There has been no full length biography of Swift based on primary sources since Sir Henry Craik's life in 1882. In this first volume of three the author treats in detail the events of Swift's life, the historical and social setting of those events, the evolution of Swift's character, and the composition and interpretation of his works. New and important material is included concerning Swift's family and career, his emotional life, his relations with Sir William Temple, the design and meaning of A Tale of a Tub and The Battle of the Books. The methods of interpretation used are comprehensive; Swift's emotional and sexual problems are treated in Freudian terms (but not in psychoanalytical technical language), his career is discussed as a problem in historical sociology, his works are given close readings, and where symbolic interpretations seem justified they are not dodged.