I recently found out the phrase “let them eat cake” is both mistranslated and likely misattributed to Marie Antoinette.
This got me thinking about how little I know about the French Revolution in general, and I’m looking for an engaging nonfiction book that explains it better. Thanks!
by cwhiskey09
4 Comments
Thomas Carlyle’s History of the French Revolution and Alexis de Tocqueville’s The Old Regime and the Revolution are both fantastic resources.
Furet/Richet might be a bit dated, and I’m sure there are more analytical, precise, and/or comprehensive works around, but if you’re striving for a readable and engaging overview, they’re still unmatched in my opinion.
I just read A New World Begins by Jeremy D Popkin last year and I thought it was great.
Citizens: A Chronicle of the French Revolution, by Simon Schama