Francois Marie Arouet de Voltaire
Nicholas Lezard's choice
Treatise on Tolerance by Voltaire review - an attack on fanaticismNicholas Lezard’s choice: A bestseller in the wake of Charlie Hebdo, this 18th-century criticism of religious violence is still relevant today
A beginner’s guide to Voltaire, the philosopher of free speech and tolerance
The French are turning to Voltaire for guidance in the aftermath of the Charlie Hebdo attack. Steven Poole highlights his key quotes, misquotes, major works – and run-ins with the authorities
Syphilis, sex and fear: How the French disease conquered the world
Researching the Borgias, Sarah Dunant learnt how syphilis took Europe by storm during the 1490s, and the far reaching effects it's had ever since
Top 10s
Shalom Auslander's top 10 comic tragediesThe Faith of the Faithless by Simon Critchley - review
Rereading
A candid view of CandideJulian Barnes pays tribute to Voltaire's Candide, a satire that remains as fresh and pertinent today as when it was written in the 18th century
Scandale as French minister confuses clothing chain with classic novel
Frédéric Lefebvre ridiculed after muddling title of Voltaire's Zadig with high-street store
Voltaire: A Life by Ian Davidson
Fionnùala Sinclair admires a portrait of a satirical playwright who became a champion of free speech
Francois Marie Arouet de Voltaire
'Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.'
The best of all possible men
The scientist whom history forgot
David Bodanis uncovers the work of an 18th-century Frenchwoman, Emilie du Chatelet, who with Voltaire created a "research institute" in an isolated chateau
How Voltaire praised the 'enlightened despot' Catherine the Great
Satirist's heartfelt letters to the woman he admired are bought for Russia
Class action
Ian Davidson's hugely readable biography, Voltaire in Exile, is a perfect example of age leading to wisdom, says Nicholas Lezard.
Threads that bind
What the critics had to say about Carol Shields's posthumous collection of short stories, Peter Ackroyd's 12th novel and Ian Davidson's biography of Voltaire.
How politics took a leaf from Voltaire's garden
Salman Rushdie: How politics took a leaf from Voltaire's garden
