I see this is up on the Goodreads Choice list. I’ve never read O’Reilly’s books before and I’m wondering if I’d enjoy this book. My politics and opinions hardly to never line up with his so I’m on the fence to even add it to my TBR. Can I get yalls thoughts on it? I’m not a huge history buff but this aspect of history is of particular interest to me.
Thanks in advance!
by LittleLibrarianLady
12 Comments
Then you’ll want to avoid this. I’m going to admit, I didn’t read it, but my uncle tried to read it and complained that while he ‘appreciated all the information about the founding fathers [??] he didn’t see what the movie The Exorcist really had to do with the Salem witch trials.’ I asked more questions and I guess only 100 pages are on Salem and then it’s away with the fairies!
I also wouldn’t trust his history as far as I could throw him, the Salem witch trials were remarkably politically complicated and rooted deeply in the trauma from King Philips’ War.
On a maybe unrelated note, there’s a really good book out about the witch hunt in Springfield MA in 1651. The picture it painted of what life was like day to day in these Puritan colonial villages, the lives of women and the levels of economic exploitation was amazing, and I didn’t have much trouble relating it to Salem in the feel of it. The Ruin of All Witches, Malcolm Gaskill.
Haven’t read it nor do I have any desire to read something by him but Caliban and the Witch or Witches, Witch-Hunting, and Women by Silvia Federici are both great
If you’re interested in the period, I’m certain there are better works by real scholars. Even people whose politics align with his shouldn’t trust O’Reilly’s intellectual integrity or robustness.
Alternatively, I’d recommend *The Witches: Salem, 1692* by Stacy Schiff.
It’s a pretty exhaustive retelling (and admittedly a little dry in places), but I found it really captured the era and context of the trials.
Bill O’Reilly is a hack and a fraud who partially responsible for the division that is tearing American society apart. There’s never a reason to read a book he wrote.
There are plenty of other books about the same subject matter not written by inane hatemongerers.
Don’t give him money or headroom. Man’s an arse.
Use a luffa after reading.
People are going to be dismissive cause it’s Bill O’Reilly so I don’t think you’ll actually get a good answer, but I’ve heard his “Killing” books are generally pretty good. I know my dad has read a good bit of them and he liked them. For “popular history” books they’re likely not a bad option. Can also check places like Amazon to see peoples’ reviews if that helps.
the last person’s opinion on the witch trials I want to hear is an upper class straight white Christian man’s
I have read several of his books with an open mind and I enjoyed every one of them
I wouldn’t trust a book written by a man who lies for a living.