George Gordon (Lord Byron) should be at the top of every eighteen-year-old schoolboy's list. He certainly was mine. If any human being ever summed up better what it was to be a misfit, romantic, self-centered spirit, I would give money to that individual gladly, as well as an eternal endowment. Having come across "Childe Harold," as well as "Childe Harold Revisited," and the supremely Promethean, Miltonic, "Manfred," at that tender age, I felt myself the principal target of Byron's message. With a healthy dose of Ayn Rand and Aldous Huxley to back me up, all I needed was Manfred's craggy peaks to provide the dramatic backdrop for my Napoleonic, Nietzschean ruminations. Throw in a bit of Emerson, Thoreau, Whitman and Carlyle, and you have the perfect romantic in embryo, which I was at that age and which I believe is a healthy larval stage for any human spiritual entity at that stage, be it either male or female. Add a dash of Melville, any Bronte you choose and a touch of the Baghavad Gita, the Upanishads, the I-Ching, the book of Tao, and you have a convert to esoteric, at times misguidedly solipsistic, hippy philosophy. That was me.

So if you are seventeen or eighteen, don't overlook the romantics who are the necessary guides to our enlightenment at that impressionable age. I in no manner mean this disparigingly, as I now consider myself at least semi-enlightened, if only in the strictest, literary sense. Follow Keats, Shelley, Byron, Blake, Wordsworth, Goethe, Schiller, Carlyle, Melville, and Emerson to the ends of the earth. They shall take you there and beyond.

What a great book! It is intelligent, scholarly, obviously well-thought out, and interesting. I've always been a fan of Byron, and didn't realize how much his friendship with Shelley influenced his poetry. This book got me interested in Shelley's poetry, too, and he is now one of my favorites. I loved it.

Stephen Minta weaves a modern journey in the footsteps of Byron into an evocation of byron's romantic nature and in the process, creates a useful and idiosyncratic view of the poet. Much as he did in his previous book, "Aguirre", Minta quietly traces his subject's antique journey through the echoes of his own modern one. While not simply a travel book nor yet a biography of Byron, this history is an inventive and skillfull combination of the two, and a useful addition to the already strining bookshelves of admirers of the romantics.

This is many books in one and packed with information but easily digestible - a fascinating combination of Greek history, biography of Byron, and description of the author's own travels through Northern Greece, the Ionian Islands, and Albania. It's helpful in explaining the complexities of the Greek struggle for independence (or ethnic cleansing or civil war) when they spent half their time fighting each other and where neither side was blameless. Byron's character was almost equally complex and interesting. In addition you get for your money an excellent guide to parts of Greece and some insight into the complex and interesting character of Stephen Minto.

While contemporary British society is tautosemus with conservatism and the British state carries the tradition of an imperialist empire, many a British scholar shall honour his country by giving it its fair place as a lamplighter of humanity. Many an English scholar shall be a freethinker and a truth-seeker and a creator and admirer of true beauty. Such was Byron and such, it appears is Stephen Minta. Though not perfectly factually accurate as he might attempt and desire to be, Stephen Minta achieves with precision an intuition into the nature of Byron that most his predecessors have failed to see or altogether denied. Geniuses like Byron do not conform to the average human standard of behaviour, and are so often misinterpreted and misrepresented. Scholars have denied their understanding to Byron's fascination not with the dead classical Greece but with the surviving Greek spirit. It is notable that the current compilation of Byron's "complete" works does not include few final poems that he did write in Greece and that offer closure to the Giaour, Childe Harold and the Isles of Greece. And beyond his intellectual inheritance to Britain and the world, Byron, the lover of freedom and nations, has most amazingly affected the life of Greece and was finally politically successful even despite himself, even beyond his grave and century. The interpretation of Byron presented in this book by Stephen Minta is chasing away shadows of bogusness and don-quixotism that have been tainting Byron's portrayal. A true pleasure to read and a work for which the times are ripe.

