A huge quantity of research must have been done for this book. This book and Henry Kissinger's books offer excellent opportunity for the reader to improve vocabulary. Schama's writing lacks beauty, as found in, for example, the Iliad and parts of the Bible. But his use of mild cynicism makes for interesting reading. I had to read some sentences twice or more, given that often long qualifiers are inserted mid sentence, and given that his run-on style includes liberal use of complexity.
An easier book to read, because it uses a common writing style, is Christopher Hibbert's The Days of The French Revolution. Hibbert's book also provides more detail and a more comprehensible explanation of many facts, including a good description of the political storm surrounding the condemnation to the guillotine of the Revolutions leaders such as the Girondins, Desmoulins, Danton, St Just, and Rosbespierre. Hibbert's book, unlike Schama's, provides the reasons why Fouquier-Tinville was depicted (accurately) as a horrendous villan in Baroness Orczy's wonderful book and play, The Scharlet Pimpernel.
A few things apparent are: (1) The Revolution was driven by fear and terror, and (2) humankind, or at lease French humankind, was ready and even eager to send neighbors and associates to the guillotine. Unlike other historians, Schama does not try to gloss over the brutallity, nor does he emphasize it. Schama offers possible explanations for why The Terror happened, but I think he fails. It was almost as if a collective insanity overtook the country, an insanity that craved relief from boredom by feeding on blood and fear.
Of course the spoken targets were the rich, the nobility, and the clergy. But in the end it could not be confined to these groups, but became anybody who remotely seemed like a political opponent. As early as March, 1793 Pierre Vergniaud, who himself eventually went to the guillotine, offered to the tribune this terrible prophecy: "So, citizens, it must be feared that the Revolution, like Saturn, successively devouring its children, will engender, finally, only despostism with the calamities that accompany it". Despotism indeed was the fruit of the Revolution. But it was not Saturn that did the devouring, but the children of Saturn.
In many ways the French Revolution and, for that matter, the monarchy of King Louis XVI, preceeded the social engineering advocated by Lenin and Marx. A social safety net, wage and price controls, and taxation of products, land and incomes, were halmarks of the Revolution. Many of these reforms were later abandoned out of necessity because they caused shortages and economic stagnation.
A primary component of the Revolution, which sought "liberty, justice, and fraternity", was de-Christianization of France. A lesson Schama's and Hibbert's books provide is that when men and women seek social reform by depending on "reason" absent faith in God, then the result of that reform will more often be despotism.
A question that comes to mind: The story of the French Revolution is one of the most terrible episodes in modern history, partly because it was promulgated primarily by the common people rather than an elite leadership such as happened in Germany, Russia, and China. So why has Hollywood not made movies about the Revolution?
Even though the guillotine was abandoned in 1795, the fear lasted for several decades, and likely prevented resistence to the massive military conscription program instituted by Napoleon
Bonapart 20 years later.
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Join or create book clubs
Choose books together
Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required. Learn more
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Flip to back Flip to front
Follow the Author
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.
| Price | New from | Used from |
|
Audible Audiobook, Unabridged
"Please retry" |
$0.00
| Free with your Audible trial | |
|
MP3 CD, Audiobook, Unabridged
"Please retry" | $32.08 | — |
There is a newer edition of this item:
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now
Frequently bought together
- +
- +
Total price:
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Choose items to buy together.
Customers who viewed this item also viewed
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
About the author
Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 20, 2012
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 14, 2013
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 25, 2022
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 27, 2022
Top reviews from other countries
Sara Leigh Waterson
The indispensable account in English of the Revolution and it's ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on September 21, 2018ronald harris
This is one of the best books about the French Revolution and studied alongside one ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on July 26, 2017
