Of the great romantic figures of the nineteenth century, certainly the most romantic--the most "Bryonic"--was Byron himself. It is his clear-sightedness, his candour, his steely strength of will, the immediacy of his writing, his insolence and cynicism, his love of liberty, his hatred of hypocrisy, his originality, his rational enlightened toughness which attached Byron to the present age as much as to his own. Great poet, notorious lover, fighter for freedom, this extraordinarily handsome and compelling man has continued to hold the attention and hearts of many thousands of people since the tragic end of his short life. Leslie A. Marchand's profound knowledge of his subject is unrivalled. In preparing himself for this huge task he followed Byron's trails across Europe; read and digested all of Byron's surviving letters, journals, and recorded conversations; acquainted himself with what had been written of Byron earlier, both in general books and in special monographic studies; and consulted other Byron authorities everywhere.