You know the poetry. The kind the older generation uses for birthdays and farewell luncheons ("We hope that God will bless// You with good health and happiness!"). You hate it, the forced rhymes and imperfect metrical structure (indeed, what metrical structure?). My mother-in-law used to write like that - volumes and volumes of such tripe. Sadly, she has departed from us, but not before leaving tons of this stuff all over the house, and a half-finished vanity press run of 100 copies (anybody want one?).

Now I know where she got the impetus for such poetry - Lord Byron! All of that generation's worst excesses of bad poetry come from Byron, I think. Embarrassingly forced rhymes, self-conscious commentary that frustratingly impedes the flow of the narrative, arch cuteness that threatens one's sanity - all there!! And he couldn't even finish it off properly.

Truly, a work only an academic could love - or find any value in. If you are attracted to this book, protect yourself: Try reading it aloud and making a stop at the end of every line (sing-song-like) so you can at least get the sense of the rhymes. I found the Penguin edition serviceable (as Penguins usually are). And don't bother with the footnotes, just let it flow. Now stop being so hard on the older generation.

I'm writing this to specifically respond to the remarks made by another reviewer condemning Byron for forced rhymes, self-conscious commentary, and the lack of a good finish.

WARNING: This poem is intended to be funny! Byron delighted in using the jangly sounds of feminine rhymes in the most outlandish fashion possible, and his digressions are what truly make this poem enjoyable; that voice is the center of the poem, not Don Juan's actions. As for the lack of a finish, I think I'll excuse any poet who dies mid-composition while training troops in the war for Greek independence.

I'm sorry to say it, but if you're looking for this poem to be a serious narrative in the traditional epic manner, you're bound to miss the boat. This poem is *designed* to be hilarious, and as far as that is concerned, it succeeds.

This has to be the longest poem I've ever finished, and yet it still wasn't long enough. It's compulsively entertaining, touching, funny, exciting, and life-affirming. You don't have to be an academic to appreciate it. And even if you don't finish it, you'll appreciate what you do finish for its own sake.

What better introduction to Byron could one possibly ask for? With the obvious exception of Shakespeare, Byron is possibly the most written about poet/writer - not only because of his immortal poetry, but because of his incredibly interesting life. In just over 500 pages, Marchand manages to give us a highly readable portrait of the man - his fascinating life, his inspiring poetry, his inimitable letters and his keen sense of humour. Byron was unique in that he was an ambiguous poet - he was the Prince of the Romantic movement, but he was also a biting satirist.
I have neglected giving the book five stars for 2 reasons: firstly because I do not think Marchand said nearly enough about the greatness and sheer poetic beauty of Byron's first great work - Childe Harold's Pilgrimage; and secondly because the middle chapters dealing with Byron's years of fame (i.e 1812-1816) deteriorate into an absolute bore when discussing Byron's courtship of various women (Marchand goes into excrutiating details via the use of letters) - so much so that it, in fact, becomes a relief to the reader when Byron departs England never to return.
Having said that, it is still the best introduction to Byron for the new Byron fan, and Marchand is by far the most reliable authority. Byron's life reads like a highly intricate novel - proving that sometimes the truth is indeed stranger than fiction.

It is fortunate that I have a copy of this book, but I would wish for it to be brought back into print for everyone's benefit, everyone being those who are interested in the life of Lord Byron, as well as the definitive "Romantic Hero." I have yet to see any biographies or criticism on Byron that have outdone any of Marchand's work. His painfully meticulous inquiry into Byron's life, as well as the lives of his associates, is second only to his vibrant way of weaving all of this information together to bring forth the portrait of Byron. This is not only a portrait of Byron, but one of the general Romantic Hero; anyone who is interested in the culture and history of this period of time, as well as Romanticism in general, would benefit intellectually from reading this book. If you wish to know more about Byron's role in the struggles for Greek independence, about the various rumors intertwined with Byron's love associations, about his interactions with the Shelley family, or about his personal quirks, then you will enjoy this book immensely. Luckily, Marchand is able to balance out his portrait without slipping into "gossip column writer mode."

