The contents run from page 3 to page 266.

The book contains a lengthy preamble, with acknowledgements, author's note, introduction by Ingrid Pitt and a prologue all taking us up to page XXII before we start with Part One - 'Herbert's Domain'. Part Two is entitled 'A Chamber of Horrors' and Part Three is entitled 'The Legacy'. The book also contains an extensive and up to date bibliography.

At first glance, I thought that this was going to be THE essential companion book for all James Herbert fans. However, as a biography, I found it to be very disappointing. All the biographies I have read in the past have loads of interviews with people who know the subject and talk about him. There is hardly any of that here. Indeed, the book is extensively padded out with other items. There are only really three chapters about Herbert's life before we get onto chapters about the books and one of those three is an essay about children in danger in Herbert's books. Each Herbert book is then given a chapter but the content is thin and digresses to other books. The book is somewhat redeemed by the last section, part three, called 'The Legacy' which includes an essay written by Herbert about his views of Heaven, an excellent short story entitled 'Extinct' and the full uncut chapter "Cora's Needs" from the book "Sepulchre". This section also contains an excellent and detailed collector's guide to Herbert's books. This last section alone makes the book well worth having.