Memoirs of Casanova (1792) is the autobiography of Italian adventure
and socialite Giacomo Casanova. Written at the end of his life, the
Memoirs capture the experiences of one of Europe's most notorious
figures, a man whose escapades as a gambler, womanizer, and socialite
are matched only by his unique gift for sharing them with the world.
More than perhaps any other man, Casanova sought to emulate the lessons
of the Enlightenment on the level of everyday life, a sentiment captured
perfectly in the opening sentence of his Memoirs: "I will begin with
this confession: whatever I have done in the course of my life, whether
it be good or evil, has been done freely; I am a free agent."Memoirs of
Casanova Volume XI finds Giacomo Casanova on the run from Venetian
authorities. Having been handed a five-year prison sentence, Casanova is
left with no choice but to risk a daring, dangerous escape. He manages
to make his way by foot and by gondola out of the city before embarking
on a journey to Paris. Arriving in 1757, he reconnects with powerful
friends, affording him much needed protection. There, he witnesses the
brutal execution of Robert-François Damiens, the attempted assassin of
Louis XV, and the last man to be drawn and quartered in France.
Desperate for money, he accepts a job from the French Foreign Minister
to collect information from the commune of Dunkirk. Having proved
himself as a valuable spy, Casanova reinvents himself once more. With a
beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this
edition of Giacomo Casanova's Memoirs of Casanova is a classic of
European literature reimagined for modern readers.