This is a book for anyone with an interest in the British Romantics. It combines humor with a straightforward rendition of the facts surrounding their lives and works. For instance, did Wordsworth really have an affair with his sister? Was Keats really gay? Is it true that Byron died fighting for Greek freedom? Were they all drug-addicted geniuses? Through the learning of a world-class scholar, this book retraces the obscure path to the truth.

Along the way, there are bizarre discoveries and eccentric factoids. The book opens with a picture of Byron wearing the helmet he designed himself, based on his reading of Homer. It also includes a photograph of Shelley’s jawbone, taken in the Keats-Shelley House in Rome; a portrait of Byron’s dog Lyon, indirectly responsible for his Lordship’s premature death; and Guido Reni’s painting of St Sebastian, which Oscar Wilde took to be a portrait of Keats.

Duncan Wu writes in a style that is accessible, friendly, and up-to-date with the latest scholarly findings.

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