This study of Chatwin and his work traces the life of this private man, showing how it influenced his writing. Murray demonstrates how exile and the balance between the desire to settle and that to wander are the twin themes of what appear to be six very disparate books. Murray also examines how the books were driven by ideas, rather than plot and character. In addition to a full discussion of the works (including On the Black Hill) and the critical responses to them, Murray charts the controversy surrounding Chatwin's death.