M. (Jean Baptiste Honoré Raymond) Capefigue

Born in Marseille in 1801, Jean-Baptiste Honoré Raymond Capefigue went to Paris as a young man to study law, but he soon left that path for journalism. He worked with several French newspapers, including La Quotidienne, and built a public career as a writer on politics and history.

Capefigue became known for extraordinary productivity. Library and encyclopedia records describe a body of work that ran to many dozens of titles and well over a hundred volumes, with books on figures such as Philippe-Auguste and Henri IV, as well as studies of the Reformation, diplomacy, and modern European politics. He wrote in a lively, accessible way that helped him reach a broad readership.

Later reference works note that critics did not always admire his method, arguing that speed and abundance sometimes came at the expense of careful scholarship. Even so, his output gives a vivid picture of the historical interests of 19th-century France. He died in Paris on December 23, 1872.