Alfred Dreyfus: The Man at the Center of the Affair

Jewish Lives Series

By: Maurice Samuels

Narrated by: Jason Grasl

Length: 5 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's summary

An insightful new biography of the central figure in the Dreyfus Affair, focused on the man himself and based on newly accessible documents

On January 5, 1895, Captain Alfred Dreyfus's cries of innocence were drowned out by a mob shouting "Death to Judas!" In this book, Maurice Samuels gives listeners new insight into Dreyfus himself—the man at the center of the affair. He tells the story of Dreyfus's early life in Paris, his promising career as a French officer, the false accusation leading to his imprisonment on Devil's Island, the fight to prove his innocence that divided the French nation, and his life of quiet obscurity after World War I.

Samuels's striking perspective is enriched by a newly available archive of more than three thousand documents and objects donated by the Dreyfus family. Unlike many historians, Samuels argues that Dreyfus was not an "assimilated" Jew. Rather, he epitomized a new model of Jewish identity made possible by the French Revolution, when France became the first European nation to grant Jews full legal equality. This book analyzes Dreyfus's complex relationship to Judaism and to antisemitism over the course of his life—a story that, as global antisemitism rises, echoes still. It also shows the profound effect of the Dreyfus Affair on the lives of Jews around the world.

©2024 Maurice Samuels (P)2024 Tantor

Awful performance.

This is a worthwhile listen especially if you follow French history and politics. It doesn’t shed much more light on Dreyfus than other books about the affair, but is an interesting read nonetheless. Unfortunately, the performance is bad and the reader could have benefited from some lessons on cadence, and French, Hebrew, and even English pronunciation.

Fascinating, Relevant, Expertly Told

Great! Written with clarity and sensitivity, this synthesis of the story of Alfred Dreyfus is dramatic, even suspenseful, but also scholarly, including new research and touching details that reveal the man behind the famous Dreyfus Affair. This story is much more than a historical episode; it has many echoes in the present time and helps us understand our own moment. Unforgettable.