Written by a Pulitzer Prize- and National Book Award-winning American poet and critic, this is the finest and most insightful study available about the life and literary achievements of Stephen Crane (1871-1900), poet and author of the masterpiece, The Red Badge of Courage. In addition to providing a complete (and exciting) picture of Crane's life, Berryman gives a focused assessment of Crane's poetry, prose, and journalism, discussing how critics have regarded these writings over the course of a century.