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The Life, Letters and Journals of Lord Byron

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George Gordon, Lord Byron, gave the rights to his autobiography to his friend, Thomas Moore -- and Moore, thinking to protect his friend and benefactor's reputation, consigned the work to the fire. With it, went Byron's only chance to answer the accusations of his estranged wife, Annabelle Milbank -- who spent the rest of her life displaying the wounds she received in their one year of marriage.

In return for destroying Byron's autobiography, Moore was assured of cooperation from Annabelle and others in his preparation of a biography. Reader's of Doris Langely Moore's "The Late Lord Byron" will know how that prospered. Still, Moore's biography is a valuable start to understanding Byron. Although Moore's portion of the book is typical of the period, stilted and dull, the book itself is largely a collection of Byron's letters and journals, all delightful. Anybody who has met Byron through Childe Harold and any of the poetry written before Don Juan will get a new view of this wonderful writer and charming personality in his own words. Other biographies may offer more insight into Byron's psychology, but none can provide the same pleasure of his conversation. It contains many of his occasional pieces, short rhymes and amusements. The unaffected Byron is a delight, and his political views are remarkably fresh, even for our own time. Short of reading Marchand's collection of the letters, which is rather more expensive, this is the best way to get to know Byron as he was, and not as Belle wanted him to appear.