George Gordon, Lord Byron

An introduction to the life and work of Lord Byron. Martin Garrett examines his poetry in the context of his short, eventful life. His work was sensational from the start - and the public association of the author directly with the hero of poems such as "Don Juan" and "Childe Harold" helped to make them the bestsellers of their day. However, Byron's position as the toast of society was eclipsed by public disgrace, not helped by the scandal of the breakdown of his marriage, the birth of a daughter to his half-sister Augusta, and Lady Caroline Lamb who spread rumours of his "unnatural practices". Martin Garrett relates how Byron spent the last ten years of his life travelling in Europe, and when he died aged 36 in 1824, his memoirs were burnt by friends who wished to protect his reputation from more scandal.