Okay to start with Salem the cat gets a chance of a life time to act in a commercial, He really wants to win because he wants to ride in the Limio. Big but he has to compete with another cat easy think again the cat food tastes awful but the oponent cat does not like the food either so he eats a differnt food in the new cat bag what does Salem do now!

Salem can't stand that awful Tobias the Tabby, and his commercials for Pretty Kitty Cat Food. He could do a better job of acting, for cat's sake! And now Salem has his chance! The Pretty Kitty Company needs a spokes-cat for it's new food. Fame and fortune will finally be his! There's one problem, though. The Pretty Kitty food tastes awful! Can Salem chow down to save his stardom or will he choke in the limelight?

It all started when Sabrina put a spell on her history book. Salem accidentally jumped into it, and now he keeps popping up in one historic scene after another. Everywhere he goes, he meets famous people like George Washington and Harriet Tubman. And they all need his help! The only way Salem will ever get out of the history book is to come up with the answers these famous folks need...and that means remembering what really happened. Salem had better be careful with his advice, or he'll be stuck in history...forever! "Actually, Patrick Henry was going to say 'Give me liberty or give me some other option.' I told him I thought it needed more punch." --Salem

Although very detailed, packed with information, I would not go as far as calling this book a narrative as the Amazon Review did. LeBeau very likely choses his words and it all looks good -a tight summary of a very interesting topic, good language, etc. I started reading with a vengeance but shortly after the first 50 pages I got extremely bored by the book, because in combination with the language and the huge amount of compressed data, I simply was not able to both stay interested in the topic and remember all the incidents. I think if somebody would count the names that appear on those 300 pages, you'd probably get a few thousands. Of course you get a date to every person that appears in the book and of course you get a lot of cross-references to persons the author already mentioned. In my opinion this is not a very good book because you can't use it just for quick reference like a good encyclopedia (because that's exactly what it is with these tons of information)nor can you just dip into it for a good read. The only thing that saved at least three stars for the book is the story itself. And it was written by one of the most powerful author's of all time.
History itself. The Salem Witch Trials is a story of betrayal, superstition, murder, conspiration, corrupt small town politics ... something one can still consider as a methaphor for modern life, because there still are these things after all.

This is a very straightforward and unassuming study of the Salem Witch Trials, an event that encompassed a rather small group of people over a short time period, but continues to capture our imagination. It's the mother of all witch-hunts and amply illustrates how seemingly rational people can be swept up by mass hysteria. Le Beau's most interesting revelations here involve how dozens of people were tried and executed based on the circumstantial testimony of just a few teenage girls. These girls were proven to be influenced by the hysteria around them, coached by the authorities, and even afflicted with psychosis. Le Beau finds that the Salem saga was at its core an outbreak of social control arising from some minor political strife in the town, the rapidly changing social order, the desire to punish those women (and a few men) who spoke their minds and refused to fit into rigid Puritan social strictures, and closed-minded religious mania. Le Beau acts as an impartial investigative journalist here and mostly refrains from offering his own opinions and conclusions, instead sticking to analyses of theories offered by other historians. Le Beau's avoidance of taking a stand does make this book rather dry and workmanlike, but we are rewarded with an impartial study that we can use to reach our own conclusions. Some extra food for thought is the connections Le Beau finds between the Salem saga and other mass persecutions that could be called symbolic witch-hunts - like communist purges, anti-communist red scares, child abuse allegations, satanic cult conspiracy theories, and other types of social hysteria that will continue to torment the innocent in the future.

I had to write a research paper on the Salem Witch Trials. My teacher recommended this book. I thought it was wonderful! This was the only book I needed for my research paper and I got an A+! My relative's were some of those killed and put in jail during the Salem Witch Trials! The only problem I have is that the author doesn't write books for all of my research papers! Thank You!

One must sometimes delve into the background of an author to acquire that person's worldview and how it molds their material, especially when the material being used for historical accounts for educational purposes. "Private Demons" a biography of Shirley Jackson by Judy Oppenheimer, reveals a plethora of information about the author, including that fact that she was an occultist and active occult writer. This book is written with a religiously unilateral, occcult/rationalistic view. Despite intense political & religious controversy surrounding this story, there was an enormous amount of literature concerning broader aspects of the trials which held alternate views not relayed in many of Ms. Jackson's often innaccurate and spiritually condescending renderings of the account.

