Vive la Revolution: A Stand-up History of the French Revolution

by Mark Steel

Vive la Revolution is an uproariously serious work of history. Brilliantly funny and insightful, it puts individual people back at the center of the story of the French Revolution, telling this remarkable story as it has never been told before.

For the Haymarket edition, Steel has added a new preface for North American readers and revised the book to address parallel themes in US history.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, France, French Revolution, Humor, Politics, Comedy

293 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Mark Steel (born 4 July 1960) is a British socialist columnist, author and comedian. He was a member of the Socialist Workers Party from his late teens until 2007.

Reviews

[Sketchbook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bea Lillie, that unique comedienne, says witheringly at end of a revue sketch, "Too much plot." This descript fits the French revolution. In a sensational survey, author Steel, always informative, always engaging, shows how those who supported the crisis quickly broke into bloody factions -- moderate Girondists vs extreme Jacobins -- and, before you could learn the lyrics to "Ca Ira," 17,000 heads rolled. (They'd fill the Hollywood Bowl). No....it's not a pretty story and it makes you understand why the French, to this day, dont understand or appreciate camp. They were all, still are, drama queens, despite their polished composure. Luvem.

The most extraordinary historical incident happened in 1791 when the King decided -- "zut, alors, let's flee and enlist foreign help." Pourquoi pas? ~~ A golden coach was readied. Wifey Marie-Antoinette, demanded luxury, like a specially chartered Concorde jet.. Her getaway "coach" must have inlaid ivory, etc., and room for 2 maids. She then diddled while sorting through clothes and boxes of perfume. Their "secret" exit was delayed.. and they were caught 30 miles from the border. The people decided this attempt to get out was treason. (The dimwit King believed God was on his side. Isnt He always on the side of any gov or leader in a sticky-wicket like Vietnam or our own corrupt Iraqi war? Natch ! Just ask Hillary after she recovers from being fired upon when landing in Bosnia...)....

Amid more factional disputes, radicals like Marat are murdered while Robespierre & Danton are pushed onto the guillotine where they sent some of their best friends. (I always thought the Bloody Mary cocktail started w The Terror in France). Author Steel seeks temperate conclusions. Nutz. Soon we have Napoleon who wants to be called Emperor ! Is this a drag show or not? (Trump understands the power of show biz. That's the danger).

[johnny dangerously · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I'd like to say that people can change anything they want to; and that means everything in the world. Show me any country and there'll be people in it. And it's the people that make the country. People have got to stop pretending they're not on the world. People are running about following their little tracks. I am one of them. But we've all gotta stop just stop following our own little mouse trail. People can do anything; this is something that I'm beginning to learn. People are out there doing bad things to each other; it's because they've been dehumanized. It's time to take that humanity back into the centre of the ring and follow that for a time. Greed... it ain't going anywhere! They should have that on a big billboard across Times Square. Think on that. Without people you're nothing.”

This is a wonderful book, but I was doomed to like it from the start. It is exactly the kind of book I've always wanted: a history book that doesn't pander, but isn't condescending, written by a comedian, aware of social causes, motivated by democratic ideals, and dedicated to Joe Strummer. There is no conceivable reality in which I wouldn't give this book five stars. I'm sure there are some realities in which I gave it six.

Pandering to my interests and ideals aside, the book is actually fantastically well-written. It works excellently as an introduction to the revolution, but it can work just as well as a refresher or a general overview. It's not very in-depth on any issue, but it's not meant to be.

It's a straight-forward account of the facts, presented with a strong liberal, socially-conscious bias. If you're not in the market for that, you're not going to like the book, full stop. But considering how many books on the revolution are impenetrable morasses of self-conscious condemnation and snide superiority, Steel's populist and human-rights focused perspective is a much-needed breath of fresh air.

The book is a lovely ode to the revolution’s ideals, if not its actions. Unlike some overly sympathetic authors, Steel never gives the revolutionaries credit when it’s not due. He always remembers that these people excitedly condemned hundreds of people without a second look.

Yet, unlike other overly condemnatory authors, Steel never lets that overshadow what the revolution was originally about. The Terror is not the sum total of the revolution, and Steel does an excellent job making that clear. He shows all the working parts of the revolution – never in much depth, but nothing gets left out – and lets the reader decide for themselves what, ultimately, constitutes the sum total, if anything does.

