The French Revolution by John Hardman

The French Revolution by John Hardman

A major new political history of the French Revolution
 
In 1786, France’s ancien régime was functioning as usual. Its alliance with the victorious American colonies had restored its diplomatic prestige, the economy seemed to be flourishing, and internal politics seemed quiet. But just a few short years later, the dynasty which had ruled France for over 800 years was swept away. What happened to cause such devastating change to the long-established political structure?
 
John Hardman traces the political history of the French Revolution, from its origins to its aftermath. Hardman argues that the nature of ancien régime politics, the mismanagement of the fiscal crisis, and a new generation of young, overly confident politicians brought the Bourbon monarchy’s apparatus crashing down. He shows how feudalism was on its last legs in 1789, and analyses the key roles played by Louis XVI, Antoine Barnave, and Georges Danton.
 
This is a remarkable history of one of modern Europe’s defining moments, shedding new light on the complex politics of the day.

“John Hardman provides a compelling and highly readable account of the greater political upheaval that was the French Revolution”—Julian Swann, author of Exile, Imprisonment, or Death

“A triumph of scholarship and original interpretation. Another masterpiece which will cause a stir in the world of French Revolutionary studies.”—Ambrogio Caiani, author of Losing a Kingdom, Gaining the World

“Fascinating and important. . . . A highly original and important contribution to the history of the French Revolution.”—Munro Price, author of Napoleon

“Hardman offers a revisionist and explicitly political history of the Revolution that places much of the blame for failure on an experiment in constitutional monarchy which denied the king any meaningful executive role.”—Alan Forrest, author of Waterloo

“John Hardman has devoted many years to the study of the political history of the French Revolution as it was seen from the perspective of the monarchy. In this latest book he distils his knowledge in a readable and often insightful account.”—Marisa Linton, author Choosing Terror

John Hardman is one of the world’s leading experts on the French Revolution and the author of several distinguished books on the subject, including The Life of Louis XVI, Marie-Antoinette, and Barnave.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780300282689
ISBN 10	0300282680
Title	The French Revolution
Author	John Hardman
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	Yale University Press
Year published	2025-08-12
Number of pages	384
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.