Biographies, Memoirs All books
Philippe Taquet
Georges Cuvier Anatomy of a Naturalist
The second of three volumes, this one dealing with scientific work between 1795 and 1803; the third will deal with the later years of the greatest biologist of his time.
Colonel Passy
Colonel Passy Memoirs of the Chief of the Secret Services of a Liberated France
These two volumes constitute a new edition of Colonel Passys memoirs, which were first published by Plon in a three-volune limited edition (Deuxième Bureau-Londres; 10 Duke Street-Londres; Missions Secrètes en France). The new edition has been presented and annotated by historian Jean-Louis Crémieux-Brilhac, a specialist in the period. André Dewawrin, alias Colonel Passy, headed the Bureau de Contre-espionnage, de Renseignement et dAction (BCRA) of the Free French in London, from 1940 to 1944. He became General Koenigs chief of staff, in 1944. A former student at the prestigious Ecole Polytechnique, he headed the department of research and study for the French Ministry of Defence after the war.
Henry Laurens
Ernest Renan, Science, Religion and the French Republic
A tribute to the great nineteenth-century French scholar Ernest Renan, with contributions by experts from diverse fields
George Bush, Brent Scowcroft
A World Transformed
It was one of the pivotal times of the twentieth century - during George Bushs presidency an extraordinary series of international events took place that materially changed the face of the world. Now, former President Bush and his national secretary advisor, Brent Scowcroft, tell the story of those tumultuous years. Here are behind-the-scenes accounts of critical meetings in the White House and of summit conferences in Europe and the United States, interspersed with excerpts from Mr. Bushs diary. We are given fresh intriguing views of world leaders such as Mikhail Gorbachev, Boris Yeltsin, Margaret Thatcher, Helmut Kohl, and François Mitterrand--and witness the importance of personal relationships in diplomacy. There is the dramatic description of how President Bush put together the alliance against Saddam Hussein in the Gulf War. There are the intensive diplomatic exchanges with Beijing following the events of Tiananmen Square, and the intricate negotiations leading up to the German reunification. And there is the sometimes poignant sometimes grim portrayal of Gorbachevs final years in power. A World Transformed is not simply a record of accomplishment; Bush and Scowcroft candidly recount how the major players sometimes disagreed over issues, and analyze what mistakes were made. This is a landmark book on the conduct of American foreign policy-- and how that policy is crucial to the peace of the world. It is a fascinating inside look at great events that deepens our understanding of todays global issues. George Bush was President of the United States from 1989 to 1993. Brent Scowcroft was National Security Advisor under Presidents Ford and Bush.
Philippe Desan
Montaigne A Political Biography
A brilliant, erudite biography that demolishes many received ideas about the great French philosopher
Justin Vaïsse
Zbigniew Brzezinski Strategist of the Empire
The itinerary of this exceptional statesman offers a unique behind-the-scenes view of U.S. foreign policy in the making
James Gleick
Genius: Richard Feynman and Modern Physics
Richard Feynman, Nobel Prize winner for his work on the description and calculation of interactions between particles, was a genius of our time. Quantum physics theoretician, enfant terrible of the Manhattan project and ascerbic critic of the investigative committee of the American space shuttle, Feynman left a profound impression on modern physics. James Gleick, a former journalist at The New York Times and author of the best-selling Chaos Theory, tells how Feynman's ideas were formed and how he reinvented particle physics. Through this portrait, Gleick explores the nature of genius itself and provides insight about the fascination that it engenders.
Louis-Pascal Jacquemond
Irène Joliot-Curie Biography
A brilliant scientist and a committed feminist whose defence of women and science was unflagging
Susan Quinn
Marie Curie New édition
Going beyond the legend, this biography, entirely based on documents in the archives, brings alive the picture of a captivating woman, whose life reads like a novel. Susan Quinn is a biographist and journalist.
Juliette Grange
Auguste Comte - Politics and Science
The writings of Auguste Comte are often reduced to a few excerpts and stereotypes, and as a result the judgement of "positivism" is quickly reached. Yet, industrial politics, the organisation of research, and the influence of the exact sciences on the way we regard politics, all eminently modern themes, lie at the heart of his thought. Therefore, this book, by one of the best French specialists, offers an original rereading of Comte and ultimately opens the way for a more personal reflection on the nature of the relations between science and politics as they exist today. Juliette Grange is a professor at the University of Nancy-II
Guiliana Gemelli
Fernand Braudel
Fernand Braudel is considered as one of the major historians of the XXth century. Making his stand against factual history, he was one of the founders of the triumph of new history: the history of human societies rooted in their geographical space and obstinately determined to produce their material civilization there. This biography takes its strength from friendly conversations between Braudel and Giuliana Gemelli, who because she is Italian, had the necessary distance to make a demanding quest.
Peter Piot
No Time to Lose A Life in Pursuit of Deadly Viruses
A fascinating account of the fight against viruses, by one of the discoverers of the Ebola virus
Yvonne Choquet-Bruhat
A female mathematician in this strange universe
The first woman elected to the Academy of Sciences, Yvonne Choquet-Bruhat is one of the greatest mathematicians and physicists of our time. With this book she brings us a very personal account where private life mixes with scientific discovery and the broad sweep of history.
Gérard Minart
Jacques Rueff A French Free-market Economist
An influential French free-market economist and adviser to President Charles de Gaulle
Yves Coppens
The Scholar, the Fossil, and the Prince From the Lab to Palaces
A storyteller with amazing talent, a scientist who is happy to reveal to the greatest of figures other facets of his personality: adventurous, refined, and full of humor.
George W. Bush
A Portrait of My Father George H. W. Bush
George W. Bush, the 43rd President of the United States, has authored a personal biography of his father, George H. W. Bush, the 41st President.
Annick Perrot, Maxime Schwartz
Pasteur’s Nephew Or the Adventurous Life of Adrien Loir, Scholar and Globe-Trotter (1862-1941)
The book reads like a novel, part biography, part story of the development and history of Pasteurian science as seen through the life of Adrien Loir.
Yves Coppens
Origins of Man: Origins of a Man Memoirs
Richly illustrated, the memoirs of a great paleontologist, a man of exceptional breadth and an indefatigable story-teller, world-renowned prehistorian, and award-winning French scientist. The story of a life dedicated entirely to studying, explaining, reconstituting, understanding, telling about, and conveying the history of human beings, and the mystery of our origins.