Of course, don’t let it be said that Steel doesn’t give his own suggestions. The book has a bias, but every book does. Steel is upfront about his bias – about the importance of the will of the people, and the beauty of political action. That is, ultimately, Steel’s thesis. The revolution is not the Terror. The revolution is the people realizing they have a future as well as a history. The revolution is the common man, the average person, getting to change the future of their country. The revolution is voting. The revolution is people.

Steel never forgets that, so if you disagree with that thesis, this book is not for you. However, if you are even slightly willing to entertain that notion, this book will be a fascinating and informative ride through the revolution.

Steel goes beyond that flat initial thesis, though: he actually makes a concerted effort to not only explain the hows and whys of the revolution, but the mindset of the average revolutionary. I have yet to see another book on the revolution bother with the average man in such detailed empathy, when few even bother with sympathy. Read the book just for that; you won’t find it elsewhere.

Steel is sympathetic without being saccharine or condescending; his interest is empathetic and grounded in bringing the reader closer to the makers of history, rather than farther. Many authors on this subject sit back and laugh at the vehemence of revolutionary action, or gasp in horror. Steel shows the absurdity, but he remembers what many don’t: that these people were average creatures of circumstance, realizing for the first time their power not only over history, but their own lives.

Steel asks what many don’t bother with: if you were newly free, wouldn’t you fight to defend it?

But he also remembers what many are afraid to consider: that fight would not be glorious; it would be an awful thing, difficult to control, and quick to get out of hand.

The inclusion of the Haitian rebellion is poorly integrated into the rest of the book, so that it seems as though these incidents took place in a vacuum. Not enough focus is given to how the French colonies were an integral part of French culture before the revolution, and continued to be afterward. The French legislative fight to end slavery, again before the revolution, is left out entirely, even though it’s integral to how the revolution evolved, and charting the course of revolutionary ideals.

The French freedom principle is never even mentioned, despite explaining French republicanism so pervasive at the time.

Likewise, the chapter on atheism is a gnarled mess of personal bias and inappropriate editorializing, and I say this as an atheist. Atheism is an important part of the revolution, with Robespierre’s struggle against it despite the dechristianization of France. But the section on atheism is just Steel’s personal opinions as an atheist, with little historical perspective. It’s completely inappropriate, and, again, I say this as someone who agrees with him. His feelings, unnecessary and un-asked-for, detract from the overall power of the work.

Ultimately, though, I believe the strengths of the book are greater than its weaknesses. It’s a unique perspective on the revolution, and in my opinion, a necessary one. It’s easy to read and understand, but it doesn’t water anything down. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in French history, revolutionary history, political history, the history of poverty, the people, democracy, justice, freedom, all of it. Because, more than a guillotine, that’s what the revolution is. It’s one of the first shuddering gasps of our current political process, loathe as many are to admit it.

And it’s important.

And also Desmoulin’s passive aggressive personal correspondence was hilarious.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have not read many better introductions to a Historical topic that were better for the lay person in terms of entertainment value and factual content than this Book. Mark Steel (who for those who don't know is a British Political Comedian who currently writes for "the Independent") manages to write a history book in the form of a stand up comedy routine which most readers will be able to follow easily.

Steel creates a entertaining defence of the revolution. He raises many Historical points surrounding Historical interpretation and bias vilifying the revolution, often pointing out the immaturity of these criticisms for example their focus on the appearance of the revolutionaries. The ugliness of Robespierre and Danton which has been taken by the traditional historians to paint them as the pantomime baddies or, as Steel puts it "makes you wonder whether you're reading Harry Potter and the French Revolution" yet inexplicably remains used by many modern historians.

Steel allows the reader to gain a grasp of the problem facing the new republic and understand the reasons events take the turn towards the Terror. Pointing out that these events were not the goals but were tragic consequences of the hostility surrounding the revolution's many factions and enemies. The Terror was not a Stalinist style Massed purge indiscriminate of the whole society but was mostly the result of factional squabbles between the factions of the revolution who desire to defend the republic and assert their values on it at all cost from the hostile elements.

Steel does have a weaknesses however, some of his information is not referenced and therefore it could be questioned where the information came from. He also gets the occasional fact wrong

Finally despite the historical basis it must be pointed out this is a comedic history; Steel writes to entertain the reader with many small anecdotes surrounding the figures. The jokes won't entertain everyone and many a reader may be put off by this however I recommend the book to anyone who wants an easy, entertaining introduction to the events.

