The Dreyfus Affair

The Scandal That Tore France in Two

By: Piers Paul Read

Narrated by: David Pevsner

Length: 16 hrs and 40 mins

Publisher's summary

July 20, 1894: The German Military Attache in Paris, Colonel Maximillien von Schwarzkoppen received a visit from a seedy-looking middle-aged Frenchman who would not give his name. He told Schwarzkoppen that he was a French army officer serving on the General Staff; that he was in desperate need of money; and was therefore prepared to sell military secrets to the Germans.

Captain Alfred Dreyfus, then aged 35, was a high-flying career artillery officer. Shy, reserved, sometimes awkward, but intelligent and ambitious, Dreyfus had everything he might have hoped for: a wife, two enchanting children, plenty of money, and a post on the General Staff. However, Dreyfus' rise in the army had not made him friends. Many of them came from the impoverished Catholic aristocracy and disliked Dreyfus because he was rich, bourgeois and, above all, a Jew.

On October 13, Captain Dreyfus was summoned by the General de Boisdeffre to the Ministry of War. Despite minimal evidence against him he was placed under arrest for the crime of high treason. Not long afterward Dreyfus was incarcerated on Devil's Island.

But how did an innocent man come to be convicted? And why was he kept locked up for so long?

The Dreyfus Affair uniquely combines a fast-moving mystery story with a snapshot of France at a moment of great social flux and cultural richness - the Belle Epoque, the Impressionists, novelists such as Flaubert, Zola, the Goncourts, Proust. It is a key to an understanding of later history; the Holocaust and Zionism: the virulent anti-Semitism of the anti-Dreyfusards and the decision that the Jews must have a state of their own.

©2012 Piers Paul Read (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

A Horrific Story Thoroughly Told

The book is quite good, although I will say that it's hard to listen to as a Jew for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that the book quotes antisemitic sentiments and the audiobook doesn't make completely clear that these are not editorializations. otherwise, it's very compelling but the ending drags on a bit, as the accounts of how everyone died were for the most part superfluous to one's understanding of the affair.

Gripping look at an important moment in history

This was a very interesting and in-depth look at the Dreyfus Affair. The author explains in detail the historical, social and political context in which the event took place. The roots of the affair trace back to the schism between the traditionalists and secularists in the French Revolution, and Dreyfus became a pawn between these competing forces. Very balanced in presenting the thoughts and motives of those on both sides of the issue, and very moving in describing Dreyfus's imprisonment. A fascinating look at how an injustice could both be perpetrated by those with noble motives and how decisions become self-perpetuating.

Great

Breathtaking story, both from the human and the historical perspective. Some listeners complained about the narration; it didn't bother me so much. It is slow, but I played it at x1.2 speed and it was fine. The French pronunciation apparently isn't great, but if you don't speak French I guess you can't tell. The story is very detailed, I had to listen twice to get all the different characters and their roles. But it was not boring for a moment.

Needed a good editor

I don't know who the audience for this book is supposed to be. For someone like me, looking for a detailed background on the affair to help me understand Proust and the larger religious divisions in France, this book is too long by 20–30%. Some obvious things, like the role of the French Revolution and Commune in reifying French anti-semitism and the post-Affair anti-Catholic laws, are overexplained. Some crucial things, like the means of social dissemination of anti-semitism, are under-explained or under-exampled. I would have preferred for Read to offer a deeper analysis of the social currents and less superficial detail of dates and events.

Interesting history, but as dry as the Sahara

I've heard a bit about the Dreyfus Affair but never really had a chance to study it in depth. So I decided to gamble a credit on this offering.

The background and context (history of Antisemitism in France, French history after Napoleon) and the background were useful but long and perhaps could have been shortened somewhat. The actual story (Dreyfus' situation, his arrest, the evidence against him, the periodic debates over Dreyfus, how Esterhazy was unmasked and the aftermath) is interesting, but every so often gets broken up with long-winded background material.

I think the writing could be better (maybe a few edits to trim about 10% would liven things up, and maybe a little less scholarly in tone) but the real problem with this book is the narration. David Pevenser is a plodding, slow-pace reader who sounds like he's expecting the listener to be taking notes. I changed the playback speed to 1.25x on my Audible app for some of it, and it improved. Also, I'm not an expert in French, but I suspect his accent is less "Left Bank" and more "US High School."

In summary: Not loving it and definitely not good with the narration.

Everything about Dreyfus Affair

The book covers French history, Anti-Semitism in France, the French army officer corps, Jesuit influences on Catholicism in n France and the Dreyfus family and their background. Everything that could be related to the story is touched upon. Beware the story can be depressing and upsetting at times.

Needs better narrator

I was unable to get past the second chapter--Mr. Pevsner is a very stilted reader of English, and he completely butchers the French language. The combination of these two issues led me to return the audio book and buy a print copy, because I really want to read this book!