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The French Revolution Paperback – January 9, 2018

by Ian Davidson (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 280 ratings
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The French Revolution casts a long shadow, one that reaches into our own time and influences our debates on freedom, equality, and authority. Yet it remains an elusive, perplexing historical event. Its significance morphs according to the sympathies of the viewer, who may see it as a series of gory tableaux, a regrettable slide into uncontrolled anarchy—or a radical reshaping of the political landscape.In this riveting new book, Ian Davidson provides a fresh look at this vital moment in European history. He reveals how it was an immensely complicated and multifaceted revolution, taking place in different places, at different times, and in different spheres; and how subsequently it became weighted with political, social, and moral values. Stirring and dramatic—and filled with the larger-than-life players of the period and evoking the turbulence of this colorful time—this is narrative history at its finest.
Previous page
  1. Print length
    352 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Pegasus Books
  4. Publication date
    January 9, 2018
  5. Dimensions
    6 x 1 x 9 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1681776170
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1681776170
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“More than 200 years later, the world’s first true working-class revolution is little-enough understood that a new, nuts-and-bolts history, subtly but importantly reframed, feels essential and sadly all-too-relevant. The terror that followed feels inevitable today, but Davidson shows that it wasn’t.”
- Vulture (7 Books You Need to Read This December)

“What we don't know about the French Revolution could fill a book; Davidson has done just that―in spades. An invaluable history of the French Revolution and its repercussions through the years”
- Kirkus Reviews (starred)

“An even-handed, step-by-step account of key moments of the French Revolution. A serious work of popular history, challenging enough to intrigue those already familiar with the revolution and accessible enough to engage those who are not.”
- Shelf Awareness

“Davidson aims to correct modern misperceptions of the French Revolution that toppled the ancien régime in 1789 and ushered in the First Republic. He persuasively argues that the aftershocks of this most turbulent era continue to reverberate into the 21st century.”
- Publishers Weekly

About the Author

After graduating in Classics from Cambridge, Ian Davidson worked for the Financial Times for many years as their Paris correspondent and chief foreign affairs columnist. He is also the author of Voltaire (Pegasus) and Voltaire in Exile (Grove). Ian lives in England.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Pegasus Books; Reprint edition (January 9, 2018)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 352 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1681776170
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1681776170
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.6 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 280 ratings

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Ian Davidson

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Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
280 global ratings
Book in horrible conditions
1 Star
Book in horrible conditions
Book is great content wise but i quit reading at p 52 as pages 15 to 52 came unbinded. Product itself was horrible.
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Top reviews from the United States

M. Sullivan
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book
Reviewed in the United States on March 25, 2024
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I highly recommend this book. I am a history buff and this book is very well written
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Jim
4.0 out of 5 stars Great Overview of the French Revolution
Reviewed in the United States on August 1, 2019
Verified Purchase
You don’t get to know the personalities involved, and there’s not a lot of backstory with the various events, but it is a good primer on the subject.
9 people found this helpful
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Miss Annoyed
5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous and unfiltered
Reviewed in the United States on May 17, 2023
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I was stunned to read the unfiltered story of the French Revolution and how quickly an illiterate mob and ambitious “group think”people wrecked an economy and ruthlessly slaughtered its citizens in four short years. The story of the past has similarities to current events!
3 people found this helpful
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JYamser
5.0 out of 5 stars Fine resource and fascinating retelling.
Reviewed in the United States on June 27, 2021
Verified Purchase
I bought this book for personal interest, having finished a history of the U.S. Revolution and the involvement of LaFayette. Reads like a novel and am very glad that it is not U.S. history. Only comment for improvement of a new edition: too many names introduced that, while important at the event, never appear again and create confusion. Perhaps an appendix of incidental players or as part of the notes. Inclusion of superfluous names detracts from the narrative. Overall, well worth reading.
3 people found this helpful
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Hung-Tak Lee
3.0 out of 5 stars Vive la tiers etat!
Reviewed in the United States on March 22, 2017
The way the author develops his story is of an immense interest, since he maintains the King's surrender to the tiers etat precedes the fall of the Bastille, the storming of the Bastille itself cannot serve even as a symbolic event of the French Revolution itself. His audacious effort to RE-WRITE on the tiers etat and of the Revolution does not seem to have succeeded. Davidson's book reminds me of Philipp Bloom's "A Wicked Company (2010),"an interesting introduction to the European Enlightenment.
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Brandon Whisenhunt
5.0 out of 5 stars A Touchstone of Modernity
Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2020
Verified Purchase
Today I finished this really good book on one of the seminal events of modernity. The French Revolution has a tendency to be caricatured by people who have little understanding of it or the context in which it happened. This book seems to cut through partisan histories and gives an excellent account of the key events surrounding the French Revolution. It provides a lot of insight into how a country, such as 18th century France, could spiral into what has become a byword... the Terror. The book also contains a series of appendices that I found to be highly succinct and interesting.
13 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Great introduction to the French revolution and its aftermath.
Reviewed in the United States on January 30, 2017
Verified Purchase
Clear,concise, highly readable overview of a very unfortunate period in world history. Great introduction to the French revolution and its aftermath.
10 people found this helpful
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J. Norman
5.0 out of 5 stars Refreshing Perspective on French Revolution
Reviewed in the United States on November 6, 2016
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I have read several other books on the French Revolution but this is the first one that clearly puts into perspective the original lawful and noble goals of the early revolutionaries and how several years later these noble goals turned into lawlessness and terror. For the first time I feel that I really understand this confusing, fascinating time in French history and the major players involved. I am very grateful for this well written, researched and easy to digest history book.
50 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Charles
5.0 out of 5 stars Very informative
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 21, 2024
Verified Purchase
A very good introduction about the history of the French Revolution for people like myself who are
not professional historians. It is a story of how democratic governments with the best intentions become
brutal dictatorships. i.e a story which is relevant today as it was then.
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Lorenzo Fari
5.0 out of 5 stars perfect reading for starters
Reviewed in Italy on July 31, 2021
Verified Purchase
this book is a perfect first-reading for those who are interested to approach the subject
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyed by recipient.
Reviewed in Canada on December 2, 2019
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Was a gift.
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Amazon Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars We first were taught the French Revolution in boarding school ...
Reviewed in India on September 1, 2017
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We first were taught the French Revolution in boarding school.Since that time, I have read litterature in French and English on this event, it was the basis of the world of to day
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DR.ARAS BALSYS
3.0 out of 5 stars Three Stars
Reviewed in Canada on May 25, 2017
Verified Purchase
NOT SCHOLARLY ENOUGH
2 people found this helpful
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