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Choosing Terror: Virtue, Friendship, and Authenticity in the French Revolution
Choosing Terror: Virtue, Friendship and Authenticity in the French Revolution examines the leaders of the French Revolution - Robespierre and his fellow Jacobins - and particularly the gradual process whereby many of them came to 'choose terror'. These men led the Jacobin Club between 1789 and 1794, and were attempting to establish new democratic politics in France. Exploring revolutionary politics through the eyes of these leaders, and against a political backdrop of a series of traumatic events, wars, and betrayals, Marisa Linton portrays the Jacobins as complex human beings who were influenced by emotions and personal loyalties, as well as by their revolutionary ideology.
The Jacobin leaders' entire political careers were constrained by their need to be seen by their supporters as 'men of virtue', free from corruption and ambition, and concerned only with the public good. In the early stages of the Revolution, being seen as 'men of virtue' empowered the Jacobin leaders, and aided them in their efforts to forge their political careers. However, with the onset of war, there was a growing conviction that political leaders who feigned virtue were 'the enemy within', secretly conspiring with France's external enemies. By Year Two, the year of the Terror, the Jacobin identity had become a destructive force: in order to demonstrate their own authenticity, they had to be seen to act virtuously, and be prepared, if the public good demanded it, to denounce and destroy their friends, and even to sacrifice their own lives. This desperate thinking resulted in the politicians' terror, one of the most ruthless of all forms of terror during the Revolution. Choosing Terror seeks neither to cast blame, nor to exonerate, but to understand the process whereby such things can happen.
The Jacobin leaders' entire political careers were constrained by their need to be seen by their supporters as 'men of virtue', free from corruption and ambition, and concerned only with the public good. In the early stages of the Revolution, being seen as 'men of virtue' empowered the Jacobin leaders, and aided them in their efforts to forge their political careers. However, with the onset of war, there was a growing conviction that political leaders who feigned virtue were 'the enemy within', secretly conspiring with France's external enemies. By Year Two, the year of the Terror, the Jacobin identity had become a destructive force: in order to demonstrate their own authenticity, they had to be seen to act virtuously, and be prepared, if the public good demanded it, to denounce and destroy their friends, and even to sacrifice their own lives. This desperate thinking resulted in the politicians' terror, one of the most ruthless of all forms of terror during the Revolution. Choosing Terror seeks neither to cast blame, nor to exonerate, but to understand the process whereby such things can happen.
334 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
September 9, 2025
One of the most well-written and thoughtful approaches to personal dynamics during the revolution and figures like Saint-Just I have read throughout all my scholarship.
July 3, 2014
I really enjoyed this book. Linton approaches that central question of the Revolution, "why the Terror" from the perspective of virtue and authenticity rather than ideology or external circumstances. Well written, engaging, I ended up using a lot of her ideas in a lecture on the Terror that went well.
February 26, 2025
cooked w fire, really good look into some key events + actually really enjoyable to get into personas/ political authenticity.
November 19, 2018
One of my absolute favorite books from my French Revolution class last year. I return to it often. It really helped me understand Jacobin politics and the political culture of the Revolution in general. I highly recommend reading this book.
July 27, 2025
Professor Linton's Choosing Terror can absolutely be considered as one of the best books published on the Terror. Both as an introductory book or for those interested in amplify their understand of the revolutionary process of 1789 to 1794 and for those beginning in this topic.
She does an incredible work on documenting almost every hypothesis with an excellent bibliography that can be used for students to expand their researches sources on the Terror.
Furthermore it is really innovative in the theoretical field as she defends that the Terror was not only a political process but an emotional one. How men that knew each other came up to chose political principles before friendship? Or the other way? Considering the personal situations but not forgetting about the general field (the civil war in the Vendée, the federalist revolt, the problems with the administration recruitment etc.) she traces a particular-collective emotional history of the involved characters. In the moment of publishing (2012) few historians had pointed out some elements like Robespierre's concept of virtue being based greatly on Montesquieu instead of Rousseau, the inner contradictions of Desmoulins in relationship with the public denounciations (“they will die like Brutus") and even fewer had analyzed in such detail the chain of choices and the political/emotional vicious ambience that made it possible. Professor Linton did all of this.
The only critic I'm able to formulate is that some times is difficult to follow the rythim of the complots like the Foreign one. But I think this a great value too because it helps ordinary reader to realize and empathize on the historical characters they are reading about. They are feeling in such a similar way to the french revolutionaries.
Therefore, Choosing Terror is a unforgettable reading experience and must read for any history lover interested on the French Revolution.
She does an incredible work on documenting almost every hypothesis with an excellent bibliography that can be used for students to expand their researches sources on the Terror.
Furthermore it is really innovative in the theoretical field as she defends that the Terror was not only a political process but an emotional one. How men that knew each other came up to chose political principles before friendship? Or the other way? Considering the personal situations but not forgetting about the general field (the civil war in the Vendée, the federalist revolt, the problems with the administration recruitment etc.) she traces a particular-collective emotional history of the involved characters. In the moment of publishing (2012) few historians had pointed out some elements like Robespierre's concept of virtue being based greatly on Montesquieu instead of Rousseau, the inner contradictions of Desmoulins in relationship with the public denounciations (“they will die like Brutus") and even fewer had analyzed in such detail the chain of choices and the political/emotional vicious ambience that made it possible. Professor Linton did all of this.
The only critic I'm able to formulate is that some times is difficult to follow the rythim of the complots like the Foreign one. But I think this a great value too because it helps ordinary reader to realize and empathize on the historical characters they are reading about. They are feeling in such a similar way to the french revolutionaries.
Therefore, Choosing Terror is a unforgettable reading experience and must read for any history lover interested on the French Revolution.
December 28, 2024
An insightful, engaging, and even-handed treatment of the Jacobin leaders and the Terror in the Year II. Definitely one of the best books I’ve ever read on the French Revolution!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews