Voltaire, a life

• Date de parution : 19/04/2012
• Editeur : Profil Digital
• EAN : 9781847652249
• Série : (-)
• Support : Livre numérique

• Nombre de pages : (-)
• Collection : (-)
• Genre : Littérature étrangère
• Thème : Littérature anglaise
• Prix littéraire(s) : (-)

We think of Voltaire as the epitome of the Enlightenment; in his own time he was also the most famous and controversial figure in Europe.



Davidson tells the whole, rich story of his life (1694-1778) - his early imprisonment in the Bastille; exile in England and his mastery of English; an... Voir plus

We think of Voltaire as the epitome of the Enlightenment; in his own time he was also the most famous and controversial figure in Europe.



Davidson tells the whole, rich story of his life (1694-1778) - his early imprisonment in the Bastille; exile in England and his mastery of English; an obsession with money, of which he made a huge amount; a scandalous love life; his infatuation with Frederick the Great; a long exile on the borders of Switzerland; his passion for watch-making; his human rights campaigns and his triumphant return to Paris to die there as celebrity extraordinaire. Throughout all of this Voltaire's life was always informed by two things: a belief in the essential value of toleration in the face of fanaticism; and in the right of every man to think and say what he liked. It is rare to have such a vivid portrait of a great man.