The Biography series presents a completely new way of approaching the lives of the greatest thinkers and creators in the world. It includes 50 defining facts, dates, thoughts, habits, and achievements of each individual, and uses illustrations to convey all this through vivid snapshots.

Most people know that Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) was a German composer whose works, such as the Fifth Symphony and the Moonlight Sonata, are among the most significant in classical music. What they may not know is that for almost half of his life he suffered from severe deafness; that, even so, he composed 720 well-known works; that he dedicated some compositions to Napoleon and to a dead poodle; and that the first CDs were designed to fit his Ninth Symphony.

Biography: Beethoven presents an instant impression of his life, the world, his work, and his legacy, with a series of compelling facts and figures that have been turned into images to reveal the composer behind his compositions.