Russell Shorto Ordre des livres (chronologique)

Family secrets emerge as a best-selling author dives into the history of the mob in small-town America

From the author of the acclaimed history The Island at the Center of the World, an intimate new epic of the American Revolution that reinforces its meaning for today. Russell Shorto’s work has been praised as “first-rate intellectual history” (Wall Street Journal), “literary alchemy” (Chicago Tribune) and simply “astonishing” (New York Times). In his epic new book, Russell Shorto takes us back to the founding of the American nation, drawing on diaries, letters and autobiographies to flesh out six lives that cast the era in a fresh new light. They include an African man who freed himself and his family from slavery, a rebellious young woman who abandoned her abusive husband to chart her own course and a certain Mr. Washington, who was admired for his social graces but harshly criticized for his often-disastrous military strategy. Through these lives we understand that the revolution was fought over the meaning of individual freedom, a philosophical idea that became a force for violent change. A powerful narrative and a brilliant defense of American values, Revolution Song makes the compelling case that the American Revolution is still being fought today and that its ideals are worth defending.

Tourists see Amsterdam as a charming city with canals and brick houses, while students know it for its legal brothels and hash bars, and art lovers admire Rembrandt's portraits. However, the city's rich history is deeply tied to its geography and the ongoing struggle of its citizens against the sea, which fostered a unique democratic philosophy. Amsterdam embodies liberalism in two senses: it promotes tolerance for free thought and love, and it has significantly influenced political and economic freedom, impacting even America. The city was a refuge for religious dissidents and radical thinkers, as well as the birthplace of the world's first global corporation. In this insightful narrative, Russell Shorto explores Amsterdam's evolution, connecting seemingly unrelated elements like herring anatomy and Anabaptists to its historical significance. Through his personal experiences in his adopted city, Shorto presents a captivating and intellectually stimulating account of Amsterdam, tracing its journey from the construction of its first canals in the 1300s, through its fight for independence and golden age as an empire, to its contemporary challenges regarding its cherished liberal ideals.

Février 1650, René Descartes, le penseur le plus influent et controversé de son temps s'éteint à Stockholm, au coeur de l'hiver. Seize ans plus tard, ses ossements sont exhumés et secrètement rapatriés en France. C'est le début d'une rocambolesque odyssée. Fétichisme morbide ou véritable vénération pour l'inventeur du concept de raison, des fragments du squelette vont être dérobés, utilisés, disparaître et réapparaître au cours des trois derniers siècles. Leur authenticité sera au coeur de polémiques acharnées impliquant les plus grands noms de la science : Cuvier, Gay-Lussac, Laplace, Condorcet, Lavoisier, Franklin, Delambre, Fermat ou Foucault... L'enjeu : le combat éternel de la raison et de la foi, les balbutiements de l'eugénisme et de la biologie... le fondement même de la philosophie et de la pensée moderne ! Une, palpitante enquête sur les origines de la confrontation entre science et religion et la recherche vitale du sens dans nos sociétés contemporaines.

A richly nuanced portrait of the unknown history of New York City.

With the skill of a seasoned journalist and the passion of an amateur sleuth, Russell Shorto offers a radical revision of the gospel story: a new composite of Jesus that is based on scientific research and supported by some of our most conservative religious scholars. A vivid and sometimes shocking reconstruction of the life and times of Jesus, Gospel Truth will change the way we see Jesus forever.