John Ruskin had a life and career that made the romantic visionary singly the most important cultural figure of his day. His canon attests to the intelligence that championed natural beauty, reveled in art, and erred only on the side of humanity. This is the classic biography by Sir Edward Tyas Cook (1857-1919) of the 19th century author and philosopher, cited and recommended by the Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature. The principal material on which this biography is founded consists of Ruskin's diaries, notebooks, and letters. They are supplemented by a large collection of letters to his parents. During Ruskin's absences from home, he wrote almost daily, and sometimes more than once a day, to his father, or to his mother, or to both.

E. T. Cook's two-volume biography is a vital tool for anyone wishing to understand Ruskin's achievements in so many fields.