This volume brings together Voltaire's writings from 1750-1752, penned before his break with Frederick the Great marked the end of his stay in Berlin. Ranging from philosophical poetry to military strategy and satire, these texts and commentaries reveal the full extent of Voltaire's intellectual interests. They also highlight his place within an Enlightenment network of (often temporary) allies, such as Frederick the Great, and sworn enemies, notably La Beaumelle and Maupertuis.

1739-1741 were stressful but highly creative years for Voltaire, his output ranging from science to polemic, from politics to poetry. Scientific research remains at the forefront, with Voltaire championing Newton's theories despite the opposition of the scientific establishment. Voltaire was in this period anxious to consolidate his reputation, and his continuing reflections on the nature of a literary career led to the publication of both his personalised "Memoire du sieur de Voltaire" and more general reflections on literary quarrels in "Memoire sur le satire". Public quarrels had become an integral part of the 'Republic of Letters' and Voltaire's disillusionment is clear in "Lettres sur les inconvenients attaches a la litterature". His verse ranges from crude satire to some of his most touching lyric poetry in the "Stances a Madame Du Chatelet". Altogether, this collection brings together the complex and contrasting works of a complex and flexible writer.

This intellectual biography stands as the definitive account of Maupertuis’s career. His much-publicised quarrel with Voltaire – which ultimately destroyed him – has cast a long shadow over his reputation. Maupertuis’s true contribution to eighteenth-century scientific debate re-emerges clearly in this important reassessment.