Georges Bataille was arguably the greatest influence on the post-structuralist revolution in twentieth-century thought and literature, yet few truly understand his large body of work or its impact. Stuart Kendall now translates the work and life of the renowned French writer into a concise yet informative biography that reveals fascinating facets of this intellectual giant. Until his death in 1962, Bataille was an instrumental force in philosophical debate, acting as a foil for both Surrealism and Existentialism and advocating radical views that spanned the entire spectrum of political thought. Stuart Kendall chronicles these aspects of his intellectual development, as well as tracing his pivotal role in the creation of journals such as Documents and Acephale, and how his writings in aesthetics and art history were the pioneering cornerstones of visual culture studies. Kendall positions Bataille at the heart of a prodigious community of thinkers, including Andre Breton, Michel Leiris, Jean-Paul Sartre, Alexandre Kojeve, Jacques Lacan and Maurice Blanchot, among many others. A wholly readable and compelling account, Georges Bataille will be invaluable for all thinkers who have benefited from Bataille's lasting contributions.