[Alvin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brief history of the French Revolution with dad jokes - albeit a nice, socialist, pro-revolutionary dad.

[Anna Gibson · Rating 3 out of 5]

http://invitinghistorybookreviews.blo...

Vive La Revolution: A Stand-Up History of the French Revolution by Mark Steel is a casual history of the French Revolution told in a conversational and comedic tone. Vive La Revolution covers the basics of the French Revolution, including its origins, major events and players and the subsequent consequences and results of the revolution. Steel's presentation of the revolution is noticeably sympathetic towards the revolution and most of its supporting figures. Some readers may find this refreshing, considering the glut of books in recent years which are more sympathetic toward the French royal family. However, Steel's argument that negative portrayals of "pro" revolutionary figures are mostly based in biased myth and legend is sometimes lost when Steel relies on legends or myths in his descriptions of aristocratic or royal figures. I would have preferred for the author to point out the inaccuracies of popular conceptions of all figures of the revolution, not just the ones he personally supported. The book also occasionally suffers from a lack of basic fact checking, such as mixing up the sister of Louis XVI with the sister of Marie Antoinette and then later, the niece of Louis XVI.

Despite these flaws, the book does manage to cover the revolution in a way that is engaging, especially for casual readers. I would mainly recommend Vive La Revolution to readers looking for something easy to read about the French Revolution, despite its occasional flaws, or readers who are fans of Mark Steel's comedic writing.

[Eleyne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve read a lot of books on the French Revolution, some ‘better’ than others. This book, however, is unique in its presentation of the facts. The author, a stand-up comedian, delivers the story of the French Revolution with the same ‘voice’ as he would deliver a performance. It’s highly readable with no belaboring of the situation, and might even be accused of over-simplification, although that would also be one of its strong points. Mark Steel clarifies many of the confusions I experienced when first reading about the French Revolution, such as the various factions as well as the governing entities, making the whole situation a bit easier to follow. He also uses many modern references to clarify the situations, but I suspect that within a decade or so, these illustrations might themselves become oblique or obsolete.

A few ‘complaints’ -- the author repeatedly misspelled the name of another author/reference and there is no way to verify his ‘facts’ unless one already knows what’s happening because he hasn’t included a bibliography. I wouldn’t, however, let either of these deter me from enjoying this amusing and lucid history of the FR.

[Anne Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most absolutely fantastic books I've ever read, "Vive la Revolution" is everything I want in a history book: an in-depth knowledge of the events in question, a focus on the cast of unruly characters, and a sense of humor about an otherwise very dour subject. He has an astonishingly quick wit and a thorough grasp of the French Revolution in the context of both historical and modern Europe.

[Joe Drogos · Rating 5 out of 5]

5-stars? Really? You bet. Consistently funny and cleanly written, Mark Steel's book displays a faith in humanity that is refreshing and uplifting. Here is a book about "The Terror" and Napoleon that only reinforced my belief in mankind's great capacity for imagination and purity of spirit. It also made me laugh so hard at one point that I spit coffee though my nose while on the train.

[Trish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bought this second-hand (cover a wee bit creased) but what I didn’t realise was I was getting the USA version. That’s fine if you expect it-very much so if author is USA citizen, but I didn’t understand all the cultural references.
It doesn’t sound like Mark Steel somehow with grammar, spelling and analogies from the other side of the world.
Still, it is funny and the most original take on the French Revolution I’ve ever read.
It’s a memorable revision for those who know a lot about it (studied it at school, obviously, but have read much since)

He has a point that the Terror was bad, in terms of blood spilt it was little in comparison with St Bartholomew’s Day Massacre, the Paris Commune - let alone Vietnam or Iraq! He is not excusing the Terror but pointing out that the Terror gets so much coverage even now.

Steel makes it human and relevant.

For Europeans it was and is a much more significant era than anything in USA history till well into the twentieth century.

[Nicolas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pleasantly readable

Well detailed commentary for a layperson’s introduction to the French Revolution

Threads in some of the events of San Domingo

But needs more Babeuf and another chapter or so on the aftermath of the Napoleonic era

[Athornton]

It took me 9 years to finish this book (might be a record for snail pace), however, as with all things for my classes I took 13 pages of notes to use for when I teach this topic!

