The Old Regime and the French Revolution (Paperback)

~ Alexis de Tocqueville (Author), Stuart Gilbert (Translator) "No great historical event is better calculated than the French Revolution to teach political writers and statesmen to be cautious in their speculations; for never..." (more)
Key Phrases: French Revolution, Middle Ages, Third Estate (more...)

Product Details

• Paperback: 300 pages
• Publisher: Anchor; First Thus edition (October 1, 1955)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385092601
• ISBN-13: 978-0385092609
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 4.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #148,338 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Radical but effective change of perspective..., April 5, 2004

By	M. B. Alcat "Curiosity killed the cat, but sa... (Los Angeles, California) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Alexis de Tocqueville (1805-1859) wrote many books, but his best-known one is probably "Democracy in America". Despite that, reading "The Old Regime and the Revolution" (1856) is essential in order to understand how much Tocqueville contributed to an accurate analysis of the present and past of his society, and to Political Science.

Why is "The Old Regime and the Revolution" a classic?. Why do teachers keep recommending it to their students?. In my opinion, the answer to both those questions is that this book is an example of the kind of work a political scientist is capable of producing, if inclined to do so. Here, Tocqueville doesn't pay attention to the conventionally accepted truth, but looks beyond it, in order to form his own opinion. And when the result of that process is shocking, he doesn't back down bounded by conventions: he simply states his conclusions.

In "The Old Regime and the Revolution" Alexis de Tocqueville does what at his time was considered more or less unthinkable: to put into question the revolutionary character of...the French Revolution. He said that the only way to understand what happened in 1789 was to study the previous social processes, and to find what they have in common with what came about later. This change of perspective was radical, but effective. It didn't presuppose anything, and so it helped the author to arrive to a seemingly strange conclusion: that the French Revolution had not only continued with the social processes that were taking place in France, but accentuated them. For example, the governmental centralization was much worse after 1789. In a way, then, the French Revolution only carried forward with what the Old Regime had already started.

On the whole, I recommend this book mainly to those interested in French History and Political Science. It isn't overly easy to read, but you will realize that it is full of interesting information, and permeated by a painstakingly careful analysis regarding social processes that is remarkable. In my opinion, "The Old Regime and the Revolution" is a book that you won't regret buying :)

Belen Alcat

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Book, But Not a History, October 3, 2005

By	denverd0n (United States) - See all my reviews

I give this book four stars. It is a fascinating investigation into the political and cultural environment in France that led up to the revolution.

But be forewarned! This book is NOT a history of the revolution. The author makes that very clear right at the beginning, but I think it bears emphasizing. If you aren't already pretty familiar with the history of the revolution you may have trouble at times following what this book is talking about.

Overall, this book is well worth the cover price for anyone with an interest in the French revolution.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a classic, May 3, 2000

By	stavrogin "publius" (USA) - See all my reviews

Tocqueville was one of the first if not the first sociologist historians. He shows how the centralizing tendencies were actually started under the monarchy and continued under the Revolution. This book will give a view of someone whose life was spent with the results of what he was writing about. His memoires cover the later Revolution of 1848. Among other things he talks of how taxes that were seen as oppressive under the monarchy were accepted without a whimper under more "popular" government. This is a must for those interested in this topic.