Publisher's Synopsis
Lord Byron was the most celebrated of all the Romantic poets. Troubled, handsome, sexually fluid, disabled, and transgressive, he wrote his way to international fame – and scandal – before finding a kind of redemption in the Greek Revolution.
He also left behind the vast trove of thrilling letters (to friends, relatives, lovers, and more) that form the core of this remarkable biography.
Published to coincide with the 200th anniversary of Byron's death, and adopting a fresh approach, it explores his life and work through some of his best, most resonant correspondence. Each chapter opens with Byron's own voice – as if we have opened a letter from the poet himself – followed by a vivid account of the emotions and experiences that missive touches.
This gripping life traces the meteoric trajectory of a poet whose brilliance shook the world and whose legacy continues to shape art and culture to this day.
'Framed around ten of Byron's most intriguing letters, Stauffer's lively narrative never loses sight of the poetry, reminding the reader of Byron's prodigious output even amidst the chaos of his domestic life. With many insightful observations on Byron's conduct, Stauffer does not hesitate to criticise when criticism is justified but prefers to see in Byron not so much contradiction or hypocrisy but rather a synthesis of the light and dark sides of his nature, of the serious and the comic, of the ironic and the heartfelt. A delightful read.' Robert James Byron - 13th Baron Byron
'This scintillating study...vividly brings the poet to life...This stands out in the crowded field of Byron biographies.' Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
'Andrew Stauffer offers a fresh and intimate take on a prolific and notoriously ungovernable subject, through a handful of letters judiciously selected from over three thousand. Building on the poet's own voice, Stauffer beautifully evokes his world from Regency high society to the sordid whirl of Venice and political turmoil in Greece. Compelling, charming, and pleasingly scandal-packed - this is Byron, brilliantly distilled.' Emily Brand, Author of The Fall of the House of Byron