In an age when academic types write books to show off theoretical knowledge or a large vocabulary, it is refreshing to see a book that relies more on actual knowledge rather than theory; indeed, the writing style is neither pedantic nor alienating. Readers who are not formal students of literature will feel more than comfortable with this book, while those who are engaged in formal scholarship will find this an enlightening example of pure and true scholarship.

Byron's poems don't seem to seek to make any statements. Unlike his Romantic contemporaries Keats, Coleride, and Wordsworth, (even Shelley, to some extent) Byron puts forth no idealogy as to what poetry should be. Instead, he relies on certain aspects of that Romantic idealogy, such as frequent parallels between the state of man and the state of nature... however, with few excceptions, this fails to create unique insights, comments, or even descriptions in his writings. What results is florid, wordy, rhyming travel writing, often promoting British or macho ideals. This edition receives a low grade because it fails to lead me to any better of an impression of a poet that has obviously been influential and looked on as an esteemed figure for so many years. This book can be read as an interesting historical document, and, perhaps most importantly, as Romantic poetry falls out of favor, Byron's poetry as collected within helps to explain the reason why.

I've been reading this book over the past few days, and already Byron has become one of my dozen or so favorite poets. The third canto of "Childe Harold's Pilgrimage" is just brilliant, and many of his shorter poems are unforgettable once read.

But in the process of reading I have come across one problem with the editing of Wolfson and Manning - a problem of notes. All they provide in that way is a short introduction-like essay to each poem in the back of the book, that discusses the history of the poem a little, its reception, and some of its themes. But there are no notes to individual passages, as there are in the other Penguin Classics volume of "Don Juan." Where this becomes a big problem is when Byron quotes a foreign language such as Italian, as he does fairly often - although the editors provide translations for the foreign language epigraphs to the poems, they have none for any foreign language quotations that occur in his notes. Thus the point Byron is trying to make is sometimes lost on a modern reader who doesn't know Greek, or Italian, or whatever.

The poems included in this volume are [long poems in capitals, short poems in quotation marks]: "A Fragment," "To Woman," "The Cornelian," "To Caroline," ENGLISH BARDS AND SCOTCH REVIEWERS, "Lines to Mr. Hodgson," "Maid of Athens, ere we part," "Written after Swimming from Sestos to Abydos," "To Thyrza," CHILDE HAROLD'S PILGRIMAGE: Cantos 1-4, "An Ode to the Framers of the Liberty Bill," "Lines to a Lady Weeping," THE WALTZ, "Remember Thee! Remember Thee," THE GIAOUR, THE BRIDE OF ABYDOS, THE CORSAIR, "Ode to Napoleon Buonaparte," "Stanzas for Music," "She walks in beauty," LARA, "The Destruction of Sennacherib," "Napoleon's Farewell," "From the French," THE SIEGE OF CORINTH, "When we two parted," "Fare thee well," "Prometheus," THE PRISONER OF CHILLON, "Darkness," "Epistle to Augusta," "Lines," MANFRED, "So, we'll go no more a roving," "Epistle from Mr. Murray to Dr. Polidori," BEPPO, "Epistle to Mr. Murray," MAZEPPA, "Stanzas to the Po," "The Isles of Greece," "Francesca of Rimini," "Stanzas," SARDANAPALUS, "Who kill'd John Keats?," THE BLUES, THE VISION OF JUDGEMENT, and "On This Day I Complete My Thirty-Sixth Year."

