Among the many masterpieces of G.K. Chesterton, The Everlasting Man is his crowning achievement. It was the book that set a young atheist named C.S. Lewis on the path toward Christianity. Evelyn Waugh called it "a permanent monument" that "needs no elucidation." And its lively prose and compelling defense of Christianity have dazzled readers ever since.

But a little elucidation, it turns out, is needed. Chesterton's presentation of the story of humanity and religion is filled with obscure literary, historical, mythological, philosophical, and theological references—most of which are largely lost on today's readers. And Chesterton's paradoxical and apparently wandering style proves, at times, disorienting to newcomers.

In this groundbreaking guide—the first of its kind—one of the world's leading authorities on Chesterton walks readers through the entirety of this great apologist's text. Complete with an introduction, footnotes, and running commentary, Dale Ahlquist's tour through Chesterton's classic will draw new readers into his literary world—and old readers even deeper into his literary genius.