With this collection of short and fascinating biographical
pieces, the award-winning biographer of Coleridge and Shelley
offers a fascinating glimpse into the mysterious art of
biography.
When researching, Richard Holmes has often become captivated by
figures peripheral to his main subject, literary forays that he
couldn’t resist. These tales–the forbidden love of John Stuart
Mill, the bizarre novel of Oscar Wilde’s tragic grand-uncle, Scott
and Zelda Fitzgerald’s nightmarish yet cathartic final trip to
Paris–are part of what comprises Sidetracks, a marvelously original
that includes letters and travelogues, radio plays, essays, and
minature biographies. This book is a rare literary feast and an
exploration of the creative processes of one of our most preeminent
biographers.