The Life, Letters and Literary Remains of Edward Bulwer, Lord Lytton 2 Volume Set

One of the most popular writers of his age, outsold only by Dickens, Edward George Bulwer Lytton (1803-73), first Baron Lytton, is notable for coining the phrases 'the great unwashed' and 'the pen is mightier than the sword', although his work is largely forgotten today. G. K. Chesterton's appraisal was that 'you could not have the Victorian Age without him'. Lytton requested that his son Edward Robert (1831-91), first Earl of Lytton, complete his autobiography. Complemented by letters and previously unpublished material - the better to flesh out the story of a prolific literary life - it appeared in two volumes in 1883. In his preface, Edward Robert writes that his main purpose is 'to illustrate my father's works by his life, and his life by his works'. Volume 1 traces Lytton's life up to the age of twenty-two. Volume 2 completes the biographical narrative, including details of his political career, correspondence with Disraeli, and work left unfinished.