Historical Dictionary of the French Revolution, 1789-1799 [Hardcover]

Samuel F. Scott (Editor), Barry Rothaus (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0313211418 | ISBN-13: 978-0313211416 | Publication Date: June 26, 1985

The decade between 1789 and 1799 bore witness to a complex succession of rapid-fire and cataclysmic events. These events and the people involved in them changed not only the entire course of French history, but had enormous impact on the modern world. Despite the influence of the revolutionary decade in France and the enduring interest in it, scholars and students have had no single cohesive and easily accessible source of basic fact, interpretation, and related reading. In the Historical Dictionary of the French Revolution, 1789-1799 Samuel F. Scott and Barry Rothaus gather together, for the first time in English, a vast amount of historical information through interpretive analyses covering the major events and personalities connected with the French Revolutionary period. Ninety-six historians of the French Revolution, many of international renown, have contributed over five hundred essays to this comprehensive handbook. No important element of the history is omitted; every major event, individual, constitutional development, political organization, committee, institution, and cultural aspect of the French Revolutionary decade is examined and analyzed. A bibliography immediately following each article places the most germane sources at the fingertips of scholars and students who wish to conduct further studies of specific topics. A comprehensive index and cross references for each entry allow the reader to obtain a well-rounded perspective of any subject. The volume concludes with a detailed chronology of the 1789-1799 period. The Historical Dictionary of the French Revolution, 1789-1799 is the most current and exhaustive guide to the study of the French Revolution in English, and possibly in any language. As a readily accessible source of essential and accurate data and as a springboard for deeper study, it will prove invaluable to French Revolution specialists and students alike and should be part of every educational library.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“These first two volumes in a five-volume series on French history from 1789-1940 fill a definite gap in the reference literature on the French Revolution--the first scholarly historical dictionary in English exclusively on the French Revolution. The volumes are encyclopedic in nature; the carefully chosen and well-written entries by international scholars are followed by bibliographies that contain from one to seven citations each. The citations, covering all aspects of the Revolution, are international, and include books and journal articles published through mid-1983. Particularly good features of this work are the detailed cross-references included for each entry. Thoroughness is also reflected in the very detailed index. Scholars of the French Revolution will find this dictionary very useful for historiographic analysis as well as for factual reference. An excellent resource, especially suited for use by upper-division undergraduates and graduate students.”–Choice

“Stating that no comprehensive historical dictionary on the French Revolution exists in English, the editors present an alphabetically arranged compendium of 525 articles on persons, events, places, laws, and other aspects of the Revolution for both students and scholars. Each article contains a bibliography of one to seven titles, and cross-references are given. Length varies from a few lines to several pages. There are also lists of contributors and journal abbreviations, and a chronology. Major figures are well covered. Biographies also include important foreign leaders and thinkers.... Many entries are translated; others are left in French. ... The excellent bibliographies would be even more useful in a single list. The book generally achieves its stated purpose. For most academic and large public libraries.”–Library Journal

Product Details

• Hardcover: 1143 pages
• Publisher: Greenwood Press (June 26, 1985)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0313211418
• ISBN-13: 978-0313211416
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.2 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,782,833 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)