Witchcraft and Black Magic

Got here fast and no dents in book. Shipped and received in perfect condition interesting things in it.

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This book explains everything about black magic and witchcraft. It is one of the most interisting book ive ever read

This is not a book for those wanting to perform witchcraft. Rather this is a collection of anecdotal stories from the 16-17th centuries of such activities that took place.

Monty Summers was one creepy individual. Had a flair for the dramatic, and writes as if he is living in 17th century England. Summers "really" believed warlocks and practitioners of the black arts could harm people and alter future events through the practice of sorcery. Slow reading, but worthwhile if you have an afternoon to kill, when the sun ain't shinin'.

This book is utter nonsense. Stay away from it. Summers was either totally crazy or a total crook. He claims (or at least pretends) to believe in the reality of witchcraft. Everything medieval and early modern authors had to say about witches is, according to Summers, simply the truth. Summers justifies the witch hunts shamelessly. This book is an insult to all the victims of the witch craze. Don't get me wrong: I'm not a Wicca or something like that, I'm just interested in serious history. And this is clearly no serious history. I wonder why the publishers keep reprinting Summers' nonsense. I suppose the copyright expired and they can do what they like with the old stuff. Don't throw your money away on outdated hooey. If you want to learn something about the witch hunts read something more modern written by a real historian.

This is yet another treatise on the history of witchcraft and the occult by the ubiquitous early 20th century occult writer Montague Summers. This work, originally published in 1946, just two years before Summers' death, deals with more of the same material Summers covers better in his earlier work "History of Witchcraft and Demonology". Here he further covers witchcraft and occult lore and superstition, the history of witchcraft from anicent to early modern times, including the period of the witchcraze. He vividly includes such scadalous and lurid topics as diabolic pacts with Satan, invocation and copulation with demons, necromancy, and all the attendant myths and legends passed down through history corncerning these subjects. As an occult or witchcraft history, while quite interesting, this is really ground covered before by Summers and others. Summers himself was a eccentric but devoted occult historian who wrote many books on this and related subjects such as vampires, werewolves, and edited and translated several important early demonology and witchcraft texts such as the "Malleus Maleficarum", "Compendium Maleficarum", "The Discovery of Witchcraft", and others. His credulity and fanaticism calls his scholarship into question and his translations of many works are considered suspect. Despite these shortcomings, Summers was, to say the least, an interesting and prolific author.

Granted this book was published in 1946 I believe. Anyway it is not the most up to date treatise ever on the subject, which is what I had to bear in mind as I read it.The preface and first chapter tie witchcraft to Satanism in a very no holds barred manner, brooking no debate. Even though I am not a practising witch or wiccan I found that offensive until I reminded myself on Summer's background and the age of text.This is a history of witchcraft and Black magic and is interesting in that even though some chapter headings confused me as it took awhile for Summers to broach the various headings subjects. In other words it seemed like chapters were not neccessarily about descriptive paragraph headings.This is an interesting history and Summers is quite extensive in his subject matter covered my other critique would be the absence of Aleister Crowley's absence from these pages.Still an interesting and somewhat educational read.

Pretty boring and not so informative

AS THE TITTLE STATES IT IS A BOOK DEVOTED TO THE OCCULT. AS I BUY THESE TITTLES MAINLY TO FIND OUT WHAT MAKES PEOPLE TICK , IT IS NOT SOMETHING I WOULD MESS AROUND WITH.

Love this book written bakc in 1946ish, brilliant matter on the subject.

Item is as described and received in perfect condition.

Written a century ago, the work has aged in a mixed manner. The academic study of witchcraft and black magic is fairly well researched and historic accounts are well referenced. Summers own bias, as indicative of the period in which he wrote, colours his work heavily and such blemishes the work somewhat. If you can mentally edit the racism and notions of 'Satanists are out to rule the world!' panic that would be more suited to the 17th century, then Summers work has some very useful elements of research.