The book presents the life of Louis Wolowski (1810–1876). Born into a family of Frankist Jews in Warsaw, Wolowski participated in the Polish insurrection of 1830–1831 and later settled in France. Specializing in political economy, Wolowski became a professor at the prestigious Conservatoire des Arts et Métiers at the age of 29 and a member of the Academy in 1855. In 1852 he founded Crédit Foncier, one of the most important French banks and actively participated in the banking revolution of the second half of the 19th century. He also had a political career. Wolowski served as a deputy and from 1875, a life senator. Representing the liberal center of the French political scene, he played a crucial role in the establishment of the Republic in France.

Rafał Dobek is a Polish historian and associate professor at the Department of History at Adam Mickiewicz University. He graduated in European studies in 1997 and earned a PhD in history in 2002.