A refreshingly unique look at this extraordinary man, this biography chronologically reconstructs both Lewis's professional and daily lives in astonishing detail, from his childhood in Northern Ireland and his participation in World War I to friendship with J.R.R. Tolkien at Oxford and his professorship at Cambridge. More than 100 sidebars offer little-known trivia tidbits on the more personal side of Lewis, and cover such topics as the contents of his home library, 10 things he believed about cats, his favorite beers and pubs, and the women and friends in his life. On the professional side, working titles of his books, lectures he gave at Oxford and Cambridge, and his ideas on atheism and idealism are discussed. Essential information on his most popular work, The Chronicles of Narnia, is also addressed, including the meaning of names, the hierarchy, and the kings, queens, animals, and battles in Narnia.