A very quick read to fill the few minutes before I head to bed. In the Ladybird Expert series, the renowned publisher of books for young children have maintained their signature format, but commissioned experts in their field to produce works for an adult audience. In this case, my favourite popular historian, Suzannah Lipscomb, has produced a whistle-stop tour of the European 'witch panic', examining in a concise yet informative way the causes, effects, attitudes and statistics of both accused and accusers.

Clearly, in a book that is only 56 pages long there is no room for detailed analysis, and yet there is sufficient information included for the reader to be able to infer a lot more than just the information set out in black and white. There is plenty of guidance on where further detail can be sought if you want in-depth consideration, but as a jumping on point this is incredibly insightful.

It's set out in a clear and logical progression of thought so, while not completely in chronological order, it remains easy to follow the author's thoughts processes and the development of witch trials. It also strikes a really good balance between providing an overview of events with highlighting specific trials, so it's very easy to personalise the stories and empathise with both the victims and the accusers, who clearly didn't have the same knowledge we do.

The illustrations are really striking and add a whole other layer to the work. They're both beautiful and grotesque all at once, and do a great job at highlighting elements of the text and giving the reader just a taste of the terrifying ordeals and executions faced by those on their way to the scaffold.

A dinky book with a great impact!