The Devil: A Biography [Hardcover]

Peter Stanford (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1996

Drawing on literature, the arts, folklore, psychology, world history, and church history, the author explores why humans have needed the Devil to explain evil and human suffering and why modern Americans are once again turning to the explanation of a Devil. 20,000 first printing.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

"Though this biography is definitely unauthorized," Peter Stanford writes in his preface, "and the subject has not cooperated -- as far as I am aware -- I did at least manage to track down not one but three exorcists." We're used to seeing entertaining biographies of the famous, but here's something new: a very readable biography of the most infamous of all, the Devil himself. Peter Stanford presents a great amount of historical and scholarly material, yet manages to do so in a witty and highly intelligent style that keeps the reader turning the pages. From early Mesopotamia through the long history of Christianity, from medieval witch hunts to today's heavy metal rockers and Satanic cults, Stanford manages to, as he puts it, present a "very personal exploration of the highs and lows of the Devil's influence."

From Publishers Weekly

Now that Jack Miles has written God's biography (God: A Biography, 1995), Peter Stanford must give the Devil his due and tell the life story of Old Scratch. The personification of evil in a figure who co-exists with the goodness of God entered Western religious thinking through the demonology of Zoroastrianism. Thus, late Judaism and early Christianity divided up the world into good powers and evil powers. As Stanford narrates the story, the living character of an Evil One persisted through Puritan America but began to lose its grip amid the cultural and scientific optimism of the 19th century. Yet, he argues, since evil has persisted in our century, as evidenced by the Holocaust and other horrors, perhaps we shouldn't do away with the idea of Satan just yet. In spite of the fact that contemporary culture seems to have the left behind a personified figure who wreaks havoc and evil in the world, Stanford points to a number of cultural currents like film and Satanic cults to show that Satan is alive and well in our society, even if the contours of his figure are visible only in the shadows, which, as Stanford argues, may be just the way Satan wants it. Stanford offers a workmanlike treatment of ideas and themes that have already been explored in fuller and more interesting ways by Gerald Messadie (The History of the Devil, 1996) and Andrew Delbanco (The Death of Satan, 1995).
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 315 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holt & Co (October 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805030824
• ISBN-13: 978-0805030822
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 6.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #711,510 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wow, a non sensational book about the devil..., April 8, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Devil: A Biography (Hardcover)

I was really impressed, especially after reading the review of the other amazon customer...

This book is no novel, but it is a fairly comprehensive history of how people see the devil, whether some kind of gargoyle looking monster or the con man or even a metaphor for the evils of mankind.

Stanford does a good job of showing one thing above all others - that people will see the devil they want, and the devil won't dispute them.

For a biography, the book actually talks about the devil less than the circumstances where he was a power, and how people react(ed) to him. Less a biography than a reoccuring theme, it is still worth reading if you like history books.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Comprehensive Portrait of The Big Guy, May 10, 2010

By 

David Kirby - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Devil: A Biography (Hardcover)

This is a remarkable survey, one that is succinct, good-humored, and detailed. It recounts the entire life story of the Lord of Pain, from pre-Christian beginnings through today, with many a telling and relevant glance at other cultures and thought systems. What matters in the end is less belief in the Devil than his enduring appeal; as Stanford says, we may not believe in vampires, but we love movies and books about them. After reading this book, you'll understand a lot more about the devil, especially when you realize how deeply human he is.

4.0 out of 5 stars Pretty Good, November 10, 2004

By 

DJ_Bitter (Somewhere) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Devil: A Biography (Hardcover)

This was pretty good, for the most part. The only thing that makes this book slightly dull is that it is a touch repetitive in it's information. But what makes it interesting is that it draws a parallel between God and the Devil. Very interesting, save for that minor glitch.