For sceptics angels may be no more than metaphors poetic devices to convey at least for those with a religious sensibility an active divine interest in creation But for others angels are absolutely real creatures manifestations of cosmic power with the capacity either to enlighten or annihilate those whose awestruck paths they cross Valery Rees offers the first comprehensive history of these beautiful enigmatic & sometimes dangerous beings whose existence & actions have been charted across the eons of time & civilization Whether exploring the fevered visions of Ezekiel & biblical cherubim; Persian genii; Arab djinn; Islamic archangels; the austere & haunting icons of Andrei Rublev; or Wim Wenders' Wings of Desire & the more benign idea of the watchful guardian angel the author shows that the ubiquity of these celestial messengers reveals something profound if not about God or the devil then about ourselves our perennial preoccupation with the transcendent