Bertrand Russell’s eminence of intellect and person has long been unassailable. Besides his distinction as mathematician and philosopher, and a vast output of books, articles, lectures and talks on most aspects of the human condition, there is his continuing concern for day-to-day political issues, his championing of individual freedom and his readiness to stand for a cause to the point of imprisonment. To have distilled the essence of his ninety-odd years into this little book is itself quite an achievement. Originally published in 1962, it has been called a ‘pocket guide to greatness’ and forms a useful complement to the longer and slightly earlier study by Alan Wood’s The Passionate Sceptic.

Contents

Introduction 1. Family, Childhood and Youth 2. Socialism and Mathematics 3. Politics and People 4. At Cambridge and Harvard 5. The First World War and Prison 6. Journeys to Soviet Russia and China 7. Books and Lectures 8. ‘The School’ and Moralities 9. War Years in the United States 10. Peace and Honours 11. Days in Australia 12. The H-Bomb Clash. Important Dates in the Life of Bertrand Russell