Many believed the girls were commissioned by Satan to divide Christ's Kingdom through false accusations. Ms. Jackson mocks these Spiritual leaders by negating their position that the root of the dissention began with the afflicted girls and their occult involvement, and alludes that these leaders were vehicles of dissention in the community, by advocating that the colonists oppose Christian teachings. Spiritual leaders were trying to expose their belief that Satan's ploy was to sow seeds of division in the church. Ms. Jackson makes no tangential, historical reference to this fact, that spiritual leaders believed the root of the dissention began with occult involvement.

Ms. Jackson omits various aspects of the afflicted girl's involvement in occult practices, and substitutes a rationalistic world view to explain the occurences. Rationalism excludes Biblical interpretations and the value of conventions and dangers of popular superstitions. Ms. Jackson does not depict occult activities utilized by the afflicted women to avoid any inference as to the validity of an alternate power. Rather, she alleges that these girls merely "pretended" to be controlled by demons, ignoring the fact that many Christian leaders strongly believed in Satanic influence surrounding these issues.

You will notice that the bulk of the content provided by the author in the "afterword" section expresses her rationalistic viewpoint when she focuses heavily on demonology as a myth, and places blame for the witch trials on religious fervor and intolerance, boredom, psychological pressure, and possible physiological disorders. Ms. Jackson attempts to categorize spiritual leaders as zealots.

Ms. Jackson consistently negates to include accurate historical information throughout her book. Ms. Jackson could not include this information because it would not conform to her rationalistic view. It appears that Ms. Jackson selectively utilized facts she chose to paint the picture she wanted the reader to see by flavoring the historical rendering to that of her own world view. She does this by mocking the power of Satan, and accredits belief in his existence to ignorance. By enmeshing her view within her account of the actual events, Ms. Jackson emphatically and repeatedly negates the significance of a ubiquitous entity believed in by a multitude of religions still to this day. I would not recommend this material to be used in a primary or middle school setting as is has the potential to religiously sway an immature reader. It does not qualifies as a concise, historical rendering suitable to be contained as part of the curriculum in a public school setting based on the conjectural commentaries of religiously sensitive content espoused by Ms. Jackson. This material is more suitable to a mature reader who is readily equipped to separate true historical facts from biased conjecture. Please take notice as to the origin of where this book is listed in the Classified Catalog, Sixteenth Edition, under 100 PHILOSOPHY, PARAPSYCHOLOGY AND OCCULTISM, PSYCHOLOGY, 133.4 Demonology and witchcraft. The rendering is an edited account of history through a rationalistic world view, that is condescending and offensive to any aware Christian reader.

THE WITCHCRAFT OF SALEM VILLAGE WAS AN EXCEPTIONAL BOOK FOR CHILDREN FROM THE AGES 10-13 WHO ARE INTERESTED IN THE SALEM WITCH TRIALS. I ESPECIALLY ENJOYED IT BECAUSE IT WAS A QUICK AND EASY READ BUT IT KEPT ME INTERESTED THE WHOLE TIME.IT WAS VERY DESCRIPTIVE AND IT HAD TRUE FACTS ABOUT THE WITCH TRIALS.IT WAS A GREAT BOOK AND I RECOMMEND IT TO EVERYONE!!!!

This book was an excellent educational book and an easy read for children to understand and learn from. It is clear that this Martha Nassaer has an egotistic issue (arrogance) and has filled her review with what she believes to be impressive words; however, all were meaningless and unimpressive to this reader. It is unfortunate that people would use such a forum to dissuade others from reading such a wonderful book. Obviously, she is not an educator. I highly recommend it for children 8 and up.

The story is one often told: a high-spirited young girl rouses the jealousy and suspicion of her Puritan neighbors. Her non-conformity gives rise to an occassion for her to be accused as a witch, and once accused, she is doomed. The real genius of this book is not in the plot per se (though the addition of the lover who takes advantage of the situation to convince Doll that she really is a witch and he as a demon is her appointed mate is a plausible and original twist. It is often overlooked that many of the people who perished in the witch-crazes believed themselves to be guilty, whether because of mental illness, infectious mass hysteria, or the confusion brought about by their terror during interogation and torture.)

