FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF REBECCA ' . . . a writer of fearless originality' GUARDIAN 'Du Maurier is in a class by herself' NEW YORK TIMES 'A landmark book on a much-neglected figure, containing ground-breaking research' LISA JARDINE A fascinating historical figure, Anthony Bacon was a contemporary of the brilliant band of gallants who clustered round the court of Elizabeth I and he was closely connected with the Queen's favourite, the Earl of Essex. He also worked as an agent for Sir Francis Walsingham, the Queen's spymaster, living in France where he became acquainted with Henri IV and the famous essayist Michel de Montaigne. It was in France that du Maurier discovered a secret that, if disclosed during Bacon's lifetime, could have put an end to his political career . . . Du Maurier did much to shed light on matters that had long puzzled historians. This biography is also a strange and fascinating tale.