Dictionary of World Biography by Barry Jones

Author:Barry Jones
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Tags: Dictionary, Biography, History, Barry Jones
Publisher: ANU Press
Published: 2022-11-28T21:43:52+00:00

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Labiche, Eugène Marin (1815–1888). French playwright, born in Paris. A lawyer, then a journalist, he wrote more than 100 comedies for the Palais-Royal Theatre, many still performed, including Le Chapeau de paille d’Italie (1851: The Italian Straw Hat, later filmed by René Clair) and Le Voyage de M. Perrichon (1861). He was elected to the Académie française in 1883.

La Bruyère, Jean de (1645–1696). French essayist and moralist. He studied law but disliked it and eventually (1684) became tutor to Louis de Bourbon, grandson of the Prince de *Condé. In 1688 appeared the work for which he is renowned: Les Caractères ou les Mœurs de ce Siècle, containing disguised and satirical pen-portraits of contemporaries, accompanied by moral maxims. Originally a pendant to a translation of the Characters of Theophrastus, it gradually developed as a separate work and the number of ‘Characters’ steadily increased with each edition. The fitting of the right cap to the right anonymous head became a social relaxation and several keys were published, the authenticity of all being denied by the author. The ‘maxims’ are scathing about not only human wickedness and folly but also the inequalities and harshness of the social system. Yet he was no revolutionary and seems to have accepted in a disillusioned spirit the inevitability of human ills.

Richard, P., Bruyère. 1946.

Lacan, Jacques (1901–1981). French psychoanalyst, psychologist and literary critic. In an important collection Ecrits (1966, translated into English 1977), using the techniques of structural linguistics, he proposed a radical revision of *Freud’s theories and methodology, arguing that the whole structure of language was to be found in the unconscious, as revealed by psychoanalysis.

La Condamine, Charles Marie de (1701–1774). French geographer. Sent to Peru on an expedition (1735–43) to measure the meridional arc there, he also explored the Amazon. He obtained positive evidence concerning india-rubber and brought back the poisonous plant curare. His journal of the expedition was published in 1751.

Lacoste, René (1904–1996). French lawn-tennis player. With Jean *Borotra and Henri Cochet he was one of the famous ‘Three Musketeers’ who monopolised the Wimbledon singles championship from 1924 to 1929. Lacoste won in 1925 and 1928. He manufactured sportswear with the familiar alligator logo.

Laden, Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin (1957–2011). Saudi jihadist leader, born in Riyadh. His family, originally from Yemen, made a fortune in the construction business. He accepted US support in organising guerrilla warfare against Soviet control of Afghanistan, then created the al-Qaida network, which made terrorist attacks on New York and Washington on 11 September 2001. He was killed by US operatives (2 May 2011) in Abbottabad, Pakistan, and buried at sea. His son, Hazma bin Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden (1989?–2019?), groomed as a potential leader of al-Qaida, was also killed by US operatives.

Ladislaus see Wladislaw

Ladurie, Emmanuel Bernard Le Roy see Le Roy Ladurie, Emmanuel Bernard

Laënnec, René Théophile Hyacinthe (1781–1826). French physician, born in Brittany. As a hospital physician he made important contributions to research on tuberculosis, peritonitis, parasitic complaints etc. His greatest contribution was to devise the stethoscope and the method of ausculation for diagnosis of diseases of the chest.

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