Eric Hazan > Quotes

“A woman took up the flag; with thin hair and bare arms, she seemed to defy death. On seeing her, the National Guard hesitated to fire; they shouted at the young woman to get back; she remained undaunted and provoked the attackers with her gestures and voice: a shot was fired, and she staggered and collapsed. But another woman suddenly rushed to her side; with one hand she supported the bloody body of her friend, with the other she hurled stones at the attackers. A new volley of shots echoed, and she fell in her turn on to the body that she was embracing.”
― Eric Hazan, A History of the Barricade

“We have shaken off the yoke of noble aristocracy only to fall under the domination of financial aristocracy, we have expelled our parchment tyrants only to fling ourselves into the arms of millionaire despots. Our lot, accordingly, could not improve; the old ones despised us because we could not cite illustrious ancestors and the new ones disdain us because we have not been favoured by fortune.”
― Eric Hazan, A History of the Barricade