In this revealing biography Paul Roberts seeks to penetrate the enigma of Claude Debussy (1862–1918), whose personal life was the subject of malicious gossip and (occasionally substantiated) rumour, echoes of which persist to the present day. Through the discussion of letters, contemporary accounts, photographs and of course the music, Debussy’s fiercely guarded personality begins to emerge and we encounter a complex and contradictory character, one who combined indulgent sensuality with iron self-discipline, tenderness with cruelty, ebullient extroversion with gauche shyness, and a passionate conviction in his ideas with insecurity and self-doubt. A wide variety of images and rarely seen documents enhance the narrative to give an absorbing portrait of this pioneering composer’s troubled life.