Alexander Larman is a historian and journalist. He is the author of Blazing Star (2014), the life of Lord Rochester, and writes for the Observer, the Telegraph and the Guardian, as well as the New Statesman and the Times Literary Supplement.
'Captivating ... Larman has created a well-researched, fascinating look at Byron's life and times' Publishers Weekly. 'Dashing, scandalous and irresistibly attractive, Byron would have been shocked to find himself not the main subject of Larman's narrative, but relegated to a supporting role in the remarkable stories of the significant women in his life' Daily Mail. 'This is no ordinary biography;through exploring the lives of the women in his life, we are offered an outline of Byron more accurate, compelling and candid than any portrait focused on his poetry could be' Observer. 'A fresh and lively contribution to the crowded field of Byron studies, and confirms Larman as an insightful observer of the contradictory nature of his subjects' Bookmunch. 'Will shock and perhaps delight the occasional reader' The Byron Abbey Newstead Society. 'Larman has written a superbly researched, well-balanced and very readable account of the convoluted story, akin to a Georgian soap opera, and resisting what must have been an overwhelming temptation to condemn the selfish and deeply unpleasant man too much' The Bookbag. 'Larman gives his coterie the dignified and compassionate treatment they deserve in a series of sympathetic biographical sketches' Literary Review. 'Through deft and witty touches, Larman irradiates the darkness of Byron's fascination' Mail on Sunday. 'Larman's stagey indignation has an undeniable draw. He is a busy and loquacious guide who palpably enjoys his job' Sunday Telegraph. 'Normally I don't like modish reassessments of literary legends ... however, Byron's Women is different. It isn't a tiresome feminist rant ... it is humane and brooks no balderdash. This radical questioning of the conventional swashbuckling Byronic stance is convincing' The Times.