French Revolution Books

A major synthesis of current research on the three wars fought by France during the Revolution - against Austria and Prussia; Britain, Spain and the United Provinces; and against the Second Coalition. contains analysis of the theories of war including Clausewitz, and the role of ideology

This volume is a study of 11 of the key figures of the French revolution, providing portraits of the contrasting personalities and fortunes of the men who helped to precipitate and shape one of the most momentous upheavals in history. Of those featured here, only three (Sieyes, Lafayette and Dumouriez) survived the revolution and lived to see its apotheosis in the Napoleonic Empire. Of the others, Mirabeau died in 1791 and Louvet in 1797, while the remainder - Brissot, Marat, Danton, Fabre, Robespierre and St Just - were murdered or executed. J.M.Thompson writes in his introduction "But to all of them the Revolution was an overwhelming experience. What did they do in it? What did they think of it? Let us see." The book contributes to the literature on the revolution and complements the sociological and theoretical work done on the period in recent years.

This monumental book attempts to chronicle the French Revolution from its inception to the end of the Reign of Terror in 1794, using a slightly different style than most conventional histories. In the preface, Schama notes that studies of personalities have largely been replaced by studies of grain supplies, indicating a pattern to seek explanations for historical events and trends in obscure economic factors, rather than in the personalities of the leading figures involved.

GMM - I have a first edition printing from 1989.