The story of the tragic Bronte family is familiar to many: the half-mad, repressive father, the drunken, drug-addicted wastrel of a brother, wild, romantic Emily, unrequited Anne and poor Charlotte. However, these are imaginary stereotypes, created by amateur biographers, such as Mrs Gaskell, who were primarily novelists and were attracted by the tale of an apparently doomed family of genius. Later biographers still repeat Mrs Gaskell's mistakes and have relied on bowdlerised texts published by T.J. Wise, a forger. This book aims to demolish myths and provides startling new information. It is based on first-hand research amongst all the Bronte manuscripts and amongst contemporary historical documents.