The W.T. Stead Resource Site (WTSRS) is a not-for-profit online reference work on the controversial newspaper editor, publisher, pacifist and spiritualist, William Thomas Stead.
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Launched in 2001, the WTSRS had its first incarnation as part of The Northern Echo's CommuniGate website, but because of technical and editorial limitations, it was later moved to its current web location. The domain name attackingthedevil.co.uk is inspired by Stead’s quotation, "What a glorious opportunity of attacking the devil."[1]
Much of the material on the WTSRS comes from original primary sources that include key newspaper texts, such as The Maiden Tribute of Modern Babylon and the "Truth about the Navy". Facsimiles and a number of important contemporary texts written by or about Stead are also available to users.
The WTSRS is categorised into logical sections, each focusing on different aspects of Stead’s life and career. There is also a short biography entitled "The Great Educator" and a gallery of public domain images. From 2009, the site launched its own blog to allow users to discuss Stead and/or the issues in which he became embroiled.
Academic works that cite the WTSRS include:
Other media which have utilised the WTSRS include the BBC Radio drama, The Maiden Tribute and Mal Pope’s theatrical musical on the Welsh Revivalist, Evan Roberts, Amazing Grace. Most recently, the WTSRS contributed to the Salvation Army's documentary, Our People: The Story of William and Catherine Booth. It has been described as "a treasure trove of contemporary documentation."[2]