Born in 1970 in Bedford, England, Stroud began to write stories at a very young age. He grew up in St Albans where he enjoyed reading books, drawing pictures, and writing stories. Between the ages seven and nine he was often ill, so he spent most of his days in the hospital or in his bed at home. To escape boredom, he would occupy himself with books and stories. After he completed his studies of English literature at the University of York, he worked in London as an editor for the Walker Books store. During the 1990s, he started publishing his own works and quickly gained success.

In May 1999, Stroud published his first children's novel, Buried Fire, which was the first of a line of fantasy/mythology children's books.

Among his most prominent works are the best-selling Bartimaeus Trilogy. A special feature of these novels compared to others of their genre is that Stroud examines the stereotypes and ethics of the magician class and the enslaved demons. This is done by telling the story from the perspective of the sarcastic and slightly egomaniacal djinni Bartimaeus. The books in this series are The Amulet of Samarkand, The Golem's Eye, and Ptolemy's Gate, his first books to be published in the United States.

Stroud lives in St Albans, Hertfordshire, with his two children, Isabelle and Arthur, and his wife Gina, an illustrator of children's books.

His latest title is Heroes of the Valley, released in paperback in April 2010. A fourth book from the Bartimaeus series is due to be released in October 2010, and will feature the djinni Bartimaeus thousands of years earlier than in the previous books. The book will be titled Ring of Solomon. Bartimaeus Trilogy ..

• Justin Credible’s Word Play World (1994)
• The Viking Saga of Harri Bristlebeard (1997)
• The Hare and the Tortoise (1998)
• Walking through the Jungle (1998)
• The Little Red Car (1999)
• Alfie’s Big Adventure (1999)
• Buried Fire (1999)
• Little Spike and Long Tail (2000)
• Golidilocks and the Three Bears (2000)
• A Guide to the Glory of Imperial Rome (2000)
• The Leap (2001)
• The Last Siege (2003)
• The Lost Treasure of Captain Blood (2006)
• Life and Times in Ancient Rome (2008)
• Heroes of the Valley (2009)
• The Ghost of Shadow Vale (2009)

The Bartimaeus trilogy

• The Amulet of Samarkand (2003)
• The Golem's Eye (2004)
• Ptolemy's Gate (2005)
• The Ring of Solomon (2010)