The book constitutes the first ever source-based monograph on the life and artistic output of Andrzej Panufnik (1914-1991), an eminent 20th c. Polish composer. The author gives a chronological account of his life and times, divided into two major parts, uncannily reflecting the actual course of his life: the first one recounting the time Panufnik spent in his native Poland (i.e. until 1954), and the other relating to his stay in the United Kingdom as a resident Polish émigré. His life is portrayed against the rich background of momentous events unfolding across the 20th c. Poland and Europe at large that many a time proved highly instrumental in shaping up his own biography quite decisively; hence numerous references throughout the book to the prominent European personalities and institutions on the 20th c. political and cultural scene. By far the most crucial component of every composer's life is always his music, and the present monograph includes detailed, chronological accounts of Panufnik's works, liberally punctuated with excerpts from numerous press reviews. Anyone interested in the secrets of Panufnik's creativity will find the concluding chapter especially valuable: it is devoted entirely to dissecting the characteristic features of his compositional style. Particular focus is brought here upon the issue of symmetry, deemed to be the key component of his technique, manifested throughout the entire structural framework of his output. The biographical part is a keenly objective, factual account of Panufnik's life, scrupulously based on the available archive documentation, as well as on the personal accounts contributed by the members of his immediate family and friends, coming mostly from Poland and the United Kingdom. In sum, the book aims to give a wide readership an opportunity of gaining a deeper insight into the rich fabric of Panufnik's output as a composer, as well as into the key features of his personality that actually made him the man he was.