When Books Go Bad: Tales of Literary Feuds, Publishing Errors and Withering Reviews

The literary life is not just about curling up with a good book and a cup of tea. It is also a world where Lord Byron dismisses John Keats’s poetry as “piss-a-bed,” spaniels devour the first drafts of masterpieces, and the combative Ben Jonson proves he is quite prepared to show that the sword can be mightier than the pen.

When Books Go Bad: The Book of Literary Scandals lifts the lid on the darker side of the literary world. Beneath jaunty covers and uplifting memoirs lies a history of pers...