French Revolution [Paperback]

Christopher Hibbert (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 28, 1982

Concise, convincing and exciting, this is Christopher Hibbert's brilliant account of the events that shook eighteenth-century Europe to its foundation. With a mixture of lucid storytelling and fascinating detail, he charts the French Revolution from its beginnings at an impromptu meeting on an indoor tennis court at Versailles in 1789, right through to the 'coup d'etat' that brought Napoleon to power ten years later. In the process he explains the drama and complexities of this epoch-making era in the compelling and accessible manner he has made his trademark. Writing in "The Times", Richard Holmes described the book as 'A spectacular replay of epic action ...' while "The Good Book Guide" called it, 'Unquestionably the best popular history of the French Revolution'.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (January 28, 1982)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140049452
• ISBN-13: 978-0140049459
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,266,043 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An engaging telling of the French Revolution, May 29, 2007

By 

Sam Glover (Minneapolis, MN USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: French Revolution (Paperback)

I am convinced "the French Revolution" should always be placed in quotation marks, as there were many revolutions in France, spanning decades, and the last is arguably still under way. Hibberts chooses the period between the beginning of the trouble in the reign of Louis XVI and the coup d'etat of Napoleon Bonaparte.

The French Revolution is a narrative history, not an academic one. This means the average reader will enjoy reading it without being bogged down by copious footnotes and constant hemming and hawing about different opinions of this or that event. In this case, the result is a riveting story about the blood, sweat, and tears of "The French Revolution," along with some perspective and insight into the real tragedies that occurred on the way to French democracy.

I read The French Revolution while visiting Paris, and it added immensely to my enjoyment of the city. For example, I visited the Palais Royale and imagined it a hotbed of vice and insurrection, the Place de la Republique and imagined the ground muddy with the blood of victims of the Terror. The French Revolution allowed me to experience Paris as if I already knew the place, to some extent.

Anyone interested in "getting up to speed" on the French Revolution would be well-served in reading this book.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A truly unique and excellent Revolution read..., July 2, 2004

By 

Sarah Jane :P (Halifax, NS, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: French Revolution (Paperback)

I don't know what the previous reviewer was thinking when he gave this book one star. I've never written a review for a book here before, but I just had to counterbalance the negative review below.

This is one of THE best historical narratives that I have EVER read. In fact, it is so well-written by such a respected historian, that it was one of the required texts for my European History 1788-1914 class. It inspired me to major in French history, actually. It is extremely interesting and easy to read - more of a "story" with all of the relevant details and engaging characters than just a boring textbook that spouts dates and events without the all-important context and interrelationships. Christopher Hibbert has such an intriguing writing style and point of view, that I never tire of reading his books (and there are a LOT of them out there).

So don't one bad review turn you off - this is definitely a book worth reading whether you are already well-versed in revolutionary France in the 1780s or if you would like an exciting and easy to read narrative introduction to the subject. It's just a great book. :)

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Read!, February 1, 2011

By 

George L Snider, Jr - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: French Revolution (Paperback)

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Hibbert, only recently passed on, can render even the most complex historical situation (and the French Revolution is certainly this) comprehensible to the lay reader. I have read several of his books and recommend them highly. He writes in a lucid, elegant style, packing rich explanatory detail in each of his sentences.

George Snider