But, as I was saying, the real genius in this book lies in the narrative style and tone. Esther Forbes makes the risky but ultimately successful decision to structure this book like those of the era for which the events of the plot would be recent past: readers of Defoe's Moll Flanders will feel a jolt of recognition at many of the odd capitalizations and lengthy chapter headings. In keeping with this, the narrator appears always to disapprove of the 'witch' and approve of the pious townspeople who persecute her. However, Forbes' skill is such that the underlying message - that Doll has been entrapped and destroyed by prejudice, superstition, and spite - is always clear in the subtle ironies of situations. The result is that the tone throughout is one of impending doom, and the sense of the injustice done to Doll is far keener than it might have been had the narrator railed against it.

This is a haunting, exquisitely crafted, work of fiction, which should be judged on its own considerable literary merits rather than for its imagined relationship to any particular set of historical events. I'd especially recommend to it to those who have enjoyed "Lolly Willowes", by Sylvia Townsend Warner, or the work of Shirley Jackson ("The Lottery", "The Haunting of Hill House") Forbes does a marvelous job at creating a voice which belongs to the seventeenth century, while subtly incorporating a very modern concern with the darker impulses of human nature. (Come to think of it, fans of "A High Wind in Jamaica" should like this as well.) Forbes recreates the form, atmosphere, and tone of a seventeenth-century chapbook, in which the most uncanny events are presented as literally true, but the twentieth-century reader will have their own perspective on the short and tragic life of Doll Bilby, "who took a fiend to love."

this is a masterful story, well written. the style is superior to much modern fiction of today. it 'feels' like a biography. i am interested in the sociology of the salem witch trials & have read much of the fiction & nonfiction regarding that period, and this novel is one of the best things i have read.

This book is written in the manner of speaking of that era. This makes it difficult to read.

............I have never been so captivated by the early history of the events occurring in New England prior to the formation of the United States and the writing of our Constitution. "The Salem Witch Trials Reader" is really a lesson not only about the Witch Trials, but about an entire period in the history the American colonies, as well as an analysis of human psychology and a glimpse into a world lacking basic human rights where one is guilty until proven innocent. Frances Hill provides us with a wealth of sources as well as analyses of the Witch Trials and the events surrounding them that are written by a number of authors. We meet all the major characters, analyze the social and political situation of Salem Village in the 1690s, delve into the psychology behind the accusations and subsequent convictions. This book, for me, was a true awakening regarding the experience of the settlers in this part of Colonial America. I had never fully comprehended the impact of the US Constitution on establishing and protecting human rights until I read this book. Additionally, I feel I learned something about the Puritans claim to be so god-fearing and religious, when in fact it was likely that their actions were just as motivated by the same temptations that any other human being experiences. Finally, this book was a glimpse into the evil that some people succumb to. You will not believe the punishment, for example, that was sometimes inflicted on even the children of accused witches.

This book is a must for anyone interested in early American history, human rights, human psychology, or the early American legal system.

Finally, original texts! Those of us interested in the Salem Witch Trials must thank Ms. Hill for providing us with the opportunity, finally, to have access to many invaluable first-hand accounts of this most fascinating moment in history. Reading this extraordinary volume provides not only a political, religious, and historical context for the trials, but fills one with a real sense of the emotional response experienced by both victims and accusers. In modernizing spelling, Ms. Hill has rendered these texts a bit more readily comprehensible, yet she has changed neither the actual text nor its meaning. For students and enthusiasts of this subject alike, this is an absolute necessity!

Suppose someone published a Shakespeare selection, that included pretty set pieces from the plays ("Queen Mab! What's she?" from _Romeo and Juliet_, "I know a bank whereon the wild thyme grows" from _Midsummer Night's Dream_), bits of _The Rape of Lucrece_ and _Venus and Adonis_, every last one of the "Sonnetf to Sundrie Notef of Mufic_, and a few songs: "It was a lover and his lass," and the like. But anything that hinted at a darker worldview or Shakespeare's wider range was ruthlessly excluded.

And suppose further that this anthology claimed that it represented Shakespeare's best work, showing his range and the things that make that writer great. So that anyone who knew Shakespeare through that anthology would think that he was good for the odd flower poem and a bit of "Hey nonny nonny" but not much else besides.

