Browse Books | New York Review Books

Detailed View | List View

Title	Author	Description
When The World Spoke French When The World Spoke French	Marc Fumaroli Fumaroli	If you were a writer, thinker, or lover of la douceur de vivre (the sweetness of life) during the 17th century, you conversed and corresponded in French. Eminent scholar Fumaroli has here assembled an unparalleled collection of the most fascinating figures from the period and brought together their rarely seen writings originally penned in French. Pulitzer Prize–winning poet Howard translates. Contributors: Richard Howard
Voltaire in Love Voltaire in Love	Nancy Mitford Mitford	The inimitable Nancy Mitford’s account of Voltaire’s 16-year affair with Émilie du Châtelet—a renowned mathematician and scientist—is a spirited romp in the company of two extraordinary individuals as well as an erudite and gossipy guide to the French Enlightenment. “Voltaire in Love caps [Mitford's] career as the nonpareil popular biographer of that era.”—Michael Dirda, The Washington Post Contributors: Adam Gopnik
The Stammering Century Stammering Century	Gilbert Seldes Seldes	19th-century America bred fads, cults, and new religions as perhaps no other time or place ever has. Writing without judgement, but with plenty of verve, Seldes profiles the charismatic and often off-kilter leaders of these movements and sketches their hidden histories. Contributors: Greil Marcus
Reveille in Washington: 1860–1865 Reveille in Washington	Margaret Leech Leech	This Pulitzer Prize–winning view of Washington during the Civil War forgoes the battlefield to focus on the daily life, political intrigues, and social currents of the young capital. Leech brings to life extravagant dinner parties, saloon backrooms, makeshift barracks, and White House halls. "Packed and running over with the anecdotes, scandals, personalities, and tragi-comedies of the day." —The New Yorker Contributors: James M. McPherson
The Judges of the Secret Court Judges of the Secret Court	David Stacton Stacton	Stacton’s historical recreation of John Wilkes Booth’s plot to assassinate Lincoln, its execution, and its aftermath (including the trials of the conspirators, Mary Surratt among them) is among the finest books ever written about the Civil War. “David Stacton is an original, finely pitched voice in American fiction.” —Larry McMurtry Contributors: John Crowley
India: A Mosaic India: A Mosaic	Robert B. Silvers, Barbara Epstein Silvers	In this collection, distinguished writers from East and West bring their distinctive perspectives to Indian history, politics and literature. Contributors: Arundhati Roy
From Heaven to Arcadia: The Sacred and the Profane in the Renaissance From Heaven to Arcadia	Ingrid D. Rowland Rowland	In these essays, most of them originally published in The New York Review of Books, Ingrid Rowland explores topics in the art and culture of Renaissance Italy.
The Crisis of the European Mind: 1680–1715 Crisis of the European Mind	Paul Hazard Hazard	In this landmark of intellectual history, Paul Hazard looks at the period leading up the Enlightenment, years which saw the erosion of the classical values of respect for tradition, stability, and proportion, as well as a growing awareness of non-European cultures. Hazard captures the excitement of a revolution, the impact of which continues to be felt in our own time. Contributors: Anthony Grafton , J. Lewis May
The World of Odysseus World of Odysseus	M.I. Finley Finley	The World of Odysseus provides a vivid picture of the Greek Dark Ages, its men and women, works and days, morals and values. Contributors: Bernard Knox
War and the Iliad War and the Iliad	Simone Weil, Rachel Bespaloff Bespaloff	These essays do more than prove the permanent relevance of Homer's great poem. They analyze the logic of war itself, and explore how intoxicating violence defines the human condition. Contributors: Christopher Benfey , Hermann Broch , Mary McCarthy