The Devil: A Biography

“Stanford’s haul of devilish appearances is pleasurably presented yet edged with dark.” Francis Spufford: the Guardian

“Timely and industrious…Stanford comes up with interesting and, to me, surprising answers.” Paul Johnson: Sunday Telegraph

“By the end of Stanford’s book, which is both fascinating and fair-minded, you notice a closer than family resemblance between God and the Devil’ Andrew Billen: Literary Review

‘Admirably detached and sceptical’ Allan Massie: Daily Telegraph

Tracing the development of the figure of the Devil, as the face of evil, across religions and down the ages up to the current day. Is there a universal need for a spirit of evil to explain away humanity's failings, or is Satan abroad in the world as exorcists and fundamentalists claim? The book was the basis for a BBC TV series, featuring the author, broadcast in March 1998. 

Published in London by Heinemann in March 1996 and in New York in July 1996 by Henry Holt. Separate Italian (Piemme), German (Insel Verlag), Greek (Apxetyno), Brazilian (Gryphus) and Japanese editions. ISBN: UK hardback 0-434-00042-6; UK paperback 0-7493-1726-4; UK TV tie-in paperback 0-7493-2506-2; UK paperback re-issue (2003) 0-099-46556-6; US hardback 0-8050-3082-4; US audio book (Audio Renaissance) 1-55927-416-6. A Kindle edition is available (ASIN B004FV4XPS).