I'm reading In the Devil's Snare: The Salem Witchcraft Crisis of 1692
after having discovered that an ancestor of mine, Capt. John Floyd, was accused of being a witch during the Salem witch trials.It's not often that I actually find an ancestor discussed in a historical work, let alone one published by a major publisher. It does help that the witch trials are one of the most written about events in American history. Norton actually discusses Floyd's military career and how it potentially relates to the charges of witchcraft brought against him. Norton includes citations to several references in her discussion of Floyd.
Sometimes those additional references are the best thing about finding an ancestor mentioned in a published work. I discovered that Floyd was mentioned in several printed references by searching for him on Google Books. This search was conducted before I even discovered he was involved in the trials.
Norton's historical background will enhance my own research during this time period.
And she even discusses the importance of putting things in a chronology--something genealogists should be doing regularly anyway.