Favorite book

[missweirdness.livejournal.com]

This popped in my brain a few minutes ago, do any of you have a favorite book on the revolution or on any particular subject? Like Maxime, Camille, St. Just..etc;

Personally i love the 12 who ruled by R.R Palmer. Maybe because it's the first book that actually talks about the CPS in such  great detail. I like lug it around with me. It's practically falling apart. xD



And of course..

what is your least or worst favorite book?

       I'm not sure. I have to read a bit more....

Comments

[citoyenneclark.livejournal.com]

That's my favorite book also.

[missweirdness.livejournal.com]

though i'm kind of liking The Life and Opinions of Maximilien Robespierre by Norman Hampson also . That's a good read too. It's well..written xD.

[estellacat.livejournal.com]

I like J-C Martin's Violence et Révolution. This passage especially: "In this organization [of the revolutionary government] whose elements are linked to each other, it is not possible to see the tyranny of one man, Robespierre, as it happens, or of twelve "minuscule tyrants," to reprise a formula of Robert Palmer. Counter-powers exist in the Assembly, in the Government Committees, in the Committee of Public Safety itself, and above all in the administration exercised by the representatives on mission and the innumerable national, departmental, or local instances in which individuals implicated in various political networks and bearing diverse sensibilities are at work. There is no inveiglement of the executive by the legislative power, nor installation of an authoritarian régime, but an impetus by the Committee of Public Safety of political principles." ("Dans cette organisation aux éléments reliés les uns aux autres, il n’est pas possible de voir la tyrannie d’un homme, Robespierre en l’occurrence, ou de douze « tyrans minuscules », pour reprendre une formule de Robert Palmer. Les contre-pouvoirs existent dans l’Assemblée, dans les Comités de gouvernement, comme dans le Comité de salut public lui-même et surtout dans l’administration exercée par les représentants en mission et les innombrables instances nationales, départementales ou locales, dans lesquelles oeuvrent des individus impliqués dans des réseaux politiques variés et porteurs de sensibilités diverses. Il n’y a pas captation par le législatif du pouvoir exécutif, ni instauration d’un régime autoritaire, mais impulsion par le Comité de salut public de principes politiques.")

[en-franglais.livejournal.com]

I enjoyed Janssen's Camille Desmoulins: Le Premier Republicain de France, which is *much* more thorough than Jules Claretie or Violet Methley (the latter is probably my least favorite Camille biographer--the "weathercock" metaphor? Err) and less romantic, yet still very fluid and readable.

The Twelve Who Ruled is great as well. Lefebvre's Coming of the French Revolution was a very influential read for me back in college, so I'd name him as a favorite.