Born in Poland in 1810, Chopin emigrated to Vienna at age eighteen—and then to Paris, where from 1831 to 1849 he would spend almost half of his brief and tumultuous life. In Paris his extraordinary powers would reach their height and he would shine among the immensely talented writers, painters, and musicians who were working there and defining their era. Chopin's other acquaintances ranged from Rothschild to Marx—and it was here that he began his long and stormy relationship with the novelist George Sand. In Chopin in Paris—a New York Times Notable Book—Tad Szulc brings to life this complex, contradictory genius, and re-creates an unsurpassed epoch of European history, culture, and music.