Caravaggio

'Action-packed, magisterial . . . Caravaggio's life was every bit as bloody, sexy and attention-grabbing as the paintings themselves and Graham-Dixon is a man who knows the paintings better than almost any. Here is a life, an argument for a life, and, most satisfyingly of al, a three-dimensional reimagining of his lived world'
Ian Kelly, The Times

'Conveys the force of Caravaggio's personality and the consequences of his art with a brilliant grasp of detail . . . it is refreshing to read a biography of Caravaggio that combines the blood and guts of Rome's backstreets with a real understanding of the quality and character of his paintings'
Charles Saumarez Smith, Daily Telegraph

'This is the stuff of thrillers and the story races along, with as many sword fights, courtroom appearances, unprintable insults and bloodshed . . . Graham-Dixon is a masterly art historian. He has a God-given ability to enter into the spirit of a painting and to tease out its meaning while preserving its mystery. It is a joy to be guided by his sharp eye'
Craig Brown, Mail on Sunday

'Meaty and revealing . . . illuminates the darkness of both Caravaggio's personality and his work'
Michael Prodger, Sunday Telegraph

'As Graham-Dixon's page-turner of a narrative makes plain, this wasn't just a life sacred and profane, but one of action, intrigue and dirty deeds'
Christopher Bray, Independent on Sunday