This definitive biography unravels the intricate story of a misunderstood genius who became Britain's most famous author in his day, published with a brand new introduction on the 150th anniversary of Rudyard Kipling's birth.
Although Rudyard Kipling never fought, he was one of Britiain's foremost observers of and commentators on war. Through his writing on the harsh realities of life as a private and accounts of feats of courage and comradeship during the frontier wars in India, 19th century British campaigns in Sudan, the Boer Wars and the First World War, he became the poet of the common soldier. Although he wrote propaganda for the government in the Boer and First World Wars, Kipling was also acerbic in his criticism of military incompetence, deeply compassionate towards the victims of war and despairing of the senseless bloodshed that he witnessed. Through his writing, the voices of countless soldiers and the guns of many battles echo through the years and place Kipling firmly firmly among the leading practitioners of 19th and 20th century war literature.
Ground-breaking biography of the creator of fiction's best loved detective
"In this new biography, Andrew Lycett goes behind the fables to reveal the real Dylan Thomas. He returns to Thomas's roots in suburban Swansea and rural Carmarthenshire to illuminate the world of the 'Rimbaud of Cwmdonkin Drive'. With access to original material from archives and personal papers, he shows the development of the budding bard and brings important new insights to Thomas's youthful poetry."--Jacket
The world as seen through the eyes of the inventor of the world's greatest detective
Sportsman, womanizer, naval commander, world-traveler, spy, this suave Old Etonian creator of the Cold War's archetypal secret agent was infinitely more complicated and interesting than his major fictional character, Agent 007. Fleming's wide-ranging and exciting life inevitably provided the plausible backdrop for the Bond novels, and while his temperamental, sometimes violent nature got him into difficulties as a young man, the second World War was the making of him. Highly regarded in British naval intelligence for his international contacts, he master-minded numerous top secret operations, including Golden Eye, which is uncovered here for the first time.From the late 1930s on, he kept up an affair with Ann ONeill, the wife of a friend, but refused to marry her even after her husband was killed in the war. This passionate relationship continued for fifteen years, ending in marriage only after she became pregnant by Fleming a second time. Two months before the wedding -- to soothe his nerves -- Fleming sat down to write his first book, Casino Royale. So began the long line of Bond novels, which in this volume are given their fullest publishing history.
An exploration of all that encompasses the world of Sherlock Holmes - tracing the infamous character's own interests, personality and mythologised biography alongside that of his creator's.
The definitive biography of author Ian Fleming Ian Fleming's life was just as dramatic as that of his fictional creation, James Bond 007. Andrew Lycett's direct access to Fleming's family, friends and contemporaries has enabled him to reveal the truth behind the complicated facade of this enigmatic and remarkable man. Blending history, gossip and an extraordinary cast of characters, this is biography at its best - and the definitive examination of one of the twentieth century's most celebrated yet mysterious personalties.
