author
Claude Guillaume Bourdon de Sigrais
1715–1791
An 18th-century French writer and historian with a sharp satirical streak, he is remembered both for playful works like Histoire des rats and for more serious historical writing. He was also a long-serving member of the Académie royale des inscriptions et belles-lettres.
1 Audiobook
Histoire des rats, pour servir à l'histoire universelle
by Claude Guillaume Bourdon de Sigrais
About the author
Claude-Guillaume Bourdon de Sigrais was a French writer and historian active in the 18th century. Library and scholarly records identify him as living from 1715 to 1791, and place his origins in Lons-le-Saunier in eastern France.
His work ranged from satire to history. He is especially associated with Histoire des rats, a witty and unusual book that helped keep his name in circulation, but he also wrote broader historical studies, including reflections on the Gauls, the Franks, and the French.
Sigrais was a member of the Académie royale des inscriptions et belles-lettres from 1752 until his death in 1791, which suggests the respect he earned in learned circles. Even if he is not widely read today, he remains an interesting figure for listeners curious about lesser-known voices from the French Enlightenment.