Undeniably one of the most controversial figures of the past half-century, Mailer has also been one of the most influential. He has both made the news and commented on it with an originality that has permanently altered America's literary landscape. Mary Dearborn had unprecedented access to Mailer's friends, relations, and antagonists, who provided key insights to fill in the familiar outlines of the Mailer myth, the brilliant successes and notorious failures. As splendidly told by Dearborn, Mailer's story is, for good or ill, the story of our times.