Man on Devil Island Alfred Dreyfus and the Affair That Divided France Ruth Harris 9780141014777 Books
Download As PDF : Man on Devil Island Alfred Dreyfus and the Affair That Divided France Ruth Harris 9780141014777 Books
This title is the winner of the Wolfson History Prize 2010 and the 2010 National Jewish Book Award for Biography. Ruth Harris writes beautifully and engagingly on a moment in French history that polarized society and undermined the French state; the repercussions of which were felt up to the outbreak of the Second World War. At the end of September 1894 a charlady stole an undated and unsigned letter from the wastepaper bin of the German military attache in Paris. Torn to pieces but stuck back together by French intelligence, this document contained French military secrets. By the middle of October a Jewish captain in the army called Alfred Dreyfus was accused of being its author. As it turned out, he was entirely innocent, but at the time few questioned the verdict of the subsequent court martial, nor the unanimous decision to sentence him to a life of penal servitude. Public opinion was outraged, and the War Minister, General Auguste Mercier, asked for the reintroduction of the death penalty so Dreyfus could be guillotined. Although the request was turned down, Dreyfus was still subjected to special conditions rather than going to New Caledonia like other transported convicts, he was sent to the much harsher Devil's Island off the coast of French Guiana, and condemned to solitary confinement in murderous conditions. The French authorities did not expect - and probably did not want - him to survive. So undisputed was Dreyfus' conviction that no one had any inkling it would be queried, let alone that the case would become the scandal that nearly brought down the French state. It changed the political course of the nation and transformed the way the country viewed itself and was viewed by others.
Man on Devil Island Alfred Dreyfus and the Affair That Divided France Ruth Harris 9780141014777 Books
I'm a little bit surprised that I'm the first to review this book. It's been out for several years now. I would have thought it would have attracted a substantial readership - it's an excellent, highly-readable account of one of the most titanic events in the history of modern Europe. The Dreyfus Affair ripped apart France for years. Encased within the story are some of the great themes of history including the ability of power to corrupt men, the willingness of governments to lie, the corrosive effects of secrets, the pride of nationalism, the dangers of nationalism that gets humiliated, and the eagerness of militaries to protect themselves, even at the expense of truth. I would add one more great theme - the importance of having brave writers who are free to stand up alone and say, "This is the truth." Thank God for Emile Zola. Thank God for the Dreyfus Affair, because maybe, just maybe, we can learn something from it. (I know, not very likely.)Product details
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Tags : Man on Devil's Island: Alfred Dreyfus and the Affair That Divided France [Ruth Harris] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. This title is the winner of the Wolfson History Prize 2010 and the 2010 National Jewish Book Award for Biography. Ruth Harris writes beautifully and engagingly on a moment in French history that polarized society and undermined the French state; the repercussions of which were felt up to the outbreak of the Second World War. At the end of September 1894 a charlady stole an undated and unsigned letter from the wastepaper bin of the German military attache in Paris. Torn to pieces but stuck back together by French intelligence,Ruth Harris,Man on Devil's Island: Alfred Dreyfus and the Affair That Divided France,Penguin Books,0141014776
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Man on Devil Island Alfred Dreyfus and the Affair That Divided France Ruth Harris 9780141014777 Books Reviews
I'm a little bit surprised that I'm the first to review this book. It's been out for several years now. I would have thought it would have attracted a substantial readership - it's an excellent, highly-readable account of one of the most titanic events in the history of modern Europe. The Dreyfus Affair ripped apart France for years. Encased within the story are some of the great themes of history including the ability of power to corrupt men, the willingness of governments to lie, the corrosive effects of secrets, the pride of nationalism, the dangers of nationalism that gets humiliated, and the eagerness of militaries to protect themselves, even at the expense of truth. I would add one more great theme - the importance of having brave writers who are free to stand up alone and say, "This is the truth." Thank God for Emile Zola. Thank God for the Dreyfus Affair, because maybe, just maybe, we can learn something from it. (I know, not very likely.)
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