Don Pedro Calderón de la Barca (1600-81) is Spain's most important early modern dramatist. His varied career as a playwright, courtier, soldier and priest placed him at the heart of Spanish culture, and he reflected on contemporary events in his plays, most famously La vida es sueño (Life is a Dream). In this scholarly biography of Calderón in English, Don Cruickshank uses his command of the archival sources and his unparalleled understanding of Calderón's work to chart his life and his political, literary and religious contexts. In addition, the book includes much fresh research into Calderón's writings and their attributions. This elegant, erudite work will bring Calderón to a new audience both within and beyond Spanish studies. With illustrations, extensive notes and a detailed index, this is the most comprehensive English-language book on Calderón, and it will long remain the key work of reference on this important author.