<p><strong><em>La Sorci&egrave;re</em>, Jules Michelet&rsquo;s celebrated history of witches and witchcraft from the Middle Ages to the 18^th century, is presented here in English.</strong></p><p>Originally published by Jules Michelet under the title &lsquo;Satanism and Witchcraft&rsquo;, this text seeks to explain the origins and practices of witchcraft, and how the intermittent crises regarding witches would emerge in Europe over the centuries. Demonstrating how witchcraft grew from a mixture of pagan beliefs and strands of Biblical lore, Michelet creates a compelling narration, casting the practices as a response to Christianity which was near-ubiquitous in pre- and post-Renaissance Europe.</p><p>Although Michelet&rsquo;s reputation as a historian of the French nation and the Revolutionary period renders this one of his lesser-known books, his study remains valuable for its thorough, readable nature. Well-sourced owing to the author&rsquo;s voracity and resources, La Sorci&egrave;re does not flinch from accounting the unusual traditions and ceremonies of witchery. He also examines and discusses earlier texts, such as the &lsquo;Hammer for Witches&rsquo;, in a cogent and compelling manner.</p><p>In all, we find in this work a comprehensive look at the witchcraft tradition, through the eyes of a historian whose fascination for Europe&rsquo;s social development is clear. Lionel J. Trotter, a well-regarded translator in the 19^th century, does the original text the fullest justice.</p>