[Confused Hamburger · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is extremely well-researched, with lots of detail that really helped me on my History assignment. However, the author seems to think he's the funniest guy in the world, and keeps making jokes that did not even make me laugh once, whether it was from them not being funny or from them referencing some vague British thing I don't know about. He also sometimes interrupts his recount of the Revolution with personal anecdotes which didn't add to the book in any positive way. They were usually completely irrelevant to what the author was talking about, which really pissed me off.
Because of the above two points, I did not have a good time reading this book, but, again, it does have some quite good research, so it gets a three stars.

[Adam A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Steel places the French Revolution within the realm of the relatable and does so with a kind of humor that makes every event memorable.

He breaks down the rhetoric of people like Marat in such a way that he becomes comparable to the political gadflies of today.

Truth is that western society today is nothing like that of enlightenment era society in that we had time to absorb what we learned and grew a certain level of comapassion over time, whereas then, it was groundbreaking. Heads on a pike just aren't in fashion these days. Steel isn't afraid to look at the aburdity of this notion of extreme violence, while at the same time acknowledging that the France of that time reacted with only the kind of desperation that could have borne such extreme behavior.

Steel doesn't justify. He simply looks at the plain facts and gives them the appropriate retrospect. And maybe a touch of black humor is the only way to digest the French Revolution.

Damn good book on a subject that gets abused by know it alls without the very necessary relatable context.

[Katherine Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first picked up "Vive la Revolution" is a University bookstore. It wasn't required reading for me and didn't relate to any of my text material for the semester, but I'm so glad I picked it off the shelves anyway. Mark Steel has become a favorite of mine and my copy of "Vive la Revolution" has become slightly tattered with many rereads. This book is equally hysterical as it is informative, and it truly brings history to life.

[Raj · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know a huge amount about the French revolution, so this book was just the thing. If you've ever heard/seen of the Mark Steel Lectures, then you'll know exactly what style to expect, and what slant he's going to put on things. His thesis is that that revolution has been unfairly maligned by mainstream history and this is an attempt to redress the balance.

I enjoy Steel's writing, his voice comes out clearly, his anecdotes and analogies fit well and his narrative is clear. If I had a criticism, it would be that he ended the book too quickly, spending much more time on the start of the revolution than its end. Other than that, it's a great book.

[Nathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The French Revolution was the polar opposite of a society ruled by those who have forgotten how to dream.

A short, breezy history (and defense) of the French Revolution that I had the bad luck to read after Hilary Mantel's A Place of Greater Safety, which is much richer, both as history and defense.

What I really loved were the anecdotes about lesser-known corners of the Revolution, like the Black Jacobins in the Caribbean, or the ever-incarcerated Marquis de Sade, who managed to piss off the royals and the revolutionaries.

[LadyKnowledge · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my all-time favourite history books.

I studied history in university both at the undergraduate and graduate level and I've almost never come across such a delightful and engaging work about the past. Mark Steel's work on the French Revolution is hilarious and informative.

I've recommended (and gifted) this book many times and fervently hope that Mr. Steel will decide to write more books like this. Something on Tudor or Victorian Britain would get my vote if he was asking.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to watch the Blue Peter episode that will teach me how to build a guillotine!

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely a good overview of the revolution and it's major figures, presented with charm and much more readability than most historical books (especially those about the French Revolution). Steel cleverly intertwines fact and story with a modern perspective on the revolution, as well as a cross-cultural perspective-- mainly the English opinion of the whole thing. An enjoyable read from start to finish, and as one of the reviews on the back of the book quite rightly says, it is a "cross between a history of the French Revolution and a spirited defense of the ideals that inspired it."

[Maggie Kmiecik · Rating 3 out of 5]

Witty and educational, Mark Steel does a good job of questioning how the French Revolution has been portrayed in history books and media for decades. Though the historical aspect of it was very informative, the comedic side bits could have been cut out. It almost felt like Steel would get on a roll and then remember that there was supposed to be humor involved, so it would just get tacked on to the end of a chapter.

