Stephen Coote has written a biography of Lord Byron, focusing on the man behind the myth. Byron was an enigma in his own lifetime. Since his death the public's view of him has swung between admiration and fascinated disapproval - from feted poet to ostracised libertine, from debauched exile to heroic freedom fighter and finally to cult figure. The author examines Byron's poetry, journals and letters aiming to shed light on his innermost thoughts and feelings. He concludes with an assessment of the Byronic cult and Byron's continuing importance as a poet and idealist. Stephen Coote has also written History of Medieval Literature.