"'Ian Davidson has done him full justice in this rich biography. He hides nothing of his hero's frailties and faults, but his greatness shines all the more brightly' (Allan Massie, Literary Review) 'One of the many great merits of this book is that it firmly puts the emphasis on Voltaire as a man. There is no shortage of biographies of Voltaire... but this is one of the best of them. Full of the revealing detail that French biographers tend to regard as vulgar gossip.' (Andrew Hussey, Financial Times)"