Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Just the Facts: Book Discussion Recap from April 23

If you accept the fact that we are going to have neither a spring nor a summer, last night was a lovely, brisk autumn evening. Many thanks, as always, to the ten people, wrapped in scarves and hats, who attended the book discussion last night.

Our book last night was The Dreyfus Affair: the scandal that tore France in two by Piers Paul Read. Captain Alfred Dreyfus was a rising star in the French artillery command. Dreyfus had everything: family, wealth and a real chance to advance to a coveted position on the general staff of the army. But Dreyfus was also reserved, perhaps arrogant, had few friends and was a Jew. In 1894, scraps of a memo containing French military secrets were found in the trash at the German embassy and were delivered to the French counter-intelligence service. Dreyfus, on the basis of very little evidence, was accused of selling secrets to the enemy. He was found guilty of treason and sentenced to life imprisonment on Devil’s Island. For the next twelve years, the efforts of many to free Dreyfus and the determination of the army to conceal the truth nearly tore France asunder, toppling governments, inciting coup attempts and pitting Catholic against Protestant against Jew. Our discussion was lively and covered many topics including anti-Semitism, immigration, assimilation, submerged populations, the nature of prejudice, the American religious freedom laws, and much more. It was an interesting evening.

Our next meeting will be on May 28, 2015. The book to be discussed, The Aviators: Eddie Rickenbacker, Jimmy Doolittle, Charles Lindbergh, and the epic age of flight by Winston Groom, is available at the Circulation Desk. All are welcome.

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