Coming of age during the Civil War, Winslow Homer used oil, watercolor, and pencil to address the hopes and fears of his fellow Americans, and invited his viewers into stories embedded with universal, timeless questions of purpose and meaning. In many respects a maverick, Homer himself remains far less known than his art, and so William Cross's biography—which includes 266 photos and illustrations—traces his life in the context of his era.

"Cross has done an admirable job of bringing to life this most American of painters. Finally, Winslow Homer's brilliant work and fascinating life are united in one volume."—Ken Burns