Chaucer: A European Life

An acclaimed biography that recreates the cosmopolitan world in which a wine merchants son became one of the most celebrated of all English writers

Geoffrey Chaucer is often called the father of English literature, but this acclaimed biography reveals him as a great European writer and thinker. Uncovering important new information about Chaucers travels, private life, and the circulation of his writings, Marion Turner reconstructs in unprecedented detail the cosmopolitan world of Chaucers adventurous life, focusing on the places and spaces that fired his imagination. From the wharves of London to the frescoed chapels of Florence, the book recounts Chaucers experiences as a prisoner of war in France, as a father visiting his daughters nunnery, as a member of a chaotic Parliament, and as a diplomat in Milan. At the same time, the book offers a comprehensive exploration of Chaucers writings. The result is a landmark biography and a fresh account of the extraordinary story of how a wine merchants son became the poet of The Canterbury Tales.