Basic Verities

By Charles Péguy

Basic Verities is a collection of variegated excerpts from Charles Péguy’s essays and poetry. First published in 1943, in the midst of the Nazi occupation of France, the volume arrived at a time when Péguy and his legacy had taken on a new significance for the French people. The selections in this volume examine truth and justice; poverty and capital; the honor and dignity of work; social rights and duties; and the distinctive characteristics of Judaism and Christianity.

Adroitly compiled and translated by Julian Green, Basic Verities illustrates Péguy’s lifelong desire for the twofold revolution of justice and mercy in the social order.

“Péguy is recognized as the poet and representative of his people…a man for whom the deepest spiritual truth is approachable only through the heart and can be grasped only when embodied in the realities of this world.” –Albert Beguin

Charles Péguy (1873–1914) was an acclaimed French poet, essayist, publisher, and editor of the magazine Les Cahiers de la Quinzaine. A staunch patriot and socialist, he converted to Roman Catholicism and his writings are imbued with the Catholic imaginative spirit. He died in the service of his beloved France on the eve of the Battle of the Marne.

Paperback: 224pp.

ISBN: 978-1950970070