The French Revolution

by Alan Forrest

This book provides an interpretation of the French Revolution that is both thematic and accessible to the general reader. The discussion includes an analysis of the historiography of the subject, and reviews the range of literature produced around the recent Bicentenary. Insisting that the French Revolution had an important social dimension, Alan Forrest demonstrates that the revolutionaries, even the most extreme of them, were committed to an ordered society. He argues that in destroying the political institutions and the corporate structures of the Ancien Regime, they were conscious of the need to invent a new order of their own, one that would be consistent with their ideology.Chapters focus on the initial crisis of 1789, on the political and social experiments of the revolutionary years, and on the impact of war and counter-revolution. The study covers the period up to 1799, looking forward where appropriate to the Napoleonic Empire. The author's succinct and penetrating overview of events ensures that The French Revolution will be welcomed by all students of this fascinating and turbulent period in European history.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

191 pages, Hardcover

First published March 22, 1995

About the author

Alan Forrest is Emeritus Professor of Modern History at the University of York. He works on modern French history, especially the period of the French Revolution and Empire, and on the history of modern warfare.

He serves on the editorial boards of French History and War in History, and is a member of the advisory committee for Annales historiques de la Revolution Francaise. He also co-edits a series for Palgrave-Macmillan on 'War, Culture and Society, 1750-1850'.

Reviews

[Lizic stashko! · Rating 2 out of 5]

Terribly, terribly boring and that’s coming from someone who is deeply interested in the subject of the French Revolution.

I have to admit, it gives a good base if you know nothing at all about this topic. However, the information is so repetitive that it’s hard to weed out the good information. It’s the sort of book you use when you only need a very specific piece of information.

[A · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pleasant, perfunctory French revolution history. Like a textbook.

[Julaine]

Tried to sell Sep 30/99