Overall, I definitely was entertained with this account of the French Revolution, but I probably won't have a need to reread it.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent and entertaining history of the French Revolution. In particular, I liked the sympathetic tone. It is so easy for so many to forget that the revolutionaries had very legitimate reasons to oppose the tyrannical system they were living under. Also, the book has a great sense of humor. My only complaint concern the references to modern day pop-culture and politics. They are already becoming dated.

[Annabelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this, I thought I would as I find his newspaper columns interesting and often very funny. I like his witty and tongue in cheek way of writing, in many places making me laugh out loud. I often find books on serious matters quite irksome due to the author writing pure speculation and personal views as fact ( much the same as many newspapers) but this was interesting whilst being light hearted and fair. I'd definitely read his other titles.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very readable, very entertaining! And always nice to have alternatives to the perspective of Schama et al... My only criticism really is that I sometimes felt there were more jokes than really necessary. Like, the history's interesting enough on its own! You don't need a joke every second sentence to keep me engaged! But I mean it literally describes itself as 'a stand up history' so I can't complain too much, it's just doing what it promises.

[Holly Raymond · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty fun, light overview of the French Revolution. Heavy on trivia and personality, a little light on in-depth criticism or analysis, but all of that is by design. I think that if a guy wants to get a popular audience interested in an important point in the history of radicalism, all power to him. I really did enjoy reading this.

[Shirley · Rating 3 out of 5]

# Mark Steel - Vive La Revolution (2003)

## Short Comment
+ themes: 6/10, though I love a comic comedian account on French Revolution, yet I don’t intend to read it again.
+ styles: 8/10, for I think he did well with his irreverent and cute quips except for Le Bas.
+ backgrounds: 6/10, just so-so
+ plots: 6/10, for some flaws
+ characters: 5/10, for he tended to render more dramatic portraits ignoring their deep thoughts and motivations
+ conclusion: 31/50=3 star

## Long Comment
Mark Steel shows himself as a humorous and marvelous English comedian in this book, though his historical accounts are oversimplified, frivolous and questionable containing numerous historic errors. Since he couldn’t read French at that time, he might not have realized that some of his sources were unreliable because he lacked the chance of reading firsthand materials. Judged from his words, I doubt he read through his mentioned English bibliography scrupulously and dialectically.

For example:
1. Jocobins indeed called on lots of citizens to defend themselves but failed, which the author ignored.
2. The author undervalued Marat, as it’s evident that Marat was not a nutter.
3. Desmoulin’s wife, Lucile, was said to have participated in the conspiracy against the committees so as to save her husband. But Saint-Just knew this somehow and that’s why he could directly guillotine Danton’s party without a proper and decent trial in the name of national safety, which the author distorted.
4. His comparison of Robespierre and Danton I think was more like an archetypical stereotype.
5. He didn’t understand why Robespierre opposed atheism and inaugurated a cult of sumpreme being, which shows his little concern on Robespierre’s predicament and his political influence.

However this book is full of quips and interesting personal experiences, which makes it feels like an articulate friend chatting with you. I like the moments when he:
1. talked about Selective Grieving Syndrome.
2. has a point that the Terror was bad, in terms of blood spilt it was little in comparison with St Bartholomew’s Day Massacre, the Paris Commune - let alone Vietnam or Iraq.
3. breaks down the ludicrous political rhetoric of historic figures like Marat in a hilarious manner.
4. praised Saint-Just “the most mature twenty-six-year-old of all time” for denying the glory, asserting, “I like it when victories are announced, but do not wish them to become pretexts for personal vanity.”
5. reminded me that there’s no festival for atheism compared to other religions.
6. described how Sonthonax helped abolish the slavery in San Domingo in French Revolution. It all stemmed from the requirements of coping with a royalist coup and foreign military intervention. Sonthonax fulfilled his task ordered by the National Assembly of preventing another slave uprising by eradicating the legality of slavery so that there exist no slaves but citizens in San Domingo. What a clever strategy!
7. derided how Montagnards lack the art of political spin.
8. mocked the fact that Danton remarried quickly after opening his wife’s coffin to hug her.
9. mocked the monarchy.
10. talked about some primeval feminists like Olympe de Gouges, Léon, and Méricourt who bravely spoke for women’s right alone during the French revolution.
11. complained that one activist told him, “I was quite pleased as it (Schindler’s list) was ninety percent historically accurate.” which resonated with my own judgmental thinking patterns.
12. roasted how opponents dehumanized Robespierre even his hometown.
13. concluded that the French revolution is a cracking tale worthwhile to study as a guide to and an inspiration for our own times.

