Few composers elicit such strong emotions as Chopin. Few have been more revered and cherished. And few have had so much sentimental nonsense written about them. Adam Zamoyski"s compelling biography cuts through the mass of anecdote and myth that has sprung up around the composer"s life in search of the real Chopin. He has scoured the archives of Warsaw, Krakow, Paris and London in his quest for the truth, basing his account exclusively on primary sources and contemporary accounts from the likes of Franz Liszt, Hector Berlioz, Victor Hugo and George Sand. The result is a biography of authority, perception and wit, illuminating the true passions, suffering and ultimate tragedy of the life of this compelling and elusive figure.