The Political History of the Devil

"The History of the Devil" redirects here. For the 1996 book, see A History of the Devil.

The Political History of the Devil is a 1726 book by Daniel Defoe.^[1]

General scholarly opinion is that Defoe really did think of the Devil as a participant in world history. He spends some time discussing John Milton's Paradise Lost and explaining why he considers it inaccurate.

His view is that of an 18th-century Presbyterian – he blames the Devil for the Crusades and sees him as close to Europe's Catholic powers. This expresses Defoe's anti-Catholicism. The book was banned by the Roman Catholic Church.^[2]

Trivia

The book is listed as one belonging to Mr. Tulliver and read by his daughter Maggie in George Eliot's The Mill on the Floss.^[3]

See also

• De Betoverde Weereld