As the twentieth century draws to a close, Henry James retains his pre-eminent position in both the literary and the film world. His rich body of fiction still has the power to move, challenge, intrigue, and amuse modern readers--as suggested by the recent series of film adaptations of his novels. James was also a gifted travel writer and a brilliant commentator. He had many friendships, but his greatest passion was his art. Henry James: A Life in Letters is the story of this passion in James's own magnificent words.This fully annotated selection from his eloquent correspondence follows James's life across America, Britain, and Europe and from his first publication in 1864 at the age of twenty-one to his death in London in 1916. In this selection of 296 letters (found in 33 libraries) to 115 correspondents--half of which are previously unpublished--James depicts an age of transition and a world of cultural sophistication and intellectual growth with his trademark skeptical, ironic intelligence. He numbered among his correspondents the writers H. G. Wells, Edith Wharton, Henry Adams, and Robert Louis Stevenson, as well as presidents and prime ministers, actresses and bishops. Both a biography and a work of brilliant social commentary, Henry James: A Life in Letters is the essential chronicle of a writer's ardor for his craft and a landmark in James scholarship.