Sir Robert Robinson was among the last of the great organic chemists in the classical tradition, achieving brilliant results with extremely simple apparatus. In this area he may be compared with Ernest Rutherford and his colleagues at the Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge, who revolutionized atomic physics with equipment based on `string and sealing wax'. This biography examines Robinson's long and distinguished career, from his academic achievements to his work in the chemical industry, and illustrates his complex personality.