Isobel Quigly's _Shelley: A Selection_ is the Shelleyan equivalent of that Shakespeare anthology. Thus, Shelley's epic philosophical drama _Prometheus Unbound_, both a meditation about the relationship between thought and language and a metaphor for political renewal based on moral growth (among other things), is represented by a couple of incidental lyrics; all complexity and depth are left on Quigly's cutting room floor. _Julian and Maddalo_, with its urbanity, its bitter wit, crisp dialogue and vivid characterisation, is represented by one short purple passage (admittedly a splendid one) describing sunset over the Euganean hills.

The satirical Shelley is not represented at all: the contemptuous handling of contemporary political figures in the energetically grotesque _Oedipus Tyrannus_ is missing in action, as is the more nuanced satire of _Peter Bell the Third_. Oh, and the real Shelley may have been passionately engaged in the real world, protesting poverty, war and oppression in general and by specifics, in hard detail and in words of fire: but you won't find a hint of that in Quigly's selection. Many of Shelley's finest poems are simply omitted. _The Mask of Anarchy_ , _Song to the Men of England_, _Similes for Two Political Characters_, _Feelings of a Republican on Hearing the Death of Napoleon_, for example, and much else besides: Quigly won't trouble you with a word of it.

What she gives instead is every "pretty" poem Shelley ever wrote. That includes great lyrics like the _Ode to the West Wind_ and _To a Skylark_ and others, but also all the poems Shelley dashed off as gifts to women friends, often for them to use as song lyrics, and often written to fit existing tunes. These became enormously popular anthology pieces in the Victorian period, though Shelley himself showed little interest in them and never bothered to publish them.

It's not that these are bad poems. All are good of their kind, and many conceal a hard metaphysical kernel under a candied surface: _When the lamp is shattered_, and _Music when soft voices die_, for example. Shelley was in a sense more of a metaphysical than a romantic poet, and in another sense more of a metaphysical poet than the metaphysicals themselves, since he was often concerned with genuine metaphysical questions in his poetry: thought and language, epistemology, and so on.

But [...] Shelley is a minor and one-dimensional poet on the basis of this selection. But it's the selection at fault, not the poet.

Quigly also, irritatingly, strips poems of their contexts. She gives _Alastor_ and (surprisingly in view of its Dantean difficulties) _Epipsychidion_ complete, but rips away the prefaces that Shelley used, in each case, as part of his framing and distancing effect: they are important to the way in which the poem is to be presented, and to be approached.

She also follows the Victorians in getting various telling details wrong. Thus _The Indian Girl's Serenade_ is printed as _The Indian Serenade_; the change allowed the Victorians to treat the poem as a personal lyric rather than a performance piece, and to marvel over Shelley's exquisite but rather weak sensibility: "O lift me from the grass! I die, I faint, I fall!"

The name change conceals the fact that this poem was written for soprano performance (to a tune from Mozart's _La Clemenza di Tito_). Its charm is that it allows the performer opportunities to both use feminine wiles and at the same time mock them. The "faint" at the end of the song is best performed, by the singer, with one eye open to judge the effect. But Quigly knows nothing of this, referring to Shelley's "wholly personal love poems" in her wholly clueless introduction.

Quigly's introduction clearly places her as a late surviving Victorian, who has read a little Leavis and Elliot but nothing of the critical work done on Shelley up to this anthology's first publication date, which is 1956. Nothing has changed in this recent re-publication, despite the rich and fascinating work in Shelley criticism and Shelley studies in the years since Leavis. But Quigly wouldn't be the person to guide you through that material anyway.

I recommend the Norton Selection of Shelley's poetry and prose instead, with a much better and wider selection, and intelligent introduction and notes. And it's quite reasonable to want the romantic (in the Valentine's Day sense) Shelley, though that is only one side of a multi-faceted poet of astounding technical skill, sophistication and range: but for that side of Shelley I'd recommend Richard Hughes' _Shelley on Love_. Either selection is far better than this vapid and misleading collection of prettiana.

Cheers!

Laon
PS Also avoid Penguin's Poet to Poet series' Shelley entry. 20th century poetaster Kathryn Raine's Shelley selection is if anything slighter than Quigly's.

