James Sharpe is Professor of History at York University and the author of Instruments of Darkness: Witchcraft
in Early Modern History and other works of social history.
Review
Sharpe makes readers feel for a little-known historical figure who - at a time when women were judged inferior
- broke all the rules.No small feat in any era..
--Time Out New York
Crammed with lore about demonic possession and the politics of exorcism.Sharpe's meticulously detailed reconstruction
of a sensational English witchcraft case resonates with the modern era."
--Publishers Weekly.
An extraordinary case...Professor Sharpe, in this illuminating narrative, has given Anne Gunter her due moment
of fame...extremely interesting and readable.
--Antonia Fraser, The London Times
Sharpe (history, York Univ.) has produced a compelling popular study of the dynamics and intrigue of early modern
European witch-hunting. Using extensive Court of Star Chamber documentation, he introduces the story of Anne Gunter,
a 20-year-old maid from North Moreton, England, whose supposed afflictions at the hands of three alleged witches
produced a series of trails from 1605-1608...Interweaving Anne Gunter's personal tale with that of the broader
historical context of 17th century England, Sharpe skillfully illustrates the contemporary scholarly theory that
most accusations of witchcraft were rooted in local rivalries and changing economic conditions. While distractingly
repetitive and disappointing in its failure to reveal what became of the protagonist, this work gives a fascinating
snapshot of a undergraduate and volatile the dangerous age. Recommended for general readers and as a undergraduate
introduction.
--J. W. Dippman, Central Washington University.
Routledge, New York Web Site, April, 2002
Summary
In 1604, 20-year-old Anne Gunter was bewitched:she foamed at the mouth, contorted wildly in her bedchamber,
went into trances. Her garters and bodices were perpetually unlacing themselves. Her signature symptom was to vomit
pins and "she voided some pins downwards as well by her water or otherwise.". Popular history at its
best, The Bewitching of Anne Gunter opens a fascinating window onto the past. It's a tale of controlling fathers,
willful daughters, nosy neighbors, power relations between peasants and gentry, and village life in early-modern
Europe. Above all it's an original and revealing story of one young woman's experience with the greatly misunderstood
phenomenon of witchcraft.
Table of Contents
Preface
1.Anne's Story
2.Some Unexpected Consequences of a Football Match
3.Many Strange Tortures
4.Witchcraft
5.The Oxford Connection
6.The Witch-Trial Connection
7.Demonic Possession and the Politics of Exorcism
8.Anne Meets the King
9.Loose Ends, Tied and Untied