A legend in his own lifetime, Lord Byron stamped contemporary Western culture with the mark of his dark imagination, and his poetry has lost none of its iconoclastic power today. Without a doubt, this is the finest single-volume edition of Byron currently available. By omitting the rambling satirical romp "Don Juan" (widely available separately), editors Wolfson and Manning leave themselves enough space to provide a truly representative selection of Byron's greatest works. Jerome McGann's "Oxford Authors" volume is a strong competitor, and benefits from superior notes, but only this Penguin collection offers unabridged texts of the three Oriental Tales with which Byron followed "The Giaour"-"The Bride of Abydos," "The Corsair," and "Lara"-all of which are thrilling narratives, and indispensable for tracing the development of that towering figure of English Romanticism, the Byronic Hero. Thus, this edition presents (for the first time in one volume) a complete portrait of the Byronic Hero in his many guises, from vampire ("The Giaour") to pirate ("The Corsair") to necromancer ("Manfred") to fallen angel ("Cain"). Furthermore, Wolfson and Manning supply the complete text of "Childe Harold's Pilgrimage" (the work that established Byron's reputation in his own lifetime), along with many other rousing verse romances, including "The Siege of Corinth," "The Prisoner of Chillon," and "Mazeppa," as well as a generous selection of Byron's most arresting shorter poems, such as "The Destruction of Sennacherib," "Promethus," and the nightmarish, end-of-the-world fantasy, "Darkness." Fans of Byron's ironic mode will welcome the inclusion of three of his satirical works; however, the strength of this volume rests on the fact that it presents Byron at his most Byronic. These are his most sublime creations-the works that defined the Romanticism movement-and to read them is to discover anew why he is still ranked, throughout the world, as the greatest English-language writer after Shakespeare.

This dramatic redition of that "Haunted Summer" when Lord Byron and Percy Shelly met on the shores of Lake Geneva is well researched and deftly crafted. The play is well paced and perfect for a small company or college workshop. The dialogue carries the story alog without the distractions of Edwardian slang allowing the actors to truely revel in their roles. Some creativity must be excersised in set design and lighting but the compactness of the action will hold the audience's focus. I have played many roles on stage and Byron in "Bloody Poetry" was, by far, the most enjoyable.

Elizabeth, Countess of Longford, explores the life and poetry of Lord Byron in this striking and sympathetic study. Longford describes the lovable quirks and embarassing foibles of this controversial poet in an elegant and witty prose that makes the book a genuine treat. Here is biography at its finest, presenting the reader with a peculiar multi-faceted individual from whom we can learn so much. -- Crede Byron!

This book is a piece that paints a portrait of byron, using facts rather than opinions which make it perfect for studies. It goes into detail about his troubled and disease ridden childhood, suffering most from a leg deformity commonly known as club foot, and later details his escipades as an adult and his final demise fighting for greek independance. certanly worth your time and money.

To begin with, the more exacting reviewers are correct in their assertions that there is nothing new here, aside from Eisler's "spin" on previously well-known facts about the infamous and lionized Poet and Lord. This book is definitely NOT for those interested in a thorough, searching delve into Byron and his poetry. But, moreover, it is not even the "page-turner" which other reviewers make it out to be.

The book is written in this precious, cozy, semi-academese which drains the blood from the writing. There is no evaluation of the poet in the context in the particular developmental stage of English poetry at the time. And Shelley, in particular, gets a particularly curt dismissal.---But the real problem with this biography is not that Eisler is dismissive of other (in Shelley's case, better) poets or that her book is simply a rehashing of previously known circumstances. The problem is her plodding, lifeless, cutesy writing style. By the end of the book, one feels that Ms. Eisler has appropriated Byron into her cozy world of popularized, made-for-giant-publishing-houses beach-read bios. Has anyone else noticed that all the chapters are almost the exact number of pages in length? Such precise compartmentalization does not for the reflection of a life make, in particular Byron's!

The one merit this book indisbutably does have is to make you want to read or reread Byron's poetry. Eisler's citations of neatly culled snippets are the only lively thing in the book! So, after you've read all about the minutiae of the poet's life and feel drained and off-put at the end:

Close thy Eisler! Open thy Byron!

An excellent biography. Eisler presents the life and times of Byron and his circle with extensive excerpts from works, letters, and other documented materials. An objective and fascinating journey of the brief rise and subsequent downward spiral of the man and the poet. Eisler's writing is exemplary - highly recommended.

The biography of Byron by B. Eisler is thoroughly researched, beautifully written, and will become, I do believe, the definitive biography for years to come. The reader can follow almost a day to day life of this most modern of poets, womanizer, blackguard and traveler; but one is always held in thralled at the scope of his poetry, and the tragedy of his short life. Bravo Ms. Eisler.