author
Charles Sarolea
1870–1953
A Belgian scholar who made his career in Edinburgh, he wrote with energy about literature, culture, and the great political questions of his day. His work brings together a teacher’s clarity and a public thinker’s sense of urgency.
1 Audiobook
German Problems and Personalities
by Charles Sarolea
About the author
Born in Tongeren, Belgium, in 1870, Charles Sarolea studied at the University of Liège before moving to Scotland. In 1894 he was appointed to the newly created lectureship in French at the University of Edinburgh, and in 1918 he became the university’s first Professor of French.
Sarolea wrote widely as both a literary scholar and a public commentator. Alongside his academic work in French and Romance studies, he published books and essays on international affairs and edited Everyman from 1912 to 1917.
He remained closely associated with Edinburgh for the rest of his life and died there in 1953. His career helps explain why his books can feel both scholarly and public-facing: they were written by someone equally at home in the university, the magazine world, and contemporary debate.