What is a good Pagan/witchcraft history book?

[Farore]

I'm particularly interested in a book relating to what happened when Christianity took over. How they delt with the persecution of witches and pagans. And Id love anything with informtaion on how they survived. Obviously not everyone was killed that was Pagan or a witch. If anything had personal accounts, or any found writings from them, things like that I would love to read it. Id like anything written well, something I can emerse myself in to get a feel of their struggles. Even a fiction book with some good history and truth in it would be great.

Everything I read touches on it, but it just makes me want to read more about it.

Thanks!

[Chalice]

Well, you need to keep in mind that Christianity took over different countries at different times. Some countries held out on their paganism for a very long time, like the Norse countries.

You might want to look at Triumph of the Moon.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Triumph-Moon- ... 0192854496

[Opal~Ink]

sacred-texts.com has a lot of primary sources to browse through for free. Historical stuff as well as neopaganism.

[Farore]

I was interested in the topic in general, any country. That book sounds good, thank you. I looked up the Salem witch trials and found letters and court documents that were all very interesting. But I don't really think that counts, were any of them actually witches? From what I read some of the people that admitted it just sounded mad. I think that was more of a product of fear and the need for a scapegoat to blame their problems on.

Thanks for that website too it sounds awesome.

[Echo_of_shadows]

I haven't read any books that are specifically about the history of Witchcraft, but both "An ABC of Witchcraft Past and Present" by Doreen Valiente and "The Encyclopedia of Witches, Witchcraft and Wicca" by Rosemary Ellen Guiley do contain some history. They both list people that have been accused of Witchcraft. Both books can be a little tough to read cover to cover, since they're both written in an encyclopedia format, but otherwise they're both good books.

[Farore]

Thank you very much.

[loona wynd]

Triumph of the Moon is Good as is Stations of the Sun. Both of those cover history of witchcraft and paganism from an academic/anthropological aspect.