An Unofficial 'The Rest Is History' Reading List
48. The French Revolution
May 03, 2021
Description
Books Referenced
Author: Simon Schama
Context:
Referenced multiple times as the major Anglophone historiographical contribution to the French Revolution bicentennial, noted for arguing that violence was inherent to the revolution from the beginning
Author: Edmund Burke
Context:
Described as 'the foundational text of conservatism' that gained traction because Burke predicted the Terror before it happened, used by British reactionaries throughout the 19th century
Author: Charles Dickens
Context:
Mentioned as representing the British/Dickensian view of the French Revolution, and referenced as the book Margaret Thatcher gave to Mitterrand at the bicentenary
Author: Sudhir Hazareesingh
Context:
Explicitly mentioned as a book about Toussaint Louverture and the Haitian Revolution, with a quote about Napoleon's racial views being cited from it
Author: Laclos
Context:
Referenced as contributing to the cultural image of scheming aristocrats who viewed torture and sexual sadism as pleasure, part of the propaganda swirl during the revolution