Sadism: How the Marquis de Sade Declared War on the World

His name became a word for cruelty. His life was a testament to defiance.

Before "sadism" was a term for a dark human impulse, it was the name of a man: Donatien Alphonse François, the Marquis de Sade. Born into the highest echelons of French royalty and destined for a life of privilege, he chose instead to wage a lifelong war against every form of authority—the Crown, the Church, and the suffocating conventions of his time.

This is not just the story of a monster. This is the immersive, fact-based biography of a man of staggering contradictions: a decorated soldier who despised the hypocrisy of war, a prisoner who transformed his cell into a philosophical battleground, and a revolutionary politician who, at the height of the Reign of Terror, risked the guillotine to argue against the death penalty.

From the glittering halls of Versailles to the blood-soaked fields of the Seven Years' War, from the debauched parties of Paris to the chilling darkness of the Bastille, Sadism takes you on a journey through the incredible highs and devastating lows of a life lived without compromise. Witness his scandalous affairs, his daring prison escapes, and the ultimate, unforgivable act of mercy he showed to the very people who sought his destruction.

Discover the man behind the myth. Uncover the story of how one of history's most controversial figures fought for a terrifyingly absolute freedom, leaving behind a legacy that continues to challenge our understanding of power, morality, and human nature itself.