Blaise Cendrars (1887-1961) was a Swiss-French poet, novelist, editor, and tireless modernist. A volunteer in the French Foreign Legion during the First World War, he lost his right hand in 1915 and taught himself to write left-handed. His books-La Prose du Transsibérien, Moravagine, La main coupée-made him one of the twentieth century's most intrepid and original voices.