The never-before-told account of the
intersection of some of the most insightful minds
of the 20th century, and a fascinating look at how war,
resistance, and friendship can catalyze
genius. In the spring of 1940,
the aspiring but unknown writer Albert Camus and budding
scientist Jacques Monod were quietly pursuing ordinary,
separate lives in Paris. After the German invasion and
occupation of France, each joined the Resistance to help
liberate the country from the Nazis, ascended to
prominent, dangerous roles, and were very lucky to
survive. After the war and through twists of
circumstance, they became friends, and through their
passionate determination and rare talent they emerged as
leading voices of modern literature and biology, each
receiving the Nobel Prize in their respective fields.
Drawing upon a wealth of previously
unpublished and unknown material gathered over several
years of research, Brave Genius tells the story
of how each man endured the most terrible episode of the
twentieth century and then blossomed into
extraordinarily creative and engaged individuals. It is
a story of the transformation of ordinary lives into
exceptional lives by extraordinary events--of courage in
the face of overwhelming adversity, the flowering of
creative genius, deep friendship, and of profound
concern for and insight into the human
condition.
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