num_pages: 400
description: In the twentieth century, no Anglo-American poet or critic has matched the influence of Thomas Stearns Eliot. Despite his political and religious conservatism, Eliot was among the most innovative of the literary modernists, a figure to be reckoned with by admirers and critics alike. In his Whitbread Prize-winning biography, Peter Ackroyd delves into the work and mind of a man who redefined the very terms of modern poetry.From his early days in America to his later life as a British citizen, Eliot fought successfully for his work and his privacy. But with careful research and splendid insight into the poet's character, Mr. Ackroyd has tracked Eliot to ground and brought this remarkable figure to light in an authoritative and fascinating study."The fullest and most plausible portrait yet achieved." (Frank Kermode, Oxford scholar and literary critic)
language: English
title: T.S. Eliot: A Life
titlecomplete: T.S. Eliot: A Life
genres: Biography, Poetry, British Literature, Nonfiction, Literature, Biography Memoir, History
ratings_count: 256
awards: awardedAt: 441792000000
name: Whitbread Award
category: Biography, awardedAt: 441792000000
name: W.H. Heinemann Award
publisher: Simon & Schuster