'One of the novel's several wonders is that the mad brother is just as compelling a character as his soon-to-be-immortal sibling. If you're interested in Boswell and Johnson, or in 18th-century England, or in brilliant storytelling, The Brothers Boswell is not to be missed.' Washington Post 'A chilling literary thriller... The subtle way the author examines his character's twisted mind draws the reader in, as does the evocative prose.' Publishers Weekly 'Many novels claim to be literary thrillers, but rarely are they quite this literary and quite this thrilling. Philip Baruth has written a remarkable work.' David Liss

Philip Baruth is a novelist and an award-winning commentator for Vermont Public Radio. His last book, The X President, which traced the attempts of a 109-year-old Bill Clinton to rewrite his historical legacy, was selected as a New York Times Notable Book of 2003. He is a graduate of Brown University with an MA and PhD from University of California (Irvine). He teaches writing and the 18th century novel at the University of Vermont in Burlington.