About the Author

The Marquis de Sade (1740-1814), was born in a palace and ended his life in infamy in a lunatic asylum. Twenty-seven years of his life was spent in gaol for mentioning the unmentionable. Few have read the Marquis de Sade, yet few are unaware of his nature, the desire to inflict pain for pleasure, especially sexual pleasure. His diabolical nature has become embedded in the language - sadism, sadist, sadistic.