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George Gordon, Lord Byron
Described by a contemporary as "mad, bad, and dangerous to know," Byron has been haunted by his infamous reputation for over 200 years. This readable and lively biography of the poet examines his chaotic life story, full of contradictions--an aristocrat with republican views, a proponent of
romantic love notorious for his casual relationships, a religious agnostic who admired Roman Catholicism. His work was sensational from the start; his first poetry collection was withdrawn from circulation because it contained explicit references to his romantic conquests. He traveled through Europe
on horseback, and on his return to London published a poem-- Childe Harold's Pilgrimage --based on his experiences abroad. The poem was a bestseller, which established Lord Byron's reputation as one of England's most talented poets and Romanticism's most recognizable symbol. Other successful poems
followed, such as Don Juan and Bride of Abydos . Byron's scandalous love affairs made him a celebrity, but also forced him to spend more and more time away from England. He lived in Italy and Greece and actively participated in the revolutionary movements in both countries. He died in Greece from
fever just as his soldiers were preparing to attack a Turkish position.
About the
The British Library is in a unique position when it comes to biographical research, especially concerning British authors. This revered institution boasts the world's largest collection of original manuscripts, as well as an outstanding collection of letters, personal diaries, first editions, and
other literary treasures. The titles in this series take full advantage of this vast source of documentary evidence by illustrating each of these lively writers' biographies with state-of-the-art facsimiles of pertinent documents and reproductions of art from the period. Penned by expert
biographers, each of these books also contains an index, further reading list, and a chronology of the writer's life.
romantic love notorious for his casual relationships, a religious agnostic who admired Roman Catholicism. His work was sensational from the start; his first poetry collection was withdrawn from circulation because it contained explicit references to his romantic conquests. He traveled through Europe
on horseback, and on his return to London published a poem-- Childe Harold's Pilgrimage --based on his experiences abroad. The poem was a bestseller, which established Lord Byron's reputation as one of England's most talented poets and Romanticism's most recognizable symbol. Other successful poems
followed, such as Don Juan and Bride of Abydos . Byron's scandalous love affairs made him a celebrity, but also forced him to spend more and more time away from England. He lived in Italy and Greece and actively participated in the revolutionary movements in both countries. He died in Greece from
fever just as his soldiers were preparing to attack a Turkish position.
About the
The British Library is in a unique position when it comes to biographical research, especially concerning British authors. This revered institution boasts the world's largest collection of original manuscripts, as well as an outstanding collection of letters, personal diaries, first editions, and
other literary treasures. The titles in this series take full advantage of this vast source of documentary evidence by illustrating each of these lively writers' biographies with state-of-the-art facsimiles of pertinent documents and reproductions of art from the period. Penned by expert
biographers, each of these books also contains an index, further reading list, and a chronology of the writer's life.
- GenresBiography
128 pages, Hardcover
First published April 15, 2000
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June 1, 2015A thorough account of Byron's life and works, yet not overbearingly detailed - just right! I'm not gonna lie - I liked that about half the book was pictures. But only because the artwork was so tasteful and relevant - in histories and biographies, all the various names can get shuffled up in one's head, so it's always nice to have a face to go with a name. Byron was a fascinating man, somewhat different than I'd pictured him, and this was a great way to learn about him!
Displaying 1 of 1 review