Henry Dunant (the Man Of The Red Cross)

By (author) Chaponnière, Corinne; Translated by Bailat-Jones Michelle
Description
"Timely and significant." Church Times A pioneer of humanitarianism and founder of the International Red Cross, Henry Dunant was many things over his lifetime. A devout Christian and social activist, an ambitious but failed businessman, a humanitarian genius, and a bankrupt recluse. In this biography, Corinne Chaponnière reveals the tumultuous trajectory of Henry’s life. From his idyllic childhood in Geneva, she follows Henry through the horrors of the Battle of Solferino, his creation of the Red Cross and role in the Geneva Conventions, the disgrace of his bankruptcy and his resurrection as a Nobel Peace Prize winner. It shows how this champion of wounded soldiers and prisoners of war was not an unblemished picture of piety and goodness, but that his empathy and good works played out in tandem with his social ambition and personal drive. It shows how even the best of us fall on hard times, and that the Red Cross was born out of humanitarian ideals coupled with a desire for personal success. This book reveals the story of Henry Dunant, blemishes and all, against the backdrop of the horrors of war, the weight of religion and the birth of humanitarianism in the 19th century.
Table of contents
1. The Happy Eldest Child (1828-1847) 2. The Birth of an Association (1847-1854) 3. Windmills on the Sand (1854-1859) 4. A Battle for Glory (1859-1862) 5. Europe Around One Table (1862-1863) 6. A Question of Honour (1863-1867) 7. The Fall (1867-1869 8. Paris at War (1870-1871) 9. The Philanthropist’s Revival (1871-1874) 10. Lover’s Break (1874-1876) 11. The Miseries of Wandering (1876-1887) 12. The Last Station (1887-1892) 13. Stepping out into the World (1893-1896) 14. Rewriting History (1895-1896) 15. A Laurel-Crowned Finish (1897-1910) Conclusion Index
Review quote
Chaponnière’s text is engaging and offers much insight into Dunant’s complex subjectivity… the book is both timely and significant.
Review quote
This is a fine biography of Henry Dunant giving the reader a good sense of the man with all his defects as well as the legend with all his achievements. Dunant is nicely situated in context, and we get a good sense of Europe - and also North Africa - in the second half of the 19th century. The writing is engaging, the insights on target. This is the best biography of Dunant thus far.
Review quote
To my knowledge, this is the most extensive biography of Henry Dunant ever written. It shows him as a whole person and seeks to explain his character and actions in a contemporary way. It will give any reader a more rounded understanding and view of a man who is most often viewed as an icon.
Review quote
This is the most authoritative biography of Henry Dunant. Based on extensive research, primary documents and Henry Dunant''s own correspondence, it is marvellously written.
Biographical note
Corinne Chaponnière is a journalist, researcher and lecturer with a specific interest in the history of the Red Cross and the life of Henry Dunant.
Promotional headline
A biography of Henry Dunant; founder of the Red Cross, Nobel Peace Prize winner and renowned pioneer of humanitarianism.
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The first exhaustive biography of the life of Henry Dunant, founder of the Red Cross
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Follows the highs and lows of Dunant’s life with refreshing clarity and candour
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Reveals the inspiration behind the creation of the Red Cross and its original goals and ambitions
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Traces the emergence of international humanitarian movements and organizations in the 19th century