Kevin J. Hayes explores the revival of interest in Melville's work thirty years after his death, coinciding with the aftermath of the First World War and the rise of modernism. He examines the composition and reception of Melville's works, including his first two books, Typee and Omoo, his more ambitious works, and the short fiction, novels and poetry he wrote during the last forty years of his life. Incorporating a wealth of new information about Melville's life and the time in which he lived, Hayes offers an engaging introduction to the life of this celebrated but often misunderstood writer.

Kevin J. Hayes is emeritus professor of English at the University of Central Oklahoma. He is the author of several books about American literature and culture, including Edgar Allan Poe, also published by Reaktion Books. He lives and writes in Toledo, Ohio.