This is a very well-written and compelling biography of the man who pioneered the 'blockbuster' novel. It is amazing to realise just how big Robbins was - selling millions of novels and pushing the boundaries of what could be published by mainstream publishers at a time when censorship was being challenged. Robbins' popularity was huge for a period - but he was quickly overtaken by writers with more literary skill. Robbins was a pretty unpleasant person - a man of contradictions who was expert at telling stories about himself and making it hard to know what was the truth about him (especially his childhood - he routinely told stories about being an orphan but grew up in a relatively normal, stable household). The book also captures very well a particular moment in time when excessive lifestyles (drugs, sex and extravagant spending) were the epitome of glamour. Robbins' sad last years can be seen as something of an instructive tale. ( )