
Mr. Rollyson is the author of The Life of William Faulkner and The Last Days of…
Clarence Dillon was one of the ruthless inventors of modern finance.

In a lifelong quest to get a seat at the main cinematic events he has written scenarios, collaborated with John Ford and Orson Welles, and befriended Hollywood stars such as Jean Arthur.

Even a great biography, such as the one Gerald Howard has written, leaves out aspects of a subject by dint of the narrative’s design.

Sometimes dismissed as merely the artist of nostalgia, Moses was so much more, re-creating the world she had lived in on the eve of dramatic transformation.

The author explains that his book is about biography itself, and why in the case of subjects like Leonardo, the urge to fill the gaps in knowledge about him is irresistible.

What distinguishes this literary biography is its perfect poise, telling us what we need to know about the man and his art, without pretending to explain more than a biographer can possibly know.


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