The work of Friedrich Nietzsche dynamited the foundations of Western thought. Concepts such as the death of God, the Übermensch, and the slave morality permeate our culture, both high and low; yet he is one of the most misunderstood philosophers in history.

Nietzsche believed that all philosophy is autobiographical. Sue Prideaux leads readers into the world of a genius, eccentric, and deeply tormented man, illuminating the events and people who shaped his life and work. From his serene, reverent Christian upbringing, shadowed by the mysterious death of his father, to solitary philosophizing in the high mountains and the horror and sadness of his eventual slide into madness, Prideaux keenly and sensitively explores Nietzsche’s intellectual, emotional, and spiritual life.

Moreover, she provides comprehensive portraits of the individuals who marked his life: Richard and Cosima Wagner, Lou Salomé—the fatal woman who broke his heart—and his fanatically nationalist and anti-Semitic sister, Elisabeth, who betrayed him by distorting his writings and allowing their misuse in the hands of the Nazis.

"The biography Nietzsche longed for from the day he lost his reason and embraced a horse in the square of Turin in 1889!" John Banville, The Guardian

"This is how every biography should be: engaging, insightful, moving, and often laugh-out-loud funny." Sarah Bakewell

"A wholly original portrait of Nietzsche, beautifully written." Antony Beevor

"The story of Nietzsche's life is complex, difficult, and great all at once, and it has never been better written than in this captivating book." Ray Monk, The New Statesman

"A wonderful book about a unique man." Nigel Warburton

"Masterful! Prideaux brings us closer to Nietzsche than any of her predecessors." Morten Høi Jensen, The Los Angeles Review of Books

"Comprehensive and sensitive, an accessible biography of a typically inaccessible man." The Economist

"A revelation... nothing less. The great pleasure of witnessing philosophy being born..." Kathryn Hughes, The Guardian

"A unique biography, impressive in its depth and breadth of insight." John Carey, The Sunday Times

"Nietzsche was anxious that his work would be misunderstood and weaponized. The fact that this has happened and continues to happen underscores the great value of books like this." The New Yorker

"Prideaux sets a new standard for biography as a genre." Maria Dimitrova, Bookforum