Thomas Hardy is considered by many as one of England’s greatest writers. His novels, set against the backdrop of Wessex, include Under the Greenwood Tree, Far From the Madding Crowd, and Tess of the D’Urbervilles and have been adapted for film, TV and theatre.

In this richly detailed biography, Molly Lefebure provides a fascinating insight into the life and times of the man behind the works, charting both Hardy’s personal life and relationships (including his tempestuous marriage to his first wife, Emma Gifford) as well as the social and political factors that shaped the Victorian era. In this way, Lefebure demonstrates how both had an undoubtable and instrumental influence on Hardy’s work.

Thomas Hardy’s World is thus a captivating and illuminating biography that paints a fascinating portrait of one of England’s most beloved writers.

Molly Lefebure (October 1919 – February 2013) was a British writer born in Hackney, London. During the Second World War she worked as a reporter for a London newspaper, and met Home Office pathologist Dr Keith Simpson. Her experiences during this period led her to write her first book, Evidence for the Crown, which was later adapted for television. Her other works include Samuel Taylor Coleridge: A Bondage of Opium (1974), a biography of the English poet, and Thunder In The Sky (1991).