Rating: ![5 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-5-0.gif) Summary: Good informative book for beginners Review: "the complete book of devils and demons" is a very informative and interesting book. i recomend this book to all (beginer or intermediate) demonologists, it should definetly be in every demonologists library!
Rating: ![3 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-3-0.gif) Summary: Decent book, but not so complete Review: After picking up several books on related subjects, unfortunately this book ended up closer to the bottom of my reading pile. This book is loosely organized into many, many small chapters that seem to jump around quite a bit. Histories and anecdotes concerning demons are touched upon, but there seems to be an apologist's slant to everything. As if he is constantly reminding the reader that evil is bad instead of just giving us the history. Almost as though he is backing away from Hell, just in case it's all real and he's indicted by God for writing a book on the subject. I prefer a more objective approach to this sort of topic but all in all not terrible. (It's suprising to me how few good books are out there on demonology)
Rating: ![1 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-1-0.gif) Summary: Save your $$$ Review: First off let me state that this book should have been named "The anything BUT complete book of Devils and Demons". Actually it has very little to do with Devils, Demons or anything of the like, this is just another one of those books that handles this fascinating subject in the uptight biased wore out judeo/christian manner that i for one am quite tired of, the author if we dare to call him that obviously wrote this book for a fast buck, i havnt read any of his other books and since reading this one i have no intention on doing so. His style is enough to give A person of even the strongest constitution a vein bulging headache. Like the title says, do your self a favor and save your $$$ for something more accurate and fulfilling.
Rating: ![4 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-4-0.gif) Summary: Difficulties in Demonology Review: For many years I have studied many variations on Theology, including its evil brother Demonology. Finding a source with as much variety and coverage on the subject as this book has always been difficult. This book is the most in depth and well rounded I have found of its kind. My only complaint is its lack of organization. While it may all be in there, good luck finding it. However due to the detail and study that went into it this doen't dilute the power of this book, and I still give it 4 stars.
Rating: ![4 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-4-0.gif) Summary: Difficulties in Demonology Review: For many years I have studied many variations on Theology, including its evil brother Demonology. Finding a source with as much variety and coverage on the subject as this book has always been difficult. This book is the most in depth and well rounded I have found of its kind. My only complaint is its lack of organization. While it may all be in there, good luck finding it. However due to the detail and study that went into it this doen't dilute the power of this book, and I still give it 4 stars.
Rating: ![1 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-1-0.gif) Summary: An Utter Mess Review: From its misleading title--this volume is rather slender given its claim for being "complete"--to its lack of bibliographic notes and historical and factual unreliability, Ashley's tome is an utter mess. Poorly written and organized, with only a three-page index, this is a book that cannot be taken seriously. "Devils and Demons," in fact, seems like a haphazard collection of the author's notes on interesting trivia he happened to bounce on, without bothering to reexamine his sources or concern himself with the formalities of English grammar. For example, in his brief discussion of C.S. Lewis's "Screwtape Letters," Ashley describes Lewis's book as "a delightful collection of business communications between a minor devil called Screwtape and his boss," evidently forgetting that Screwtape was a "major" devil corresponding to his underling nephew, Wormwood, as anyone even slightly familiar with the literature of fictional demonology knows. Such sloppy errors that are sprinkled through Ashley's work brings the subject down to the level of tabloid journalism, and with the same level of reliability. The reader would best be served by searching for other, more scholarly books which are abundant in this peculiar area of study, such as the "Compendium Maleficarum" or Robbins' "Encyclopedia of Witchcraft and Demonology." But "The Complete Book of Devils and Demons" is a complete waste of dead trees.
Rating: ![1 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-1-0.gif) Summary: An Utter Mess Review: From its misleading title--this volume is rather slender given its claim for being "complete"--to its lack of bibliographic notes and historical and factual unreliability, Ashley's tome is an utter mess. Poorly written and organized, with only a three-page index, this is a book that cannot be taken seriously. "Devils and Demons," in fact, seems like a haphazard collection of the author's notes on interesting trivia he happened to bounce on, without bothering to reexamine his sources or concern himself with the formalities of English grammar. For example, in his brief discussion of C.S. Lewis's "Screwtape Letters," Ashley describes Lewis's book as "a delightful collection of business communications between a minor devil called Screwtape and his boss," evidently forgetting that Screwtape was a "major" devil corresponding to his underling nephew, Wormwood, as anyone even slightly familiar with the literature of fictional demonology knows. Such sloppy errors that are sprinkled through Ashley's work brings the subject down to the level of tabloid journalism, and with the same level of reliability. The reader would best be served by searching for other, more scholarly books which are abundant in this peculiar area of study, such as the "Compendium Maleficarum" or Robbins' "Encyclopedia of Witchcraft and Demonology." But "The Complete Book of Devils and Demons" is a complete waste of dead trees.
Rating: ![5 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-5-0.gif) Summary: More then just the usual essay on Devils and Demons. Review: I purchased this book for fiction writing research purposes. This book is perfect. Kudos to Mr. Ashley. He adds humor and insight to the subject, and I often chuckled outloud. This book not only covers demons and devils, but mythology, folklore, people who are influential in mystical folklore as well as Judeo-Christian religious influences. I highly recommend it.
Rating: ![2 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-2-0.gif) Summary: A Sophomoric treatment of an Interesting subject Review: Leonard Ashley's pathetic excuse of designing this book for the "sound bite" and "limited attention span" generation is an insult and affront to his readers.The book is nothing but a mish-mash and mosaic of information culled from the Internet that the author has so carelessly put together. For beginners and the uninitiated- this might briefly prove interesting- but in general- this book is a sleeping pill in disguise.
Rating: ![2 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-2-0.gif) Summary: A Sophomoric treatment of an Interesting subject Review: Leonard Ashley's pathetic excuse of designing this book for the "sound bite" and "limited attention span" generation is an insult and affront to his readers. The book is nothing but a mish-mash and mosaic of information culled from the Internet that the author has so carelessly put together. For beginners and the uninitiated- this might briefly prove interesting- but in general- this book is a sleeping pill in disguise.
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