Product Description

An in-depth portrait of France during the year 1789, which analyzes the causes, forces and nature of the Revolution.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1002283 in Books
• Published on: 1967-11-01
• Original language: French
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 256 pages

Review
Much more than a history of 1789. . . . A synthesis, conveying a philosophy of the Revolution as a whole, such as could be written only by a seasoned scholar. . . . The smooth, careful translation preserves the literary merit of the French prose. -- Review

Review
Praise for Princeton's previous editions: "[M]uch more than a history of 1789. . . . [A] synthesis, conveying a philosophy of the Revolution as a whole, such as could be written only by a seasoned scholar. . . . The smooth, careful translation preserves the literary merit of the French prose.
(American Historical Review )

Language Notes
Text: English, French (translation)

Customer Reviews

Most accesible account of the French Revolution
Published in 1939 on the eve of WWII and the Vichy Regime (which burned 8,000 copies), Lefebvre's account of the event which initiated the modern era in the West remains the most accesible and readable of any work on the subject before or since. Lefebvre's Marxist analysis of the event (the dominant interpretation until recently) may appear archaic to contemporary readers. Nevertheless the work is a highly enjoyable analysis of the various sectors of French society and how they contributed to the Revolution. The flowery or arcane scholarly knowledge of later accounts pales before Lefebvre's engaging prose. All in all, a highly recommended work.

A short but effective look at the French Revolution
The Coming of the French Revolution, by Georges Lefebvre is one of the most informative works on the beginning stages of the French Revolution. Lefebvre argues that there was not just one revolution during 1789, but actually four distinct and separate revolutions.

First, was the aristocratic revolution. In this revolution, Lefebvre makes it clear that the goal of the aristocracy is to restore their original powers. Second, was the bourgeois revolution. The bourgeois mainly sought equality. The third and fourth revolution, consisted of the popular and peasant revolutions. The economic crisis and food shortages is what drove these two revolutions. Through each revolution Lefebvre provides an in-depth analysis for the causes of each revolution and the actions the people undertook.

The most exciting passages of the books includes Lefebvre's depiction of the storming of the Bastille, the women's march in Paris, and the Tennis Court Oath. Lefebvre's way with words made it impossible not to sympathize with the masses. In addition to this, while reading the book one gets a sense that the amount of blood that was eventually spilled was inevitable. The beginning stages of the revolution is what carved the French Revolution into a perpetual revolution, where nothing but time could end it.

I recommend this book to anyone searching for a short book on the main causes of the French Revolution. This book served me well and clarified many questions I had surrounding this bloody revolution.

Very thorough, but a little hard to follow
Lefebvre's account of the coming of the French Revolution has stood the test of time, and is just as important now as when it came out in the 1950s. Lefebvre perceptively identifies not one, but four separate revolutions which built upon each other and created what we now call the French Revolution. He clearly shows that the nobles began the revolt in an attempt to gain more power over the king. The revolution quickly took a different turn when the bourgeois jumped in in an attempt to gain some power for themselves, and plumetted into chaos when the general populace and peasants appropriated the revolution for themselves. As far as describing the different streams flowing together to form the Revolution, Lefebvre succeed's brilliantly.

Unfortunately, there are several problems which prevent this from being a great introduction to the French Revolution. First, Lefebvre is not always a clear writer. This may be because it is translated, but it is certainly hard to follow from time to time. Second, he assumes a detailed knowledge of the philosophical and political situation at the time of the Revolution. If you don't already have an adequate knowledge of this, it'll be a little tough to follow. The most annoying problem, though, is the vast number of names Lefebvre throws around. He constantly says so-and-so joined such-and-such a group or did such-and-such a thing, and he seems to think that we will realize that this is somehow important. Unfortunately, most of the time I had no idea who the people he named were. I know the major figures (Robespierre, La Fayette, Danton, etc.), but he names tons of minor figures I have never heard of assuming I know who they are and what their significance are, which is very frustrating. The same is true of places. I know the major locations, but in many of his descriptions of where things were happening he refers to many small towns that we can hardly be expected to know the locations of. The books is in dire need of a map which labels the cities/towns he refers to.

The Coming of the French Revolution is certainly a good book, and is well worth reading. I would definitely recommend starting somewhere else if you want an introduction to the topic, though.