The pinnacle of Modernist poetry, The Waste Land is thought to describe the moral decay of a world after war, sexuality, and rebirth. It has been called the most truthful poem of the times; it has been labelled a masterful fake. A century after its publication in 1922, T. S. Eliot’s masterpiece remains a comparative mystery.In a remarkable feat of biography, literary criticism, and storytelling, Matthew Hollis reconstructs the making of the poem and brings its times vividly to life. He reveals the cultural and personal trauma that forged The Waste Land through the lives of its protagonists—of Ezra Pound, who edited it; of Vivienne Eliot, who endured it; and of T. S. Eliot himself, whose private torment is woven into the fabric of the work. The result is an unforgettable story of lives passing in opposing directions and the literary legacy they would leave behind.