Life of Voltaire: Historical Memoirs of the Author of Henriade

VOLTAIRE (AROUET, François-Marie).

Historical Memoirs Of The Author Of The Henriade. With Some Original Pieces. To Which are Added, Genuine Letters Of Mr. De Voltaire. Taken from His Own Minutes.

London: Printed for T. Durham , 1777.

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"No character in the literary world is so universally known": Finely Bound example of the Life of Voltaire

Finely bound example documenting the life of one of the most important minds of the French Enlightenment taken from his own minutes and including the first appearance of many of his letters and original pieces. Translated from the French and published one year before the death of Voltaire. Octavo, original period full calf, gilt titles and tooling to the spine, double gilt ruled to the front and rear panel, spine gilt with triple bands and floral inlays, marbled endpapers, all edges marbled. Period bookplates to the pastedown and front free endpaper. A nice example.

One of the most influential thinkers of the French Enlightenment, François-Marie Arouet, know by the nom de plum Voltaire, was a resourceful and prolific writer. His works touched nearly every literary form including plays, poems, novels, theoretical essays, and scientific treatises. A forthright and candid advocate of civil liberties, he frequently criticized the institutions of religious dogma and classism prevalent in 18th century France, often doing so through satire to avoid censorship and imprisonment.