First published in 1926, this novel featured a preface strenuously denying that it was anything but a work of fiction, William Clissold is nevertheless a character whose thought and background is so thoroughly documented in the work that the reader cannot help identifying him to some extent with the author himself.

As William Clissold arrives at his fifty-ninth birthday, he considers that his lot in life must surely be nearing its end. With this in mind, he turns his thoughts to look back on his life, to remembrances of things past, and sees fit to put pen to paper. The result is a revealing tale of the philosophies, religions and social systems he encountered through his life, and a fascinating insight into the mind of this extraordinary, but very typical man. And reluctant to remain in the past, Clissold shares his own plans of bringing order to the heady chaos of the world around him. In William Clissold, H.G. Wells has created a man molded by the sensibilities of his age.