The French Revolution : a study in democracy

by Nesta H. Webster

The French Revolution : a study in democracy. 520 Pages.

Genres: Nonfiction, French Revolution

624 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 27, 2014

About the author

Nesta Helen Webster, 1876-1960, was an outstanding English scholar who did pioneering work in Secret Society research. Her books are meticulously researched and documented, so her work is cited by many other researchers. Her special areas of expertise include the French Revolution, revolutionary movements throughout Europe in the 19th century, and the history of secret societies. She was raised in "High Church" Protestantism.

Reviews

[Christian Johansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know many people get turned of by seeing the author of this book is Nesta Webster, but personally this one of her more scholarly works compared with her later works like secret societies that just reeks with jewbaiting. This book exposes many uncomfortable truths about the french revolution that is verboten to modern scholars that often fetishises the french revolution and minimizes crimes like the september massacres and ignore that men like danton had a play in organizing them. I would give this book five stars if the author was not the infamous Webster.

[Davy Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know I had this very book and I think I read it
Seems like it was very good. Around this time I remember watching Danton on Showtime or similar and thought it was tremendous. Seems like it was Polish made. This was 1989 the bicentennial, so it was a thing.
I was caught up in some radical right stuff at the time, but I don't remember this Webster book being overboard in that direction. I always was on the verge of reading Dickens Tale of Two Cities but didn't. Same with Edmund Burkes Reflections on the French Revolution. I did read a bunch of stuff on Napoleon at war, and have read War and Peace twice. First time I was maybe late 20s and didn't even realize Nap was traipsing around my paternal grandmother's homeland of Lithuania. Once I grasped Lithuania and got a handle on the archaic place names I reread it. Seems like I didn't digest much of the last 20% either time.
Just dug out Mary Wollencrofts Defense of Thomas Paines The Rights of Man which I think is a counter to the Burke Reflections book. I am probably more open to these ideas these days. My thinking has shifted some over the years. The Bushes Patriot Act and 9/11 wars and stuff, some Trumpishness and my current project of solving the JFK Assassination have all changed my view somewhat. I try to give the Dem's a chance but they are worse, and are making things worse, and trending towards 1984.