One of the 20th century's most prolific black writers, Chester Himes (1909-84) left a distinctive mark on American literature with his Harlem detective series, yet today he is nearly forgotten. In this winner of the Edgar Award for Best Critical/Biographical Work, Lawrence Jackson uses exclusive interviews and unrestricted access to Himes's full archives to trace this maverick's middle-class origins, his eight years in prison, his painful odyssey as a black World War II-era artist, and escape to Europe in search of success.

"Jackson's book—big, intelligent and unflinching—is what literary biography looks like when it's done right."—San Francisco Chronicle