The Marquis de Sade (Author) The Marquis de Sade was born in Paris in 1740. He was imprisoned several times for his scandalous behaviour, and wrote The 120 Days of Sodom, his most notorious work, while in prison in the Bastille. He managed to ingratiate himself with the new regime after the French Revolution, but by 1796 was a ruined man. He died in an insane asylum in 1814.Will McMorran (Translator) Will McMorran is a Senior Lecturer in French and Comparative Literature at Queen Mary, University of London.Thomas Wynn (Translator) Thomas Wynn is Reader and Director of Research in the School of Modern Languages and Cultures at Durham University.

Without in any way giving in to hyperbole, I would say that this translation is a 21st century monument, changing not only the way in which we view the French 18th century, but providing a guide to the present and future