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Quick answer: The best books on the European witch hunts explain why tens of thousands of people, mostly women, were executed for witchcraft between about 1450 and 1750. Start with The Witch-Hunt in Early Modern Europe by Brian P. Levack, Witches and Neighbors by Robin Briggs, Witch Craze by Lyndal Roper, The Witch by Ronald Hutton and Witchfinders by Malcolm Gaskill.
Between roughly 1450 and 1750, around 40,000 to 60,000 people were executed for witchcraft in Europe, most of them women. The worst persecutions happened in parts of the Holy Roman Empire, especially southwest Germany, while countries like England and Spain executed far fewer. Accusations often grew out of neighborly quarrels, illness, failed harvests and fear, fueled by new ideas about the devil and by legal systems that allowed torture. The books below explain how and why the witch hunts happened, focus on famous trials in Germany, England, Scotland and Norway, and include powerful novels about women caught up in them.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Type | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Witch-Hunt in Early Modern Europe | Brian P. Levack | History | The standard overview |
| Witches and Neighbors | Robin Briggs | Social history | How accusations began |
| Witch Craze | Lyndal Roper | History | Germany’s witch hunts |
| The Witch: A History of Fear | Ronald Hutton | History | From ancient times to today |
| Witchfinders | Malcolm Gaskill | Narrative history | England’s worst witch hunt |
| Witchcraft: A Very Short Introduction | Malcolm Gaskill | Short introduction | A quick overview |
| Europe’s Inner Demons | Norman Cohn | History of ideas | How the myth was built |
| The Night Battles | Carlo Ginzburg | Microhistory | Folk beliefs |
| The Last Witch of Langenburg | Thomas Robisheaux | Microhistory | One trial up close |
| Witchcraze | Anne Llewellyn Barstow | History | Women and the witch hunts |
| Caliban and the Witch | Silvia Federici | History and theory | Big ideas |
| The Mercies | Kiran Millwood Hargrave | Historical novel | Book clubs |
| The Familiars | Stacey Halls | Historical novel | Fans of atmospheric fiction |
| Mist Over Pendle | Robert Neill | Historical novel | Classic historical fiction |
| The Crucible | Arthur Miller | Play | Teens and adults |
1. The Witch-Hunt in Early Modern Europe by Brian P. Levack
Levack’s textbook explains the beliefs, laws, social pressures and politics behind the witch hunts across Europe. It’s clear, balanced and the best place to start.
2. Witches and Neighbors by Robin Briggs
Briggs shows how witchcraft accusations grew out of everyday tensions among neighbors in villages. It’s humane and revealing.
3. Witch Craze by Lyndal Roper
Roper examines the great witch hunts in southern Germany and the fears and fantasies behind them. It’s brilliant and disturbing.
4. The Witch: A History of Fear by Ronald Hutton
Hutton traces the belief in witches from the ancient world to early modern Europe and compares it with cultures worldwide. It’s wide-ranging and authoritative.
5. Witchfinders by Malcolm Gaskill
Gaskill tells the story of Matthew Hopkins and John Stearne, who led England’s largest witch hunt in the 1640s. It’s gripping and chilling.
6. Witchcraft: A Very Short Introduction by Malcolm Gaskill
Gaskill’s short book explains witchcraft beliefs and persecution across history in about 150 pages. It’s an ideal primer.
7. Europe’s Inner Demons by Norman Cohn
Cohn traces how the fantasy of a secret society of devil-worshipping witches was built up over centuries. It’s a classic study.
8. The Night Battles by Carlo Ginzburg
Ginzburg studies the benandanti of northeastern Italy, people who claimed to fight witches in their dreams, and how inquisitors reinterpreted them. It’s fascinating.
9. The Last Witch of Langenburg by Thomas Robisheaux
Robisheaux reconstructs a single witchcraft trial in a German village in 1672. It reads like a murder mystery.
10. Witchcraze by Anne Llewellyn Barstow
Barstow argues that the witch hunts must be understood as violence against women. It’s passionate and influential.
11. Caliban and the Witch by Silvia Federici
Federici links the witch hunts to the rise of capitalism and changes in women’s work. It’s provocative and widely discussed.
12. The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave
After a storm kills almost all the men of a Norwegian island in 1617, the women who remain face a witch hunter. It’s beautifully written and tense.
13. The Familiars by Stacey Halls
A young noblewoman in 1612 Lancashire befriends a midwife just as the Pendle witch trials begin. It’s suspenseful and moving.
14. Mist Over Pendle by Robert Neill
Neill’s 1951 novel tells the story of the Pendle witches of 1612 through the eyes of a young woman. It’s a much-loved classic.
15. The Crucible by Arthur Miller
Miller’s play is about Salem, not Europe, but it’s the most famous drama ever written about how witch hunts happen. It’s short and powerful.
Tips for Reading About the Witch Hunts
- Start with Levack. It gives you the framework.
- Read a close-up history. Robisheaux and Gaskill make it personal.
- Mind the numbers. Modern estimates are much lower than the “millions” once claimed.
- Compare countries. Germany, England, Scotland and Spain differed enormously.
- Read the novels. The Mercies and The Familiars show women’s experiences.
- Connect to Salem. The American trials of 1692 grew from the same beliefs.
Related: best books on the Salem Witch Trials and best books on the Spanish Inquisition.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best book on the European witch hunts?
The Witch-Hunt in Early Modern Europe by Brian P. Levack is the standard overview, and Witches and Neighbors by Robin Briggs explains how accusations began.
How many people were killed in the witch hunts?
Historians estimate that about 40,000 to 60,000 people were executed for witchcraft in Europe between about 1450 and 1750, most of them women.
What is a good novel about the witch hunts?
The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave and The Familiars by Stacey Halls are two acclaimed recent novels.