Post-Thermidor

[janewt.livejournal.com]

Hi. I was wondering if anyone could recommend some decent English-language books (or heck, some well-done websites) that cover the period through the Thermidorean Reaction and the Directory? I'm not particularly interested in military history so much as the political and social; but at a guess, are books on Napoleon my best bet (for easily found in a non-academic library) to start with in hopes of finding a few chapters on this period?

Comments

[nirejseki.livejournal.com]

It's not my particular area of interest, but Sean Quinlan has done some good work on that period (reevaluating it to say that it wasn't just a period of decline, etc. with a focus on political/social/cultural matters); I've only read his essay on the biological-medical discourse that was utilized as a justification during the regime, and I've been to one of his talks about idealized forms in politics, art, and medicine of the time (i.e. the practice of reforming the ideal art/natural form in Frankenstein-ish ways), and they've both been very nice. If you start with his works and look through the bibliographies/footnotes, you should find what you're looking for.

[janewt.livejournal.com]

All right, thanks!

[estellacat.livejournal.com]

Try Mathiez's book on the Thermidorian Reaction, translated as After Robespierre. You might find it in a used bookstore if you don't want to look online, although there is, of course, no guarantee. I believe Isser Woloch's The New Regime also covers the later 1790s. I wouldn't swear to it though.

[janewt.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Heh, I was hoping Google books might produce the Mathiez translated and in full text, but no such luck of course.

Sometimes I really miss having access to academic libraries.

[missweirdness.livejournal.com]

I wish i could help =( Not into Napoleon; though i'm sure it's a bit interesting. I've only recently touched it because i read Liberty: The Lives and Times of Six Women in Revolutionary France by Lucy Moore (which i couldn't put down, though i did get mad because she was like "Robespierre..blah..Blah..this that..he's evil..never had maternal love..blah, blah.." ) but other than that..it was good xD you could try that book; it has a bit of the directory etc;

I just couldn't put it down..xD

[janewt.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Oh, I'm not into Napoleon either; it's just that I know my local library has a lot on him and nothing that says "Hi, I'm a book about the post-Thermidor and Directory period."

[missweirdness.livejournal.com]

i know; because they have a bias for Napoleon; I don't know why, he's not that great..but that book is very very good =) Someone needs to write more books on post thermidor; they all kind of give up then i guess. *shrugs*

[sneerbite.livejournal.com]

Try:

B. Baczko, Ending the Terror: The French Revolution after Robespierre

F. Gendron's 'The Gilded Youth of Thermidor'(a great read)

D. Woronoff, The Thermidorean Regime and the Directory, 1794-9

M. Lyons, France under the Directory (Cambridge, 1975)

H.G. Brown's 'Ending the French Revolution' is excellent!

Lefebvre's book on the Thermidorian Reaction

M.J. Sydenham, The First French Republic, 1792-1804 might have something interesting

There is a good article on the victim's balls by R. Schechter that you could get from JStor, called 'Gothic Thermidor'

[janewt.livejournal.com]

Oho! Thank you very much; I'll do some hunting. I wish I had JStor access, but I think my husband does through work.

[sneerbite.livejournal.com]

No probs. Let me know if you can't get hold of it, I have a pdf.