Rupert Hart-Davis draws on Walpole's journals, letters and diaries to give a skillful and intimate portrayal of both the man and the writer. Walpole survived unhappy early school days to go on to Cambridge where he first began to write, publishing his first book, The Wooden Horse in 1909. He went on to write more than fifty books calling upon his experiences during World War I and as a reporter witnessing the Russian Revolution. He was acquainted with many of the most eminent writers of the day and was also a frequent visitor to America where he promoted his books and worked in Hollywood.