Prize-winning author known for her meticulous research and compelling storytelling. Born in Massachusetts, Schiff began her career as a senior editor at Simon & Schuster after graduating from Williams College. Her ability to transform complex histories into vivid, accessible narratives quickly established her as a groundbreaking author in the field of historical biography.

Schiff’s most notable works include “A Great Improvisation: Franklin, France, and the Birth of America,” “Cleopatra: A Life,” and “The Witches: Salem, 1692.” These works not only skillfully resurrect historical characters, but also stimulate meaningful conversations about power, gender, and politics. Her gift for merging historical accuracy with riveting storytelling has garnered her numerous awards including the Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography, awarded for her exceptional biography “Véra (Mrs. Vladimir Nabokov).”

Schiff’s work continues to inspire and educate readers around the globe, proving that history can be both enriching and entertaining. Her detailed portraits of significant figures, woven with intimate details and broader cultural contexts, make her one of the most revered and relevant figures in contemporary historical literature. As a public intellectual, Schiff regularly contributes to the New Yorker, the New York Times, and other prestigious publications, embodying a rare combination of scholarly rigor and popular appeal.