These 288 letters span the period between Montesquieu's return from travelling and the completion of L'Esprit des lois. They evoke the Parisian literary and scientific scene, news of politics and wars, and, of course, Montesquieu's major works. The writer also reveals himself to be an attentive father and shrewd proprietor.

This book, therefore, stands back from the issue to examine the French debate on national identity - a debate which is conventional, contradictory and lends itself to manipulation.

Montesquieu's voyage around Europe lasted from April 1728 to May 1731. This volume gathers together all that remains to us of his notes from the journey. Faithful to the original manuscripts and enriched with notes by specialists of the countries in question and art historians, the work refreshes and deepens our knowledge of these texts.