Originally published in French in 2011 (Colin), Susan Emanuel's outstanding translation brings Belhoste's important work to many more readers and scholars interested in the Enlightenment, the history of science, the history of Paris, and the workings of the Republic of Letters...Belhoste's thesis is that Paris functioned as the center of the Republic of Letters in the eighteenth century by virtue of its expansive and organized scientific programs and endeavors.
Professor Belhoste studied history and history of science at the University Paris 1, obtaining his PhD in 1982 with a dissertation on the life and work of the mathematician Augustin-Louis Cauchy. He obtained his Habilitation in 2001 with a dissertation on the history of the Ecole polytechnique from 1794 to 1870. He was a researcher at the National Institute for Pedagogical in Paris (1986-2003) and a professor in the history of science at the University Paris 10 Nanterre (2003-2007) as well as at the University Paris 1 Panth'eon Sorbonne (2007-2018). He was also the head of the Institut d'histoire moderne et contemporaine (CNRS-ENS-Paris 1) (2014-2017), and has been Emeritus Professor since September 2018.