June 1822. P.B. Shelley is planning a new bridge book. It will feature the most dazzling, difficult deals ever published, the bridge of the gods. It will also be his manifesto - a defence of bridge...

But before Shelley leaves on his ill-fated trip to Livorno, he only has time to send his publisher a short "Declarer Play Problems" pamphlet. Nick Smith, however, has unearthed a series of hitherto unchronicled episodes in the poet's life, which demonstrate where the deals first arose, and what actually happened at the bridge table in each case. Historically accurate and beautifully illustrated, this is a book for fans of classic literature as well as bridge players.