National Book Award Non Fiction Winner

The Life of Ralph Waldo Emerson

by Ralph L. Rusk

Summary

A definitive and scholarly biography of the leader of the Transcendentalist movement. It provides a deep look into Emerson's intellectual development and his profound influence on American thought and literature.

Historical Context & Significance

Rusk was the first to gain access to a massive cache of Emerson's private family letters, allowing for the most intimate portrait of the "Sage of Concord" ever produced.