First published in 1930 to a storm of protest due to its frank approach, this biography of the Scottish poet, Robert Burns, deliberately seeks to shake the image of Burns as a romantic hero. It exposes the sexual misdemeanours, drinking bouts and waywardness that is often overlooked. The book also brings to life the personality of this man, showing him to be passionate, hard-living, generous, melancholic, morbid and triumphant.