Alfred Dreyfus by Maurice Samuels
An insightful new biography of the central figure of the Dreyfus Affair, focused on the man himself and based on newly accessible documents
“The affair and its consequences, admirably and precisely presented in this study, compel us to be more vigilant when demagogues seek to divide us through the casual, and often purposeful, misuse of language”—Ronald C. Rosbottom, Wall Street Journal
“Alfred Dreyfus is an admirable introduction not only to its nominal subject but to . . . great historical events.”—Geoffrey Wheatcroft, New York Review of Books
“A short new book on Captain Alfred Dreyfus, . . . whose court cases divided France into two warring camps, could not have been better timed. . . . Samuels tells the story of the Dreyfus affair well.”—Ian Buruma, The Spectator
“A sensitive portrait of an intensely private man whose resistance and survival were truly heroic.”—Natasha Lehrer, Times Literary Supplement
“The evidence (or lack of it) that prompted Dreyfus’s initial arrest is a complex tale with many characters. Samuels provides a brilliant, detailed analysis . . . [and a man] capable of great strength, courage and sensitivity.”—JP O’Malley, Irish Independent
“A commendable overview of the life of Dreyfus and his promising career as a French Army officer.”—Robert Shiels, Scottish Legal News
“The Dreyfus affair is one of the moments where both modern anti-Semitism and crusading journalism and mass protest were born. Maurice Samuels provides a complex, lucid, narrative retelling that will simultaneously enrage any reader and inspire them with its tales of the stubborn search for justice. Even if you’ve read about Dreyfus before, you need to read this.”—Adam Gopnik, author of The Real Work
“An intimate portrait of the defiant rectitude of Alfred Dreyfus, the wrongfully accused French military officer whom Mark Twain called ‘the most infamously misused Jew of modern times.’ At a time when truth is flouted, bigotry rampant, and nationalism resurgent, Maurice Samuels provides an important account of a French society inflamed and divided by hatred of a deeply patriotic Jew. Exiled, abused, left for dead, Dreyfus never wavered in his fight for truth and a society of equal treatment for all. That fight continues to this day.”—Roger Cohen, Paris bureau chief, New York Times
“In this pioneering biography, Maurice Samuels restores Alfred Dreyfus to the affair that bears his name. In doing so, he rehabilitates an often disregarded form of modern Jewish identity and shows how one Jewish life could matter so much to so many others. A triumph.”—Samuel Moyn, author of Liberalism against Itself
“Alfred Dreyfus is an admirable introduction not only to its nominal subject but to . . . great historical events.”—Geoffrey Wheatcroft, New York Review of Books
“A short new book on Captain Alfred Dreyfus, . . . whose court cases divided France into two warring camps, could not have been better timed. . . . Samuels tells the story of the Dreyfus affair well.”—Ian Buruma, The Spectator
“A sensitive portrait of an intensely private man whose resistance and survival were truly heroic.”—Natasha Lehrer, Times Literary Supplement
“The evidence (or lack of it) that prompted Dreyfus’s initial arrest is a complex tale with many characters. Samuels provides a brilliant, detailed analysis . . . [and a man] capable of great strength, courage and sensitivity.”—JP O’Malley, Irish Independent
“A commendable overview of the life of Dreyfus and his promising career as a French Army officer.”—Robert Shiels, Scottish Legal News
“The Dreyfus affair is one of the moments where both modern anti-Semitism and crusading journalism and mass protest were born. Maurice Samuels provides a complex, lucid, narrative retelling that will simultaneously enrage any reader and inspire them with its tales of the stubborn search for justice. Even if you’ve read about Dreyfus before, you need to read this.”—Adam Gopnik, author of The Real Work
“An intimate portrait of the defiant rectitude of Alfred Dreyfus, the wrongfully accused French military officer whom Mark Twain called ‘the most infamously misused Jew of modern times.’ At a time when truth is flouted, bigotry rampant, and nationalism resurgent, Maurice Samuels provides an important account of a French society inflamed and divided by hatred of a deeply patriotic Jew. Exiled, abused, left for dead, Dreyfus never wavered in his fight for truth and a society of equal treatment for all. That fight continues to this day.”—Roger Cohen, Paris bureau chief, New York Times
“In this pioneering biography, Maurice Samuels restores Alfred Dreyfus to the affair that bears his name. In doing so, he rehabilitates an often disregarded form of modern Jewish identity and shows how one Jewish life could matter so much to so many others. A triumph.”—Samuel Moyn, author of Liberalism against Itself
Maurice Samuels is the Betty Jane Anlyan Professor of French and director of the Yale Program for the Study of Antisemitism at Yale University. He is the author most recently of The Betrayal of the Duchess: The Scandal That Unmade the Bourbon Monarchy and Made France Modern. He lives in Branford, CT.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780300254006 |
| ISBN 10 | 0300254008 |
| Title | Alfred Dreyfus |
| Author | Maurice Samuels |
| Series | Jewish Lives |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | Yale University Press |
| Year published | 2024-03-26 |
| Number of pages | 224 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |