This is not a history book and by no means am I suggesting that you use it as one, but I definitely recommend the novel A Place of Greater Safety by Hilary Mantel (mentioned above, I believe). I read it when I was first becoming interested in the Revolution and to me, it's helpful because it covers most of the major events and the different personalities in a vivid and memorable way. So, say, names and dates and details you might otherwise forget will stick in your mind, which becomes useful when you're studying something more in-depth. Plus, it's just a good book. But again, it's a novel - but as you learn more about the Revolution, it's easy enough to distinguish the fictional elements from the history.

I too recommend Mark Steel. Otherwise - to be honest, I don't have much to recommend, because (it sounds so bad when I say it!) I don't think I've ever read a general history of the Revolution straight through - I guess I prefer to piece together what I glean from specifically focused texts - except for Carlyle, which I would NOT recommend unless you are interested in the historiography of the Revolution, or in 700 pages of thick extravagant prose. (Fortunately, I like both and I secretly think it's a fantastic book - but hardly accurate.)

And as for Robespierre... I agree with the above: no! Of course, you should know that members of this community are generally sympathetic towards him - I'm sure if you asked somewhere else they'd say "yes" - but honestly, whether you agree or disagree with him, he was at least (much) better than he's been portrayed. And personally, though I don't count myself a Robespierriste, I think he was really quite admirable.