Reference Reviews

Reference for Students

The Salem Witch Trials. By Don Nardo. Detroit, Mich.: Lucent Books Thomson Gale, 2007. 1 vol. 104 p. $31.20. ISBN 10: 1-59018-950-7; ISBN 13: 978-1-59018-950-4.

The Salem Witch Trials have long held a fascinating interest in this part of our country’s early history, and this book provides a thumbnail sketch of these events. The timeline of “Important Dates at the Time of the Salem Witch Trials” begins with 1233 and the medieval Inquisition and ends with 1952 and Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible.” The epilogue of this volume features Miller and his play when he points out that accusations made during the McCarthy Era reflect the lack of judgments at the Salem Witch Trials, something that allows for an assignment to compare the two events for similarities and differences. This is a very brief introduction for the student who needs an overview before a more detailed study.