Literary feuds

the long version

"Here is a ringside seat to the exchange of Barbs, Slights, Insults, Verbal Jabs, and Other Assorted Acrimonious Remarks by Upstanding Members of Our Esteemed Literary Pantheon.". "In these eight profiles of quarrels between famous authors, Anthony Arthur draws on a lifetime of reading and teaching their works to describe the feuds as lively duels of strong personalities. Going beyond mere gossip, he provides insights into the issues that provoked the quarrels - Soviet communism, World War II, and the natural tension between the critical and creative temperaments, among them. The result reads like a collection of short stories, with the featured authors as their own best characters and having the best lines."--BOOK JACKET.