L'opera presenta in brevi profili, le figure emblematiche di un'epoca storica. Il volume contiene saggi di: B. Bacsko, Ph. Boutry, G. Cosmacini, S. Givone, H.-G. Haupt, S. Michaud, S. Pollard, F. Reboul.
François Furet (27 March 1927, Paris – 12 July 1997, Figeac) was a French historian, and president of the Saint-Simon Foundation, well known for his books on the French Revolution.
He was elected to the Académie française in March 1997, just three months before he died in July.