Voltaire: A Sketch of His Life and Works

This compact biography offers a lively portrait of the French Enlightenment’s most outspoken champion of reason. Written as a tribute for the bicentenary of his birth, the authors present Voltaire through the eyes of a modern freethinker, highlighting his relentless fight against superstition, intolerance and the abuses of both church and state. Selections from his own writings are woven throughout, giving listeners a taste of his sharp wit and persuasive prose while situating his ideas within the broader currents of reform and democracy that still shape our world.

The narrative begins with the humble origins of François Marie Arouet, born in Paris in 1694, and follows his early education under the Jesuits. Even as a child he displayed an uncanny talent for poetry, and the influence of his cultured family and the salon of Ninon l’Enclos sparked his lifelong curiosity about the world beyond doctrine. These formative experiences set the stage for the brilliant, iconoclastic voice that would later challenge entrenched power and champion liberty for all.