Basil Guy is Professor Emeritus of French, University of California,
Berkeley. A decorated World War II veteran, he is the author of several
books and editions, including an outstanding translation of
Charles-Joseph de Ligne Coup d'oeil sur Beloeil (University of
California Press, 1986). His work reflects a wide variety of academic
interests, ranging from Voltaire and Rousseau to art history and the
literature of gardens, to European perceptions of China in the 18th
century. He has directed and participated in directing numerous theses
and dissertations in French, history, and art history at the University
of California, Berkeley. He has forged enduring academic and
intellectual friendships across both the Atlantic and the Pacific
oceans. His former students teach at universities across the United
States.