But I still cannot excuse that he insulted loyal Le Bas as a twat. This is remorseless as well as humorless.

[Bjarke Knudsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The quandary of those who chose to defend the revolution was that each event threw up a more grisly choice. So you might condemn them and the path they chose, but at what point should they have given up? Should they have refused right from the beginning to oppose the injustices of the King's absolute power, on the grounds it might lead to an unseemly revolution? Should they have backed down when the King sent his army to crush the third estate, or when he tried to escape?"

Presumably, if you went through conventional Western-style schooling, you’re familiar with the French Revolution. Portrayals in general litterature and popular culture span the spectrum from grisly spectacle of indiscriminate, vulgar slaughtering in the name of (misappropriated) Enlightenment and Liberty to spontaneous “straw that broke the camel’s back”-style reaction to centuries of systematic oppression by a minority on the majority. As is so often the case with these things, the truth is probably somewhere in between. And a comedian with a radical leftist reputation is probably not the man you’d expect to write a fairly unbiased anthology of the ups and downs of this seminal event in world history.

But Mr. Steel has managed to do just that. I already knew he was capable of conveying historical facts in an entertaining manner – I’ve watched his “Mark Steel Lectures” series multiple times – so when I came across this tome in a thrift shop in Lund, I thought “well, why not”. And right from the get-go, it’s evident that Steel has actually “done his homework”. The endnotes are numerous and exhaustive, the references to minutes, diaries and obscure works are likewise, and you find quotes all over the book that I wasn’t familiar with – despite having read quite a few works on Enlightenment Europe by now. Interspersed within the narrative are anecdotes from Mr. Steel’s own life and political activism – elegantly inserted where they are justifiable in context and help to make the events more relatable to the 21st-century reader.

As I see this book, it’s an excellent introduction to getting “stuck in” with the Revolution beyond school curriculum level. It’s full of trivia, names, quotes and references that will come in handy at any history-themed pub quiz night (once these become a thing again in the future). This book was evidently not intended as yet another dry, Byzantine treatise on the ups and downs of the mid-to-late 18th century in France, rather, it shows that in many cases, the chain of events and the political process was every bit as chaotic and random as it seems to be today.

And also, that in some ways, certain people never change. I mean, Thomas Paine being a member of the National Convention without speaking a word of French? Glorious.

[Seth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've had this book on my shelves since shortly after it first appeared in the US in ~2004, but never got around to reading past the first couple of pages. Since I've been on a bit of a binge on books about the French revolution lately, I thought I'd try it again. Perhaps by contrast with the much drier tomes I've worked through, Mark Steel's breezy account of the events of 1789-179x made for a fun ride.

Steel is occasionally a bit careless with details. For example, he makes the Duc d'Orleans the brother of Louis XVI rather than his fairly distant cousin (4th cousin once removed, to be precise), and has Thomas Paine working on foreign policy for George Washington rather than the Continental Congress. On the other hand, despite the intentionally frivolous tone, he obviously consulted a great many sources and put together a quite respectable bibliography which would not embarrass an academic historian.

The overriding message of this book is that the revolution was meant to redress the suffering of the poor by giving them a real voice in government and that most academic history has subverted this in various ways out of snobbery. This is essentially the class struggle writ small. Conservative minded historians can't imagine uneducated people as deserving of more than a tiny fraction of the attention due to historical figures with proper credentials, be they noble status or lofty scholarly attainment. Less conservative minded historians still reflect a certain class bias in that it is a career-risk to offend conservative thought leaders.

People enjoy quoting Zhou Enlai as saying in answer to a question about the significance of the French Revolution, that “it's too soon to tell”. I'm partial to the explanation that Zhou thought he was being asked about the events of 1968, not 1789. But either way, he may have been correct. Even if the academy is largely hostile to the goals of the revolution and prefers to emphasize its violence and downplay the social change it produced, the revolution's continuing fascination suggests that the reading public at large “gets it”. The revolution mattered more than its critics care to admit. Why else would they still be writing so many books about it?

[Ken Dowell · Rating 2 out of 5]

The history of the French Revolution as told by a stand-up comic. Sound odd? It is. I am reminded of a history professor who, thinking his students are bored with the subject and perhaps being a little tired of it himself, punctuates his lectures with wise-cracks and one-liners.

