Montaigne: A Life

“This biography is thoroughly illuminating and it is difficult to imagine that it could be bettered. It will surely hold the field for decades.”–Michael Moriarty, University of Cambridge

“Philippe Desan’s biography offers a refreshing corrective to those Lives of Montaigne that have underplayed his political activities and aspirations by presenting his literary activities as belonging to their own autonomous sphere. The book offers some intriguing new interpretations, including a compelling account of the different circumstances that surroundand intentions that may animatethe various editions of the Essays.”–Richard Scholar, University of Oxford