author
A. (Alfred) Bégis
1829–1904
A French lawyer and historian, he wrote with a taste for dramatic episodes, legal records, and the hidden corners of literary and political life. His books move from Revolutionary figures like Saint-Just and Mirabeau to the notorious Affair of the Diamond Necklace and the "hell" of the Bibliothèque nationale.
1 Audiobook
About the author
Alfred Bégis was a French writer, lawyer, and historian active in the late 19th century. Library and reference records identify him as living from 1829 to 1904, and describe him as both an avocat and a historian.
His work shows a strong interest in archives, scandals, and neglected episodes from French history. Among the books attributed to him are studies of Saint-Just and Mirabeau, works on the Affair of the Diamond Necklace such as L'affaire du collier and La mort de la reine, and L'enfer de la Bibliothèque nationale, a work tied to disputes over books seized from his home and deposited in the imperial library.
He seems to have written for readers who enjoyed history with documentary detail and a sense of controversy. Even from the surviving catalog records alone, Bégis comes across as an author drawn to the meeting point of law, politics, and the curious afterlives of books.