The Oxford history of the French Revolution

"Fully updated, this new edition features an expanded bibliographical survey of the literature dealing with the Revolution, including the most important material to have been written on the subject since the publication of the first edition."--Jacket. Abstract: Opening with the accession of Louis XVI in 1774, this book traces the history of France through revolution, terror, and counter-revolution, to the triumph of Napoleon in 1802, and analyses the impact of events both in France itself and the rest of Europe. It shows how a movement which began with optimism and enthusiasm soon became a tragedy. Read more...
This second edition of the most authoritative and comprehensive history of the French Revolution draws on a wealth of new research in order to reassess the greatest of all revolutions. It includes a generous chronology of events and an extended bibliographical essay providing an examination of the historiography of the Revolution. Beginning with the accession of Louis XVI in 1774, leading historian William Doyle traces the history of France through revolution, terror, and counter-terror, to the triumph of Napoleon in 1802, along the way analyzing the impact of these events in France upon the rest of Europe. He explores how a movement which began with optimism and general enthusiasm soon became a tragedy, not only for the ruling orders, but for millions of ordinary people all over Europe who paid the price for the destruction of the old political order and the struggle to establish a new one.
Highly readable and meticulously researched, The Oxford History of the French Revolution will provide new insight into one of the most important events in European history.

This book will not only become the standard reference but will provide new insights into one of the most important events in European history.

This new edition of the most authoritative, comprehensive history of the French Revolution of 1789 draws on a generation of extensive research and scholarly debate to reappraise the most famous of all revolutions. Updates for this second edition include a generous chronology of events, plus an extended bibliographical essay providing an examination of the historiography of the Revolution. Opening with the accession of Louis XVI in 1774, the book traces the history of France through revolution, terror, and counter-revolution, to the triumph of Napoleon in 1802, and analyses the impact of events both in France itself and the rest of Europe. William Doyle shows how a movement which began with optimism and general enthusiasm soon became a tragedy, not only for the ruling orders, but for the millions of ordinary people all over Europe whose lives were disrupted by religious upheaval, and civil and international war. It was they who paid the price for the destruction of the old political order and the struggle to establish a new one, based on the ideals of liberty and revolution, in the face of widespread indifference and hostility. This second edition of the most authoritative and comprehensive history of the French Revolution draws on a wealth of new research in order to reassess the greatest of all revolutions. It includes a generous chronology of events and an extended bibliographical essay providing an examination of the historiography of the Revolution. Beginning with the accession of Louis XVI in 1774, leading historian William Doyle traces the history of France through revolution, terror, and counter-terror, to the triumph of Napoleon in 1802, along the way analyzing the impact of these events in France upon the rest of Europe. He explores how a movement which began with optimism and general enthusiasm soon became a tragedy, not only for the ruling orders, but for millions of ordinary people all over Europe who paid the price for the destruction of the old political order and the struggle to establish a new one. Highly readable and meticulously researched, The Oxford History of the French Revolution will provide new insight into one of the most important events in European history. CONTENTS 10 LIST OF MAPS 12 1. France under Louis XVI 16 2. Enlightened Opinion 59 3. Crisis and Collapse, 1776–1788 81 4. The Estates-General, September 1788–July 1789 101 5. The Principles of 1789 and the Reform of France 127 6. The Breakdown of the Revolutionary Consensus, 1790–1791 151 7. Europe and the Revolution, 1788–1791 174 8. The Republican Revolution, October 1791–January 1793 189 9. War against Europe, 1792–1797 212 10. The Revolt of the Provinces 235 11. Government by Terror, 1793–1794 262 12. Thermidor, 1794–1795 287 13. Counter-Revolution, 1789–1795 312 14. The Directory, 1795–1799 333 15. Occupied Europe, 1794–1799 356 16. An End to Revolution, 1799–1802 384 17. The Revolution in Perspective 406 Notes 441 Appendices: 451 1. Chronology of the French Revolution 451 2. The Revolutionary Calendar 459 3. The Revolution and its Historians 461 INDEX 476 A 476 B 477 C 478 D 481 E 482 F 483 G 483 H 484 I 485 J 485 K 485 L 485 M 487 N 488 O 490 P 490 Q 492 R 492 S 493 T 494 U 495 V 495 W 495 Y 496