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[mersirena.livejournal.com]

Hello everyone! I was wondering if anyone could recommend the best, most informative non-fiction books on the French Revolution. I'll be purchasing several, as I need a broad range of topics, from music and art, to politics and economics. I browsed through quite a few entries, but I mostly found recommendations for novels and the like.

Thanks in advance!

Comments

[estellacat.livejournal.com]

My first question before offering any suggestions must be: can you read French, or must they be in English?

[elwen-rhiannon.livejournal.com]

You know, my personal way to have the best general view of a topic in the shortest time is to read about it in at least two sources, the more contrary, the better. In the case of the French Revolution, I'd recommend to read pro-ancien régime classic Pierre Gaxotte, comparing him with Albert Mathiez, one of the first historians defending Robespierre. Read both and add them to each other, the actual truth about Revolution will probably be perfectly in the middle.

[neuropathology.livejournal.com]

I'm in the middle of Ruth Scurr's biography of Robespierre, Fatal Purity, and it's very good. Obviously, I can't give you a complete review of it because I'm not done, but I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking to get a grasp on most everything that's known about the enigma who was Robespierre as well as those who want a good overview of the political, social, and economic climates of pre-Revolution provincial France and Paris up until the Thermidorian Reaction.

[la-muse-venale6.livejournal.com]

Perhaps some biographies about the main characters from the Revolution could help you too.

I have read "Marie Antoinette" by Stefan Zweig, and he also has published a biography about Joseph Fouché.

There must exist a lot more of well recommended biographies in English, of course, but for now I only know these ones.

[mersirena.livejournal.com]

You have no idea how much this is going to help me out :D I'll be going on a bit of a French Revolution binge this summer, and I really wasn't sure where to start. Thank you so much for all of the suggestions!

[elwen-rhiannon.livejournal.com]

If you don't mind philosophy, I'd highly recommend Albert Camus and his (book-length) essay L'Homme révolté - as far as I know, edited in English under the title The Rebel. Among other topics, a long analysis of French Revolution and people involved, with a focus on Saint-Just. Not exactly what one might call a "light reading", but worth it, as everything by Camus (said by a person disliking the language of theoretical philosophy...).