Malleus Maleficarum Folio Society 1968 First Edition Montague Summers Witchcraft Book
 
By Jacobus (Jacob) Sprenger & Heinrich Kramer
Translated by Montague Summers, edited with an introduction by Pennethorpe Hughes
Binding design by Fiona Campbell; title border by B. S. Biro
Illustrated with woodcuts first published in Milan, 1626, in Compendium Maleficarum by Franciscus Maria Guaccius
Set in Monotype Plantin, printed by Richard Clay (The Chaucer Press), Ltd, Bungay
Bound by W. & J. Mackay & Co. Ltd, Chatham
Published by The Folio Society, London, 1968 — the first Folio Society edition
Includes original marbled slipcase
 
Contents
 
Editor’s Introduction
Part I: The Devil, a Witch, and Divine Permission
Part II: Methods of Witchcraft and Means of Annulment
Part III: Judicial Proceedings in Ecclesiastical and Civil Courts
Includes full complement of historical woodcut illustrations
 
Historical Context
 
First published in 1486–1487, Malleus Maleficarum (The Hammer of Witches) remains one of the most infamous works of late medieval Europe. Written by Dominican inquisitors Heinrich Kramer and Jacob Sprenger, it served as a manual for identifying, prosecuting, and punishing those accused of witchcraft.
Although never officially sanctioned by the Church, the Malleus spread widely across Europe, shaping witch trials and social attitudes for centuries.

This 1968 Folio Society first edition reproduces Montague Summers’ authoritative translation, accompanied by Pennethorne Hughes’ scholarly introduction and rich illustrations adapted from early 17th-century engravings. A fine example of early Folio Society craftsmanship, combining intellectual and historical significance with elegant design.
 
Physical Description
 
Binding: Black cloth boards with iridescent red and silver decorations; silver lettering to spine.
Slipcase: Marbled grey and black heavy card.
Endpapers: Light grey.
Top edge: Grey.
Dimensions: 26 × 16.5 × 2.5 cm (in slipcase).
Weight: Approx. 668 g (with slipcase).
 
Condition
 
Exterior: Slipcase intact but rubbed, with small rips at top and bottom of front opening and light edge wear. Binding robust and square. Spine lightly faded, otherwise bright and striking.
 
Interior: Very good condition. Pages clean, bright, and neatly bound. No pen, pencil, or markings. No rips or stains. All 221 pages secure.