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Voltaire: A Life, by Ian Davidson
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The definitive biography of Voltaire's life ― from his scandalous love affairs and political maneuverings to his inspired philosophy.
We think of Voltaire as the archetypal figure of the enlightenment; in his own time he was also the most famous and controversial figure in Europe. This dazzling new biography celebrates his extraordinary life.
Davidson tells the whole, rich story of Voltaire’s 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; a long exile on the borders of Switzerland; 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.
- Sales Rank: #719203 in Books
- Published on: 2012-03-12
- Released on: 2012-03-12
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 8.70" h x 1.70" w x 5.50" l, 1.20 pounds
- Binding: Paperback
- 560 pages
From Publishers Weekly
A new biography of Voltaire the man �is long overdue, and Davidson (Voltaire in Exile) has done an admirable job in writing it.�Voltaire, n� Marie-Fran�ois Arouet (1694–1778), the personification of the Enlightenment, is presented as a multifaceted and often contradictory individual whose devotion to tolerance and pluralism was frequently offset by his cowardice and self-concern. A child of privilege, he cemented his well-to-do status through involvement in a shady lottery scheme and celebrated life with a succession of mistresses before settling on his married niece as his mistress of choice. Voltaire' s ability as a playwright and writer�is examined�as is his commitment to the rationalist Encyclop�die. His commitment�to human rights did not truly develop, according to Davidson, until he reached middle age, with his involvement in the Calas and de La Barre cases, miscarriages of justice that�marked a turning point in French judicial history. Regrettably, the description of the first part of Voltaire' s life is a bit tedious, and overall this biography would have benefited from more information on French society as a whole during the 18th century. But Voltaire emerges from the story as a champion of civil liberties whose flaws were�decidedly human.�16 pages of illus.; maps.
Copyright � Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
Constructed largely from Voltaire’s correspondence, Davidson’s biography is virtually a daily chronicle of the ambitions, friendships, financial accounts, and travels of Fran�ois Marie Arouet, to use his real name. In such a vein, Voltaire’s prodigious literary output serves as scaffolding for the narrative, just as well since, as Davidson notes, the oeuvre is little read today except for Candide. But under the ancien r�gime, he was imprisoned and exiled for his writing, the source of Voltaire’s image as a freethinker defying arbitrary authority and censorship. Although there is truth in that picture, Davidson shades in Voltaire’s concomitant pursuit of aristocratic approbation for his productions of plays and verse, which he often succeeded in obtaining. If in his pursuit of fame Voltaire courted the powerful, he remained a votary to rationality as in a late-life campaign against the royal judicial system. Davidson also affords peeks into the author’s households and the vagaries in his unconventional amorous arrangements. As it entertains Enlightenment buffs, Davidson’s lively portrait of Voltaire can fill a gap: the previous English-language biography dates to 1969. --Gilbert Taylor
Review
“A new biography of Voltaire ‘the man’ is long overdue, and Davidson has done an admirable job in writing it. Voltaire emerges from the story as a champion of civil liberties whose flaws were decidedly human.” (Publishers Weekly)
“A powerful and illuminating book.” (Sunday Times (London))
Most helpful customer reviews
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful.
Hugely readable
By Duchie
Davidson's background as a journalist is an asset to this work. Voltaire's life was anything but dry, but, somehow, most biographies of his life are. This one is not. Hugely readable. Dare I say, funny? I actually read it on the beach so, in my mind, this is a beach read. I haven't read Voltaire in Exile, so I'm not sure how these two works fit together, but this one certainly stands alone.
43 of 55 people found the following review helpful.
A Warning
By Christian Schlect
I looked forward to reading "Voltaire" because I had enjoyed Ian Davidson's earlier effort "Voltaire in Exile." I gave this first book by Mr. Davidson a good review on Amazon back on April 9, 2005.
I read the first part of the new "Voltaire" and found it uninteresting. No real details or insightful comments about France as Voltaire grew up, or his education, or the impact of his early writings. Lots of details about his difficult relationship with Emilie, his mistress, and his constant moving around.
Why I really dislike this book is its second half. Here the language and information is more lively and relevant. But somehow familiar. I took down my copy of "Voltaire in Exile" and found that many paragraphs and pages were simply lifted by the same author from the 2005 book and placed neatly inside this, the 2010 book.
While it may not be plagiarism to quote yourself, here the author does not even mention in the foreword or endnotes his use of prior writings on the same subject.
Isn't this a mild form of fraud on a book buyer?
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful.
What I Wanted
By Diogenes
I was looking for a book about the life of Voltair, not a discussion of his writings. This is the book. To know the man is to know why he thought like he did and why he enjoyed being part of the Enlightenment. He was well aware of what was going on around him and the freedoms from church dogma that sprang from it. Enjoyed the book a lot.
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