“The history of Satan, prince of the demonic world, is the story of one of the weirdest of man’s illusions,” writes McCabe. In this text, McCabe treats the devil essentially as a creature of folklore, originating in prehistoric times. He demonstrates how the influence of belief in the devil has dwindled dramatically with the spread of scientific investigation and rationality.

This pamphlet, which comes from the Little Blue Book series published by E. Haldeman Julius, is a typical example of McCabe’s incisive examination of history and his caustic wit.