French Revolution

Revolutions in the Modern World

by J.F. Bosher

For those who regard the French Revolution as tribal myth told and retold, this new interpretation will come as a shock. Bosher situates the revolutionary struggle not in an atmosphere of sharp class alignment, but instead with socially mixed and transient groupings. He goes deeply into the pre-Revolutionary period, examining the stresses in the social and political order of the ancien regime , as well as the ideas of the wealthy that circulated in the salons and permeated the journals and leaflets read by the populace. Central to the account is Professor Bosher's argument, novel and fully documented, that behind the tumult was a generation of revolutionaries whose revolution was not premeditated and a series of events that were anything but inevitable even once the powder keg was ignited.

Genres: History, France

416 pages, Paperback

Published September 17, 1989

Reviews

[John Schneider · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bosher's "The French Revolution" shatters one of the most enduring myths of modernity and post-modernity: the righteousness and inevitability of the Revolution. A scholarly and entertaining read, this work challenges many firmly held beliefs about how King Louis XVI fell from power, who were the revolutionaries, and whether it had to happen. To summarize Bosher all too briefly, the French Revolution did not have to occur and would not have likely happened had Louis XVI acted more firmly and less liberally. Because Louis XVI was attempting to act gently and progressively, he lost the confidence of the public. The populace, however, did not really care. One of the most useful distinctions that Bosher makes is between the public - the literate, urban, and socially conscious - and the populace - the peasants and ordinary Frenchmen who only cared for their own. Whereas most histories would have you believe that the peasants overthrew a harsh monarchy, according to Bosher the peasants only really cared about being fed and keeping their local customs. Moreover, classes as we understand them today did not exist in France at the time. Instead, there existed a plurality of societies that coexisted and intermingled in one area led by a monarch whom most people respected until the early 1790's. Bosher goes into great detail to show that the French Revolution that most know never happened. Anyone interested in better understanding how this profound event actually transpired ought to read this excellent work.

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

The French Revolution is still a swirling mass of politics, murder, and confusion for me. After the death of the king is the most difficult times for me to keep track of who is who and what is going on. I keep reading though to help me understand events. I grabbed this book from the library simply because of the subject. I found myself enjoying this one since it discussed mainly what happened to the French government as it moved from a monarchy, to a national assembly, to a dictatorship, and so on. How royal venal officials were moved to salaried civil servants was especially insightful for me. I felt somewhat lost when the author jumped subjects on me, however, that may be due to my lack of understanding or ability to keep track of events and persons of interest. Overall, a very informative book, but I must keep going since I am still kindof lost when it comes to our Frankish friends.

[Илья Дескулин · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty balanced and well-written.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this as an undergraduate, and 20 years later I find it makes much more sense. Bosher resists homogenization of groups during the revolution while purporting that other historians are guilty of this. The history is all too brief. Key events, like the storming of the Bastille, merit a paragraph or two. This is a good introduction into the complex history, though. It does its job by encouraging more reading on the subject with a critical/ skeptical eye. Well written work in the aggregate.

[Hermano · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read. I was a student of Professor Bosher and he is an expert in this field.