Book excerpt: Andrew Marvell (1621-78) enjoys an unrivaled reputation based on the popularity of poems like To His Coy Mistress, yet his life has often seemed puzzling. In the first fully comprehensive biography since the 1960s, the poet emerges as an important figure in the political, as well as the poetic life of his time. Drawing on recent advances in knowledge, this biography shrewdly explores Marvell's complex and elusive personality.