"Introduced by a mutual colleague in the theater world, Gilbert and Sullivan followed very different paths to the stage door. Having survived an insecure childhood, Gilbert flourished as a financially successful theater professional, married happily, and established himself as a property owner. An extremely disciplined writer, he was also fiercely protective of the integrity of his work. By contrast, Sullivan enjoyed a stable and musical start in the midst of a supportive family, yet grew into a restless artist. His creative self-doubts and self-demands led to a nervous and physical breakdown.

But these doubts and demands also propelled the team to break the successful formula of their earlier work to produce more ambitious pieces of theater, including The Mikado and The Yeoman of the Guard." "The first joint biography of Gilbert and Sullivan based on original research in over half a century, the book draws from the recently available D'Oyly Carte collection of letters, as well as public records, manuscripts of the operas, and numerous other repositories of personal and professional correspondence. The result of meticulous research, this is a rich, thorough, and insightful account of two talented men and their combined artistic legacy."--BOOK JACKET.