Shelly was a master at combining images and creating a world that was uniquley his own. The problem is, that world seemed to consist mainly of foggy sea shores at sunrise and forest cathedrals. While there is nothing wrong with visiting such a world, there is very little reason to stay there.

Shelly's lyrics are uneven, sometimes resorting to rhymes that make me cringe. His strength is iambic prose. Even this suffers from what appears to be a limited vocabulary which para doxically inclused eccentric spellings like "aery".

Having said all that, I must admit that I am in sypmpathy with Shelly. He dwells in a solitary world of fairy beauty that is the spiritual home of every soul in search of Truth. This goes a long way toward forgiving his somewhat middle ground talent.

"Queen Mab" and "Alastor" are the best peoms in this collection. Most of the other seem to be either comments or footnotes to these. They encompass Shelly's strange universe beautifully.

"Alastor" is the strongest in terms of imagery reflecting isolation and the hard choice to foresake worldy pleasure to find a higher truth. All sorts of moonlit coves lie just past the crashing waves of the main stream. One only wishes that Shelly could see the beauty he was leaving was a part of what he sought.

I recomment this edition, and the critical essay at its beginning, as a starting point for study of Shelly and his work.

And my favorite edition of Shelley's poems. Shelley might be less accessible than Keats, Byron, and Wordsworth, and even Auden said he liked something in all English poetry except Shelley's. It's true-- one can have too much Shelley. He seemed to write first and breathe second. He was concerned with everything-- politics, philosophy, morality-- and he wasn't shy about knocking out a few thousand verses to explain his concerns. So I would not want a complete edition. Some collections, however, omit too much, or include what we would rather skip. Not so in the Everyman's Pocket Poets series. This has many-- perhaps all-- of the greater short lyrics, a generous serving of the philosophical poems, and just a touch of "Prometheus Unbound" and other lengthy works. Shelley seemed to be at his best when he was struck by a single moment of inspiration, such as in "To The Moon," which he left incomplete (or was it "The Waning Moon"?). Of course, there is a perfection in his carefully-wrought masterpieces "To A Skylark," "Ode To The West Wind," and "The Cloud." His rhythms are subtle yet brash, and the tunefulness of his language rivals Milton's-- more lush than the other Romantics, I think, but rarely clogged and noisy. This is "serious stuff," but also youthful and spirited. Shelley seemed to devour everything that came his way, with an idealist's vision but a realist's sense. And he experimented with meter without abandoning the natural cadence of English. I love this book also because it omits any wordy introduction or worthless footnotes. I read the poetry here, by itself, and turn to other books to fill in the details. For this book is life, where critical apparati seem less important.

Este no es uno de los mejores libros de Stephen King pero igualmente es muy bueno. Es una historia de vampiros narrada desde otra perspectiva, en un pequeño pueblo que puede desaparecer de la noche a la mañana. Te mantiene todo el tiempo en suspenso.

El libro es sumamente bueno, aunque nunca nos llegamos a enterar que tiene que ver Hubbert Marsten, ya que en una parte dice que es el amo de Barlow pero luego dice que era un amigo y que nunca llego a conocerlo personalmente. Pero a parte de esto es sumamente bueno y te mantiene al borde del asiento (por decirlo de esa manera).

En Salem's Lot pasa algo, y desde hace mucho tiempo, según nos dice el libro...
Una gran historia sobre los vampiros, sobre cómo un pueblo puede quedar completamente desierto en unos días... sobre cómo un hombre y un niño deben enfrentarse al peor mal que los hoimbres se pueden imaginar...

The book is not well organise, and cotains a lot of mistakes. For example, in Chapter 5, the author starts with membrane plate element, switch to 3D solid mechanics, come back to plate bending element again, and finally go on to talk about free vibration problem in rod! Trying to figure out the motivation of each chapter is a pain in the neck.

This book by Dr. S.S. Rao has many COMPLETE programs, a significant departure from all those books which tell you the easy part of the program and leave the rest as an "exercise for the reader". The references provided at the end of each chapter are alone worth the price of this book.

Salem Kirban's only attempts at fiction, "666" and "1000" are not as finely polished as the "Left Behind" novels, but still very readable.

