The Extraordinary Life of A. A. Milne

The true story of the man who created Winnie-the-Pooh—yet struggled to enjoy the overwhelming success that it brought him.

Thanks to a phenomenally popular collection of whimsical children’s stories about a boy named Christopher Robin and his beloved teddy bear, A.A. Milne remains a household name in almost every corner of the globe. Generations have grown up loving the tales of Winnie-the-Pooh and his friends from the Hundred Acre Wood.

But though his work brought unparalleled joy to millions, Alan Alexander Milne himself was never able to enjoy the fame and fortune they brought him. He died deeply resenting Pooh’s success—as far as he was concerned those stories were just a tiny fraction of his literary work, but nothing else he produced came close in terms of public appreciation. Milne died still unable to reconcile the fact that no matter what else he wrote, regardless of all the plays and stories for adults he had published, he would always be remembered as a children’s storyteller. And his son, widely hailed as the inspiration for Christopher Robin, could never accept his unique place in literary history either. He had barely reached his teens before he grew to loathe his famous father, who he bitterly accused of exploiting his early years.

This biography delves deep into the life of Milne—shedding light on new places, and telling stories untold.