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Rating: 
Summary: To Be Informed, Not Swayed
Review: 5 stars if you're planning to make a hollywood horror movie; you'll be swarming in dubious info, perfect for any imaginary work. -1 star for taking every thrown-at anecdote as proof enough, as if the phobia of all (so-called) secular beliefs after the beginning of the world's christianising would not result in as many fictional beliefs and false histories as that which secular cultures heathenishly accept. -1 more stars because 4 points is too high a grade. However, there may be some truth to what he says. How widespread these practices were, and whether they were at all related to a diabolic entity from Christiandom is another matter. It must also be noted that present-day Witchcraft (Wicca) and Satanism (Church of Satan) are mostly harmless institutions: they do not eat pies made from human babies and exhumed corpses. There are practically no police records of any virgins being napped off for sacrifice at some altar or other. None to worry there. Nor prejudice.
Rating:
Summary: Intriguing lack of skepticism
Review: Although Summers was a very educated man, he appeared to hold little skepticism for the alleged crimes of accused witches. This is not a good introduction to the history of witchcraft, but does contain many intriguing descriptions of witchcraft. Be prepared to do a lot of rereading. The meaning of passages is sometimes quite elusive.
Rating: 
Summary: A classic study of witchcraft
Review: Although very informative, this work lists many things as matter-of-fact pieces without explanation as to the when or why of it. Be prepared to do a lot of re-reading of passages, for the meaning often is elusive. This work should be solely taken as a history of witchcraft, not an introduction to it for those who wish to pursue the craft.
Rating: 
Summary: (...)
Review: I read a review of someone talking about how this author doesn't understand Wicca... This book was written a long time before Wicca came to be, and before the Wiccan rede and all that other (...) was thought up, so that's not really relevant to this book.
Rating: 
Summary: The Author Doesn't Know A Thing
Review: Like I said Above the Auther Doesn't Know a thing about Witchcraft or Wicca...I am a witch and I know that my beliefs are pure and good no evil! ...as witches we believe in the wiccan rede "Harm none do as ye will" in other words Do what you want as long as you do not hurt anyone...and one other thing Witches do not worship the Devil! ...I know everyone thinks that but we DO NOT!...we don't even believe in Satan, So how can we worship something we dont believe in!...Thank you for your time even though i didnt write a review I'm glad I could bring more knowlege to those of you who would like to learn and listen! *Blessed Be*
Rating:
Summary: Exhaustive Study of Witchcraft from a strange character
Review: This is a lengthy and exhaustive history of witchcraft and the occult written by the eccentric occult historian Montague Summers in 1927. Summers was well known for his many books on witchcraft, vampires, werewolves, and the history of the occult in general. He was generally considered The Expert on the history of witchcraft in the early 20th century and was filled with little-known anecdotal tales of witches, warlocks and dark devilish conspiracies as is evidenced by the many long dry examples in this book. This work is, however, a thorough reference on a arcane subject and is valuable for its many historical accounts of witch trials and other tales of witches, devils, and their arts. Summers is often criticized for his lack of skepticism, as noted below, as well as the heaps of praise he showers on the works of the Inquisition and its supposed war on witchcraft during the height of witch hysteria. His translations of notorious books like the Malleus Maleficarum and the Compendium Maleficarum, both witch hunting manuals used for centuries to detect, judge, and execute suspected witches, are his best-knwn works. Summers appears to revel in the age-old war against witches and often seemed a man born into the wrong time. He seems to wax nostalgic on the "Burning Times" and its blatant mysoginistic undertones, and this was in our "modern" age. In fact, he seems almost like a magistrate plucked from a 17th century witch burning and transplanted into the 20th century to write about his esteemed accomplishments! Yet, all this comes from a man who went to great lengths to transcribe and republish Reginald Scots' "Discoverie of Witchcraft", a 16th century treatise DISCOUNTING the existence of witches and demons and which was banned by the Holy Office and ordered burned by King James I of England! Very interesting stuff indeed.
Rating:
Summary: Exhaustive Study of Witchcraft from a strange character
Review: This is a lengthy and exhaustive history of witchcraft and the occult written by the eccentric occult historian Montague Summers in 1927. Summers was well known for his many books on witchcraft, vampires, werewolves, and the history of the occult in general. He was generally considered The Expert on the history of witchcraft in the early 20th century and was filled with little-known anecdotal tales of witches, warlocks and dark devilish conspiracies as is evidenced by the many long dry examples in this book. This work is, however, a thorough reference on a arcane subject and is valuable for its many historical accounts of witch trials and other tales of witches, devils, and their arts. Summers is often criticized for his lack of skepticism, as noted below, as well as the heaps of praise he showers on the works of the Inquisition and its supposed war on witchcraft during the height of witch hysteria. His translations of notorious books like the Malleus Maleficarum and the Compendium Maleficarum, both witch hunting manuals used for centuries to detect, judge, and execute suspected witches, are his best-knwn works. Summers appears to revel in the age-old war against witches and often seemed a man born into the wrong time. He seems to wax nostalgic on the "Burning Times" and its blatant mysoginistic undertones, and this was in our "modern" age. In fact, he seems almost like a magistrate plucked from a 17th century witch burning and transplanted into the 20th century to write about his esteemed accomplishments! Yet, all this comes from a man who went to great lengths to transcribe and republish Reginald Scots' "Discoverie of Witchcraft", a 16th century treatise DISCOUNTING the existence of witches and demons and which was banned by the Holy Office and ordered burned by King James I of England! Very interesting stuff indeed.
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