"1000" covers the period =after= the "Left Behind" series - and features George and his wife Helen (who is one of the ones taken in the Rapture). This book is one person's vision of the Millennium period after the Second Coming of Christ.

The parallels between these books and the "Left Behind" novels are very striking. The story starts on a airplane. The husband is "left behind" and the wife and children raptured. George is quickly catapulted into direct confrontation with the Anti-Christ and his minions.

But that's not all - if you can find one of the combination books you'll even be able to read about the millennium period and what might happen during that time. Kirban's position as a born-again Arab really shine through in places. Kirban is not a novelist, though ... There are many places where an editor might have caught the fact that Kirban switches between first person and third person perspective without warning. There are other editorial mistakes, but not enough to make me want to put this book down until I had read it through.

But I won't ruin the whole novel here - just recommend that if you like the "Left Behind" books that this is a "must read"!

As a direct descendent of one of those defendants executed during the Salem witch trials, this reviewer took a special interest in SALEM'S GHOSTS. Even if it is just fiction, the attraction is natural when the plot description talks about those persecuted spirits protecting their posthumous families in contemporary times. If only this novel kept its promise.

Two populations overlap in the general area of Salem, Massachusetts. One belongs to the living and the other the dead. Ghosts of its past inhabitants who have died unfairly are given another chance to exist again, particularly those who were executed during the Salem witch trials. Philip and Mary English, two of the hundreds accused, preside over the ghostly court that wanders around Salem Village and Salem Town. It is Philip who wields the power to release the dead of the locale from their graves. Unfortunately, George Corwin, arresting officer during those macabre 17th century trials, is on the loose during the rites of All Hallow's Eve.

Trying to make sense of this plot is a reader's greatest challenge. The setup of how this ghost community works isn't at all clear. During the story's opening, Mary has to sacrifice a contemporary life to fully release Bridget Bishop from her grave. It gives these undead creatures an intriguing streak of amorality, similar to how Anne Rice's vampires need to drink blood from living beings to survive. Towards the end Mary makes a meek excuse and regrets the incident. It is the only time in this story she acts on her own initiative.

What these ghosts can and cannot do is never really defined. At one point, Mary's spirit separates from her ghostly body. Isn't a ghost a spirit that leaves its earthly body? What is a "ghostly" body? This novel really needs to explain the strengths and weaknesses of its interpretation of ghosts. Many readers are willing to suspend their disbelief for the sake of a gothic mystery, but they need be aware of the ground rules.

The characters have no depth or development. There is a complete lack of sensitivity to the rape of two young women. This is an act of violence that would traumatize a woman of any age. One would think the violent death of a teenager would be enough in itself to turn her into a ghost. Both victims are unrealistically lucid immediately after major trauma. The mother who loses her only child takes it remarkably rational as well.

There is little comparison between the 1690s to the 1990s. It also has a glaring oversight. Wanting to disassociate the city from its dark history of the witch trial, the citizens of Salem Village changed its name to Danvers. The bulk of this story takes place in contemporary Massachusetts and the name Danvers never comes up. Using the old names, Salem Village and Salem Town, during a flashback sequence is certainly appropriate, but it poorly reflects modern times.

Author Rose Earhart's narrative style needs more polish. There is little--if any--distinction in character viewpoint. The overabundance of dialogue attributives is crudely handled and in some places incorrect. The numerous typos and editorial mistakes that flood the text make it almost unreadable.

The concept of SALEM'S GHOSTS definitely had potential. There are plenty of people who are fascinated by the Salem witch trials and would enjoy another fictional interpretation. It's just disappointing that the focus of Mary English "protecting her young" shifted midstream in the novel's plotline to an unforeshadowed villain whose abrupt appearance changes where the story goes.

Salem's Ghosts was magical! This book is no "hokey" Witch book - it was full of facts and I could place myself in all the landmarks as I was reading it. Very educational and a wonderful read - I highly recommend it for those of us who are more than just fond of Salem and it's history.

I found Salem's Ghosts to be a wonderfully well crafted and spell binding book. As a teacher of English Literature, I was very impressed by the character and plot development that Ms. Earhart accomplished so brilliantly. Being an avid reader of ghost stories and a student of Salem history, especially during the witch trials, I found the book chilling yet true to the history at the same time. I highly recommend Salem's Ghosts.