Abraham Lincoln, Josef Stalin, Michael Jackson and Bart Simpson all have one thing in common; they are fans of the nineteenth century American writer and poet, Edgar Allan Poe. The writer of 'The Raven' has legions of such devotees across the globe.

The list of authors inspired by Poe is long and varied, but his profound influence reaches much further - into music, film and art as much as literature. There have been more than a dozen film versions of his story 'The Fall of the House of Usher,' and his works have inspired composers ranging from Claude Debussy to Lou Reed.

More than 160 years after his death, Charlotte Montague has written a fascinating account of Poe's life and times, in which she uncovers a strange man, standing deep in the shadows, who's unique imagination and macabre writing have changed popular culture - forevermore.

Hardback, 192 pages.