num_pages: 128
description: 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 ofromantic 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 His work was sensational from the start; his first poetry collection was withdrawn from circulation because it contained explicit references to his romantic conquests.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 Europeon 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 poemsfollowed, 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 fromfever 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, andother 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 expertbiographers, each of these books also contains an index, further reading list, and a chronology of the writer's life.
language: English
title: George Gordon, Lord Byron
titlecomplete: George Gordon, Lord Byron (British Library Writers' Lives Series)
characters: George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron
genres: Biography
ratings_count: 4
publisher: Oxford University Press