In the STUDIES IN EUROPEAN HISTORY series, this book examines the arguments, analyses the Terror's background and charts the history that lies between the fall of the Bastille and the work of the guillotine during the Terror. Aimed at history undergraduates studying eighteenth century French history.
Good god man. What a freaking insane time period. I've always been FAR more fascinated with the French Revolution than the American one. It was just madness.
Note: only read this is you have familiarity and background knowledge of the French Revolution, it is written to assume that you do.
This is an excellent monograph, though being in the 'Studies in European History' series it does presuppose some previous knowledge of the Revolution and its main events and personalities. But if you do have that background knowledge I thought it was a perfect example of a clearly written, well-argued account of the Terror, its origins, course and decline , including quite a lot of interesting detail about the events and development of it, and in particular the debates of historians of different persuasions around it. There is also a detailed bibliography. If, like me, you find this a fascinating period of history, you will, I think. gain a great deal from this little book.
A good solid history book specifically on the time of the Great Terror. It does not go to the time of Napoleon, but it has a very useful chronology at the end.