First published in 1926, The History of Witchcraft and Demonology by Montague Summers is a wide-ranging study of European witchcraft, demonology and supernatural belief. Drawing upon theology, historical accounts, witch-trial records and literary sources, Summers traces the ideas surrounding witches and demons across centuries of European history.

Summers approaches the subject from an unusual position. Rather than treating witchcraft and demonic activity solely as matters of folklore, religious anxiety or historical persecution, he accepted the reality of supernatural evil. This conviction shapes the book throughout and distinguishes it from most modern historical studies of witchcraft. His work is therefore valuable not only for the material he assembled, but also as a record of a distinctive strand of early twentieth-century writing on demonology.

Across six substantial chapters, Summers considers the witch as heretic, demons and familiars, the witches' sabbath, witchcraft in scripture, demonic possession and spiritism, and the representation of witches in dramatic literature. His discussion ranges freely through religious doctrine, historical cases, accounts of supernatural phenomena and literary sources, bringing together material from different periods and traditions.

The original edition formed part of the History of Civilization series and comprised 353 numbered pages, together with eight plates. Project Gutenberg Summers's interpretations differ considerably from modern historical scholarship, but the book remains an important example of twentieth-century demonological writing and a substantial collection of earlier traditions and sources concerning witchcraft.

Nearly a century after its publication, The History of Witchcraft and Demonology remains of particular interest to readers studying witchcraft, demonology, folklore, religious history and occult literature. It also provides an illuminating introduction to Summers himself, whose unusual combination of literary scholarship and belief in the supernatural made him a distinctive figure in twentieth-century writing on the occult.