Franz Kline spent years struggling to find a style for himself and then achieved "overnight success" with his dramatic black-and-white abstractions. They were in fact, so successful that they overwhelmed every other aspect of Kline's art, and as a result, he has been oversimplified and underestimated. Based on nearly 20 years of research, this monograph provides a comprehensive view of Kline's life and work and reveals how unexpectedly complex they both were. Using interviews with the artist's friends and critics, and quoting from his letters, the author has created an evocative portrait of Kline's evolution from ambitious art student, to penniless Greenwich Village artist painting murals in bars, to finally, a mature artist in command of his own unique and hard-won style. With its detailed, readable text and 170 illustrations, this book brings to light much information about Kline and aims to enrich our appreciation and understanding of his art.