That is not to say it isn’t at least at times funny. I occasionally laughed out loud. I equally occasionally reminded myself that the French Revolution isn’t generally a topic of humor. Many, many lost their lives and it was a major turning point in the history of the western world.

There is some real history here and I suspect a good deal of research went into it. I have a fair amount of knowledge of the French Revolution but not of many of the quirky facts Steel offers up. We learn of Louis XVI’s sexual habits from his brother-in-law (his sister married the king so he might have had some inside info): “He has strong perfectly satisfactory erections, he introduces the member, stays there without moving for about two minutes, withdraws without ejaculating but still erect, and bids goodnight.” And as for Napoleon, he supposedly had to masterbate before a battle.

Steel comes down hard on the physical appearance of the top revolutionaries, for example, describing Marat as “toad-like” with a flabby mouth. He’s even got a chapter on the pre-Revolution literary genre of philosophical pornography. Sometimes I couldn’t tell the difference between the author’s quirky facts and his jokes. Did they really change the rules of checkers so you couldn’t crown kings?

To his credit Steel is quick to document much of the good that came with the revolution. While most people with some knowledge of the event know about the beheading of Marie Antoinette, I suspect that not nearly as many know about how the French Revolution abolished slavery, some 70 years before the American Civil War, and banned discrimination against Jews and Protestants.

This is the second history book I’ve read recently that was written by a comedian. Not sure it’s a combination I want to see perpetuated.

[Simon Bostock · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a deep dive into the French revolution, who the major players were, what their motivations were, and what happened to them.

This dispels a lot of the myths that have arisen that surround the revolution. It also asks why is Robspiere so vilified as someone lopping off heads left right and centre, like someone who enjoyed death.

It looks at French society prior to the start of the revolution to help understand how France had gone from a region where the King was effectively god, and the people lived in desperate poverty, to attempting to make a society where everyone was equal.

This was a re-read and was just as entertaining as the first reading. It also has some excellent modern comparisons written in a gilarious way. Like

'Marat also sounded like a Marxist: 'Without the workers, society could not exist for a single day. Yet these unfortunates look with disdain upon the scoundrel who grows fat by their sweat.' But, being Marat, he couldn't leave it at that. So he went on, These publicans drink the workers' blood in cups of gold. You can almost hear his colleagues shouting, 'All right, yes, we get the idea."'

There is a mistake in the edition I read, where the Duc d'Orléans is referred to as the King's brother and later his cousin.

Overall, a funny and informative look at the French revolution and how some participants have been unjustly vilified.

[Ed Erwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Manages to be both informative and funny at the same time, and gives a pretty full overview of a very messy historical period without being too long. The style is very much like John Stewart or John Oliver, giving both substance and jokes.

Part of the motivation for the book seems to be to counter the "traditional" view that the revolution was overall a bad thing. Maybe that really is the traditional view, or maybe it is only the view in Britain, but for me it is a view I've never heard anywhere, so doesn't need to be countered. The view I've always heard is more along the lines that it was very, very messy and bloody and went wrong in many ways, but was still necessary and started with good intentions and eventually led to greater freedom and democracy not only in France but in the world.

They say: "The more it changes, the more it stays the same." One striking illustration of that comes at the beginning of this book. Commenting on the fact that many of the original revolutionaries were aristocrats themselves:

So the first "outside agitators" whose actions led to the mob being stirred were the aristocracy -- a bit like a revolution in the U.S. beginning with a demonstration called by Donald Trump.

This was written in 2003. Who could have know at that time that Trump really would appeal to poor workers and get them to rally round him.

[Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never imagined that I would say to someone, "I just read a hilarious book about the French Revolution .... It's so funny ... You have to read it!" However, Mark Steel made me say that after reading his book. He has a wicked sense of humour and is a talented writer, which makes his history of the French Revolution eminently readable. He does not belittle the events and the violence, but rather the traditional stodgy historians accounts and the absurdities of life itself in any historical period. Vive La Revolution is a superb work of popular history (and I don't mean popular history as any sort of put down). Steel also has a knack for getting at the key issues behind events in a way that some academic historians struggle with as they get bogged down in detail. His judgements about the Revolution are quite sound, making this an excellent book to read on the revolution for anyone.