In this gripping new biographical study, Philip Payton explores the immensely complicated relationship that existed between A.L. Rowse, the famous twentieth-century historian and man of letters, and his native Cornwall. Rowse’s books, A Cornish Childhood and Tudor Cornwall remain in strong demand, essential reading for the general reader and historian alike, and for all those who know and love Cornwall. By shedding new light on this complex character, Payton invites a greater understanding of the broader issues of Cornish identity as well as assessing Rowse’s highly original contribution to the writing of British and Cornish history.