Socrates A Man for Our Times [Paperback]

“Spectacular . . . A delight to read.”
—The Wall Street Journal
 
From bestselling biographer and historian Paul Johnson, a brilliant portrait of Socrates, the founding father of philosophy

In his highly acclaimed style, historian Paul Johnson masterfully disentangles centuries of scarce sources to offer a riveting account of Socrates, who is often hailed as the most important thinker of all time. Johnson provides a compelling picture of Athens in the fifth century BCE, and of the people Socrates reciprocally delighted in, as well as many enlightening and intimate analyses of specific aspects of his personality. Enchantingly portraying the sheer power of Socrates's mind, and its unique combination of steel, subtlety, and frivolity, Paul Johnson captures the vast and intriguing life of a man who did nothing less than supply the basic apparatus of the human mind.Praise forSocratesby Paul Johnson:

“An admirably concise view of a remarkable life whose influence remains central to the foundations of Western thought.”
—Publishers Weekly

“[Johnson’s] genuine love of the demos makes him an all-too-rare figure in today’s chattering classes.”
—First Things

“Johnson writes more concisely than most scholars and brings to his prose a wealth of anecdote and asides unknown to most academics. His Socrates comes alive not through arguments over Platonic dating or Pythagorean influence, but by wit and allusion to Jane Austen novels, Samuel Johnson, John Maynard Keynes, firsthand remembrances of Winston Churchill's speeches and Richard Dawkins. A valuable overview.”
—Washington Times

“Robust.”
—The New Republic

“With effortless erudition, Paul Johnson brings to life the world of the great philosopher.”