The astonishing life of the writer named by the New York Times “one of the last living heroes of the darkest era of the twentieth century.”
His brief pamphlet Indignez-vous! (Cry Out!) is an international bestseller, calling for a return to the values of his native France’s “greatest generation,” the resistance fighters of World War II. It has inspired citizens participating in the Arab Spring and Occupy Wall Street uprisings. Now Stéphane Hessel, one of France’s preeminent thinkers and activists, is back.
With extraordinary insight, the ninety-four-year-old Hessel gives his intellectual autobiography. His thinking is nourished by the exchange he has maintained for years with his close friends, as well as prominent political and literary figures: Edgar Morin, Jean-Paul Dollé, Daniel Cohn-Bendit, Régis Debray, Peter Sloterdijk, Laure Adler, Michel Rocard, and Jean-Claude Carrière.
This book is accessible and profound—it is for all those who seek, despite the contradictions and violence of our contemporary lives, to “regain our dignity as men and women while governed by a frenzy of selfish and irresponsible people.” This book is, for Stéphane Hessel, a way to encourage us to reflect on the past in order to take charge of our future destiny. At once a handbook for the revolutionary, a treatise on human rights, and an inside look at the relationships, thoughts, and recollections of one of the most important figures in France, this is not-to-be-missed.
traversée une cinquantaine d'année sur un chemin dont finalement on ne connait que la surface. les références (nombreuses et parfois inconnues ou méconnues) déroutent. La diplomatie semble fournir une lecture tellement proche du monde et pourtant si éloignée du quotidien des habitants de cette terre. l'impression générale est tout de même de partager la vie d'un enfant gâté du 20° sicèle. passer une soirée au coin d'un feu à couter ce désormais vieux monsieur ressemblerait à un cadeau !
I learned a lot about democracy, engagement, and politics abd also how difficult it is to really change society. I also believe that new technologies can do a lot compared to all those structures not using them!
Aunque había muchas partes del libro con descripciones demasiado técnicas que se me hicieron tediosas, el resto está muy bien escrito, y he descubierto una personalidad apasionante.