"This edition of Voltaire's political writings presents a broad selection of his most interesting and controversial texts, many of which have not previously been translated into English. They range over the themes of the nature and legitimacy of political power, law and the social order, crime and punishment, liberty and humanity, war and peace, and the growing disorder in the French economy, as well as touching on special issues and events in pre-Revolutionary France to which Voltaire responded and in which he was closely involved, including the Seven Years' War and relations with Frederick II, the Genevan quarrels of the 1760s, and the sensational trials of Jean Calas, Sirven and the Chevalier De La Barre. A comprehensive introduction explores the barckground to these texts, which together reflect the full range of Voltaire's responses to the most significant issues of his time."

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