From the author of Ludwig Wittegenstein: The Duty of Genius comes a compelling biography of Bertrand Russell, the acclaimed philosopher of the twentieth century and the ingenious author of Principia Mathematica. Over the course of his life, Bertrand Russell grew from a major philosopher into a political activist and popular writer whose name was known around the world. A man who believed in a modern, rational approach to life and was able to guide popular opinion throughout the twentieth century, ended up living a life of tragedy in which he lost everything. Now, based on thousands of documents from the Russell archives in Canada, Ray Monk takes readers through the lifetime of this iconic figure, from the turbulence of his public activities to his often outrageous and sometimes paradoxical pronouncements. Bertrand Russell: The Spirit of Solitude takes readers into the mind of a crazed philosopher, featuring analysis of his public figure that enabled Monk to reveal the inner drama of Russell's personal life that led to his tragic ending.