Six Women of Salem is the first work to use the lives of a select number of representative women as a microcosm to illuminate the larger crisis of the Salem witch trials. By the end of the trials; beyond the twenty who were executed and the five who perished in prison; 207 individuals had been accused; 74 had been “afflicted;†32 had officially accused their fellow neighbors; and 255 ordinary people had been inexorably drawn into that ruinous and murderous vortex; and this doesn't include the religious; judicial; and governmental leaders. All this adds up to what the Rev. Cotton Mather called “a desolation of names.â€The individuals involved are too often reduced to stock characters and stereotypes when accuracy is sacrificed to indignation. And although the flood of names and detail in the history of an extraordinary event like the Salem witch trials can swamp the individual lives involved; individuals still deserve to be remembered and; in remembering specific lives; modern readers can benefit from such historical intimacy. By examining the lives of six specific women; Marilynne Roach shows readers what it was like to be present throughout this horrific time and how it was impossible to live through it unchanged.
#1431666 in Books Mark Ragan 2003-05 2003-05-27Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.00 x .84 x 6.00l; 1.08 #File Name: 0306811979336 pagesISBN13: 9780306811975Condition: NewNotes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Brilliantly executedBy otto0713This book is the final compilation of thousands of hours spent in historical ledgers and newspapers of the Civil War period. Often hidden and covered up by the contemporaries of the day; the writer had the formidable task of digging into the little known facts of the two waring governments;and their achievements concerning "submarine boats" (also called torpedoes).It is an in-depth study that follows the general development and dire consequences of inadequate testing before deployment of what many would consider the first "Iron Coffins." One can almost feel the clamminess and dank cold of these underwater contraptions as they embarked on each somewhat futile and top- secret mission. With only a slight hint of success; these brave crew members surely were heroes in their own right.A well written narrative that fills many voids of seafaring and clandestine weaponry during the Great Civil War and a great read.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. There wasn't much; at least that was documentedBy Jay AThe American Civil War saw the first; or first widespread use of many modern weapons. It saw the first sinking of a warship by a submarine. There were also many other submarines planned or built. However; there is not a lot of documentation for most of those subjects. All we know of many is a paragraph on a scrap of paper; report by a spy who overheard someone or even just an order for materials and that is the weakness of the book. In many cases information on submarine projects just isn't available1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Other Than The Hunley; Who KnewBy RLG717What a fantastic book! Two of my favorite reading items compiled into one book. Well presented and when documented evidence does not exist the author presents plausible theories to allow the reader to make their own determination.Everyone knows about the Hunley; now find out the other part of the story to give you the entire story. I really just wanted to keep reading this book and ignore my other responsibilites; it is that good.
