Get our latest staff recommendations, award news and digital catalog links right to your inbox.
Published by Pegasus Books
Distributed by Simon & Schuster
Table of Contents
About The Book
A New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice
From one of our finest literary biographers comes a brilliant biography of Roald Dahl: the much-loved author and creator of countless iconic literary characters.
Roald Dahl was one of the world's greatest storytellers. He conceived his vocation as as that of any fearless explorer and, in his writing for children, he was able to tap into a child's viewpoint throughout his life. He crafted tales that were exotic in scenario, frequently invested with a moral, and filled with vibrant characters that endure in public imagination to the present day.
In this brand-new biography, Matthew Dennison re-evaluates the traditional narrative surrounding Dahl—that of school sporting hero, daredevil pilot, and wartime spy-turned-author—and examines surviving primary resources as well as Dahl's extensive literary output to tell the story of a man who identified as a rule-breaker, an iconoclast, and a romantic—both insider and outsider, war hero and child's friend.
From one of our finest literary biographers comes a brilliant biography of Roald Dahl: the much-loved author and creator of countless iconic literary characters.
Roald Dahl was one of the world's greatest storytellers. He conceived his vocation as as that of any fearless explorer and, in his writing for children, he was able to tap into a child's viewpoint throughout his life. He crafted tales that were exotic in scenario, frequently invested with a moral, and filled with vibrant characters that endure in public imagination to the present day.
In this brand-new biography, Matthew Dennison re-evaluates the traditional narrative surrounding Dahl—that of school sporting hero, daredevil pilot, and wartime spy-turned-author—and examines surviving primary resources as well as Dahl's extensive literary output to tell the story of a man who identified as a rule-breaker, an iconoclast, and a romantic—both insider and outsider, war hero and child's friend.
Product Details
- Publisher: Pegasus Books (January 3, 2023)
- Length: 272 pages
- ISBN13: 9781639363339
Browse Related Books
Raves and Reviews
Praise for Matthew Dennison:
“The third major biography of the children’s author stresses his tragedy-speckled life more than his often ugly behavior. In Dennison’s telling, the swashbuckling creator of Matilda and Willy Wonka was arrogant yet desperate for acclaim.”
– New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice
"Dennison’s account is sympathetic but honest, psychologically acute and insightful. It is, withal, a sad story but one that Dennison tells extremely well to his and Grahame’s credit.”
– Booklist
"This sympathetic study will attract biography lovers and, of course, fans of Grahame’s enduring classic."
– Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star
"Matthew Dennison’s gripping and consistently surprising biography of Kenneth Grahame ably explains how a stuffy bank clerk produced arguably the greatest children’s book ever written, The Wind in the Willows. Grahame’s was a life of tragedy from its beginning and a consequent retreat into private fantasy proved his imaginative salvation."
– The Guardian
"This sympathetic study will attract biography lovers and, of course, fans of Grahame’s enduring classic."
– Library Journal
"Potter is arguably the most popular English children’s book author of all time, and the subject of Matthew Dennison’s excellent short biography. The book is concise, brisk, and consistently interesting, offering just enough detail for most readers.”
– Michael Dirda, Barnes & Noble Review
"Lively and succinct. Anyone with even a passing acquaintance with Peter Rabbit and his friends should be intrigued to view them as the means by which Potter found her way out into the wider world."
– Booklist
"Potter described her stories as giving 'pleasure without ugliness.' The same can be said of this respectful biography."
– Kirkus Reviews
"In exploring the life of Beatrix Potter, Dennison combines literary criticism with biography. Dennison writes a concise summary of Potter’s inspirations and legacy."
– Library Journal
Resources and Downloads
High Resolution Images
- Book Cover Image (jpg): Roald Dahl eBook 9781639363339
