This book chronicles the author's experience as a doctoral student at Worcester College, Oxford, between 1960 and 1963. Alan MacFarlane details his academic life while pursuing a study of witchcraft prosecutions in seventeenth-century England, guided by supervisor Keith Thomas. The account draws upon a rich collection of contemporary letters, personal notes, essays, and photographs to reconstruct this period of his life and research.

The book offers a personal glimpse into academic life and historical research during the early 1960s. Its focus on the author's doctoral work on witchcraft prosecutions, supported by primary source materials, suggests a detailed and scholarly approach. The inclusion of personal elements like letters and photographs indicates a narrative that bridges academic rigor with personal experience. This work likely appeals to those interested in the history of witchcraft, academic memoirs, and the social history of university life.