About the book
\"Johnson revels in all the wicked things these great thinkers have done…great fun to read.\" — New York Times Book Review
A fascinating portrait of the minds that have shaped the modern world. In an intriguing series of biographical essays, Rousseau, Shelley, Marx, Ibsen, Tolstoy, Hemingway, Bertrand Russell, Brecht, Sartre, Edmund Wilson, Victor Gollancz, Lillian Hellman, Cyril Connolly, Norman Mailer, James Baldwin, Kenneth Tynan, and Noam Chomsky, among others, are revealed as intellectuals both brilliant and contradictory, magnetic and dangerous.
This unflinching collection of biographical essays exposes the startling contradictions between their public pronouncements and private lives:
- A History of Ideas: From Rousseau and Shelley to Sartre and Chomsky, discover the thinkers who forged the modern mind—and the often-shocking personal behavior they sought to conceal.
- Unflinching Cultural Criticism: Johnson pulls no punches, examining the egotism, cruelty, and dishonesty that flourished behind the celebrated public facades of figures like Marx, Tolstoy, and Hemingway.
- The Private Lives of Public Figures: Explore the gap between enlightened ideals and personal reality, from Rousseau’s abandonment of his children to the serial betrayals that marked the lives of so many others.
- A Provocative Reassessment: This classic polemic challenges readers to question the moral authority of intellectuals and reconsider the ideas we have inherited from these brilliant but deeply contradictory men.
Editions of Intellectuals
- Paperback
- ISBN 9780061253171
- EBook
- ISBN 9780061871474
Read an Excerpt
\"Johnson revels in all the wicked things these great thinkers have done…great fun to read.\" — New York Times Book Review
A fascinating portrait of the minds that have shaped the modern world. In an intriguing series of biographical essays, Rousseau, Shelley, Marx, Ibsen, Tolstoy, Hemingway, Bertrand Russell, Brecht, Sartre, Edmund Wilson, Victor Gollancz, Lillian Hellman, Cyril Connolly, Norman Mailer, James Baldwin, Kenneth Tynan, and Noam Chomsky, among others, are revealed as intellectuals both brilliant and contradictory, magnetic and dangerous.
This unflinching collection of biographical essays exposes the startling contradictions between their public pronouncements and private lives:
- A History of Ideas: From Rousseau and Shelley to Sartre and Chomsky, discover the thinkers who forged the modern mind—and the often-shocking personal behavior they sought to conceal.
- Unflinching Cultural Criticism: Johnson pulls no punches, examining the egotism, cruelty, and dishonesty that flourished behind the celebrated public facades of figures like Marx, Tolstoy, and Hemingway.
- The Private Lives of Public Figures: Explore the gap between enlightened ideals and personal reality, from Rousseau’s abandonment of his children to the serial betrayals that marked the lives of so many others.
- A Provocative Reassessment: This classic polemic challenges readers to question the moral authority of intellectuals and reconsider the ideas we have inherited from these brilliant but deeply contradictory men.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Intellectuals about?
\"Johnson revels in all the wicked things these great thinkers have done…great fun to read.\" — New York Times Book Review
A fascinating portrait of the minds that have shaped the modern world. In an intriguing series of biographical essays, Rousseau, Shelley, Marx, Ibsen, Tolstoy, Hemingway, Bertrand Russell, Brecht, Sartre, Edmund Wilson, Victor Gollancz, Lillian Hellman, Cyril Connolly, Norman Mailer, James Baldwin, Kenneth Tynan, and Noam Chomsky, among others, are revealed as intellectuals both brilliant and contradictory, magnetic and dangerous.
This unflinching collection of biographical essays exposes the startling contradictions between their public pronouncements and private lives:
- A History of Ideas: From Rousseau and Shelley to Sartre and Chomsky, discover the thinkers who forged the modern mind—and the often-shocking personal behavior they sought to conceal.
- Unflinching Cultural Criticism: Johnson pulls no punches, examining the egotism, cruelty, and dishonesty that flourished behind the celebrated public facades of figures like Marx, Tolstoy, and Hemingway.
- The Private Lives of Public Figures: Explore the gap between enlightened ideals and personal reality, from Rousseau’s abandonment of his children to the serial betrayals that marked the lives of so many others.
- A Provocative Reassessment: This classic polemic challenges readers to question the moral authority of intellectuals and reconsider the ideas we have inherited from these brilliant but deeply contradictory men.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Intellectuals?
History and Archaeology > History > History: specific events and topics > Genocide and ethnic cleansing > The Holocaust
Where can I read a sample of Intellectuals?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9780061253171
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Intellectuals?
Paul Johnson
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Intellectuals is available as paperback(ISBN 9780061253171) and ebook(ISBN 9780061871474)
Where can I buy Intellectuals online or support local independent bookshops?
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Where can I buy Intellectuals?