Novelist, playwright, and poet Gabriele D'Annunzio (1863-1938) shocked and dazzled early twentieth-century Europe with his sexual exploits, military feats, and political escapades. More than any other figure since the unification of Italy, he casts a shadow forward to the present day. His relationships with the worlds of Italian culture, theatre, and politics were unique, fiery, and always controversial. His literary achievements have influenced generations of Italian writers. This is the most authoritative biography of the man in any language.