Auden - by Peter Ackroyd Hardcover

Book Synopsis

Peter Ackroyd's compelling portrait of W. H. Auden, poet of a restless century.

Of all the English poets born in the twentieth century, Wystan Hugh Auden is by far the most significant. This critical biography explores the evolution of his poetic voice in tandem with his shifting beliefs--existentialism, Marxism, Freudianism, and Anglo-Catholicism--reflecting the intellectual climate of the century. Rooted in English traditions, Auden's work reveals both public and personal histories, from the Depression and Spanish Civil War to his experiences as a gay man navigating repression and later liberation. The book traces his journeys from Oxford to Berlin, China, and America, bringing to life his turbulent era and the inner conflicts of his long relationship with Chester Kallman. This insightful and compelling account by acclaimed historian Peter Ackroyd captures Auden's genius as both a historical witness and an enduring poetic voice.

Review Quotes

"This critical biography of poet W.H. Auden analyzes his work in the context of his intellectual promiscuity and experiences as a gay man living in the repressive early twentieth century."

-- "Publishers Weekly, "Spring 2026 Fiction & Nonfiction Preview: Memoirs & Biographies""

"Traditional cradle-to-crematorium biography is not dead yet. Ackroyd, whose lives of Blake, Dickens and Turner were so memorable, will publish his Auden, an account of WH Auden and his circle."

-- "New Statesman, "Culture Preview 2026: The Best Non-Fiction to Read This Year""

"Ackroyd, the celebrated biographer of T. S. Eliot, has now turned his attention to Eliot's great successor as an Anglo-American poet. Auden is an eminently readable and well-paced account, rich in anecdote, sympathetically following the man all the way from prodigious youth to senior man of letters."--Seamus Perry, fellow of Balliol College and professor of English literature, University of Oxford

About the Author

Peter Ackroyd is one of Britain's most respected historians and novelists. His many books include London: The Biography, Hawksmoor, and the bestselling History of England series. He is also the author of The English Actor and The English Soul, both published by Reaktion Books.