Based on new research in government archives in Britain and France, school and university records and intimate letters, this book is a revealing account of a young poet who lived a life even Byron would have envied. In the narrative, the poet William Wordsworth emerges as a man of action during his youth and early manhood, the time of his life that has been obscured by his more august reputation as a philosophical "Nature Poet". The text aims to break through the carefully crafted but frequently misleading accounts of his youth that he created in his later years. It explores Wordsworth's links with radical British reformists, French revolutionary leaders and journalists, and reveals Wordsworth as an agent of the newly formed British secret service on the Continent and at home. The book also aims to present details of Wordsworth's emotional life, interpreting his relations with his sister, with his French mistress and with his sister-in-law. At the same time, Wordsworth's often destructive relationships with a number of young writers are examined, leading up to his friendship with Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Along with the details of his personal life, the book also examines his work and inspirations.