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Summary: The French Revolution - The Ripples Are Still Being Felt!
Review: The French Revolution - which began as a series of reforms and ended by devouring its leaders - was the first of the great upheavals on the continent. It is the subject here of history professor and popular historian Simon Schama, who has written another of his eminently readable books.
The French Revolution was inspired by the American War of Independence, which the French supported as part of their continuing struggle with Great Britian. However, while the American leaders had a firm grasp on the principles of government and a good British model on which to build, the French were inspired by a different set of ideas and had little idea of exactly what would replace the Ancien Regime. Schama has a great eye for detail and a gift for narrative history, and this large-scale work is a deep exploration of the first great revolution of the left -one whose reverberations are still being felt to this day.
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Summary: Citizens
Review: 'Citizens' is written in a narrative style that gives life to a fascinating period in human history. The detailed descriptions of contemporary issues in art, literature and politics is a new feature in a description of the French Revolution. In what is a novel approach to the history of the Revolution, Simon Schama devotes almost half of his work to a description of the Ancien Regime, including a very vivid glimpse into the lives of the Peers of the kingdom. By doing this his desciption of the lives of ordinary Frenchmen and Frenchwomen is not as satisfactory. He does, however, re-create the importance of the ordinary people in the lead-up to the Fall of Bastille, as well as the 'radical' phase of the Revolution. The events surrounding the Fall of Bastille are well described with the effect that the reader feels part of the amazing and rapid changes of 1788-1790. The period from the ratification of the Constitution of 1791 to the coup of August 10, 1792, is one of the most interesting and crucial turn of the Revolution. 'Citizens' descibes the rise of the republican movement excellently. The uncertainties of the time are shown vividly. The feeling of destiny which marked the period of the beginnings of the First Republic, and its lead-up to the terror of the Committee of Public Safety, is seen both through the forceful and patriotic perspective of the revolutionaries, as well as the human and moderate eyes of those opposed to the radical solutions of this phase of the Revolution. This is, however, where the narrative suffers. Schama's description of the Terror is emotional and filled with implicit and explicit condemnation. Although this is a natural reaction to the excesses of the period, it is a result of the benefit of hidsight. The National Convention was at the time genuinely trying to create a better system of government and the events of 1793-94 should be viewed through the eyes of the contemporaries. This is not to say, as the revolts in the Provinces show, that at the time there were no people opposed to the Terror. Unfortunately, the inspired narrative ends with the fall of Robespierre. Although undoubtedly the intention of the author in pointing out how the Revolution made a full circle back to to tyranny, this is a sad result for those wanting to see how the Revolution lead on to the rise of Napoleon. Without this link-up the many important changes which originated during the Revolution and outlasted it are not given their due credit. The Revolution, after all, went on for another five years after the end of Terror. Overall, 'Citizens' is an excellent book for those who wish to see the French Revolution through human eyes and in splendid detail. Anyone wanting a glimpse at the glamour of the Ancien Regime at its last, and Enlightenment philosophy in action, should definitely take the time to read 'Citizens'.
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Summary: Enthralling
Review: All the reviews heretofore are by readers who are knowledgeable in the history of this period. As a non-historian and someone who far prefers fiction to history or biography, I want prospective readers to know that this book can hold its own with many novels. Schama writes brilliantly. The characters have names most of us have encountered: Robespierre, Danton, Marat and of course Marie-Antoinette. It was exciting to read how these people changed history. I still pull this book down from the shelf just to skim through the pages I enjoyed so thoroughly.
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Summary: Away with cliches
Review: Brilliant and well written, Schama sweeps away the cliches - e.g. about the ancien regime being fossilised, and about class warfare. Instead, the complex dynamics of a desperate episode are revealed. How the revolution ate its children is well portrayed. The revolution's fascination with symbols and grand spectacles I found particularly striking and there are other aspects which may ring warning bells for today - for example the danger of sweeping away existing moral forms. Economics
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Summary: Knockout history!
Review: Citizens is a complete chronicle of the French Revolution with heavy emphasis on the changing values of 18th century society. Simon Schama points out that Louis XVI's France was a much more progressive and dynamic society than the name "Ancien RegimeEsuggests. Did the Revolution (and subsequent Reign of Terror) actually put a stop to the social and political reforms that were slowly but surely coming to France under the Monarchy? This huge book is knockout history written by an author whose writing style is exciting and compelling!
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Summary: If you read one book about the French Revolution...
Review: Citizens is a very well written history of the French Revolution covering a massive amount of events, details and personalities with a good deal of background to boot. I am no expert on the subject but I have read a few books on the French Revolution including "The Oxford history of the French Revolution" and "Twelve who Ruled". I found that Citizens at succeeded where the other two failed: it managed to remain interesting. This is of course is because of Simon Schama writing style. The history of the French revolutionary period of course really is fascinating but the problem with it is unless you are scholar of French history you will need to have a decent amount of background to put the events of 1789-95 in perspective. That being said it can also be said that if you are going to read a single book on the subject Citizens provides the background and explanation required to get a true sense of what happened during the revolutionary period.
It is understandable that readers find that there is too much anecdote and detail in this book however I argue that it is all for a purpose. Simon Schama is one of those writers that doesn't simply want to provide readers with the chronology but he wants to enrich the events with information and details that not only shed light on what happened but provide a volume of supplemental knowledge that in pieces may do little but together solidify the reader's understanding of the subject. This is vastly important to getting a grasp on this book. I believe Schama uses anecdotes not as flourishes but as mnemonic devices for the readers understanding as well.
It is not meant to be a quick read. Citizens is very deliberate. Schama's verbose style is also this works beauty. Anyone who has seen him speak or seen his television programs understands that he wants to envelop his audience completely not only as way of maintaining their attention but as a service for their time spent. As a reader too, we spend time behind a book for a purpose: to learn. Schama understands this and furnishes us with enough information that we don't need to waste our time sifting through other books to gain understanding of this of the material.
Finally, to discuss the argument. Schama provides a good counter to the argument that the revolution was a people's movement. Naturally, you need power to take power, argues Schama, the revolution was not a movement of the people but the middle class who cared little for the proletariat. They certainly used them when necessary but not out of altruism but to achieve their aims. This accounts greatly for much of the horror of the period.
Of course it is not complete. Schama, or any worthy author of history, wouldn't ever make this claim. However it is a very good starting point for all readers of history and good basis to start studying more specific aspects of the period. I recommend Schama greatly because of his style. If you have enjoyed his other works you certainly will be pleased and if you are looking for a strong book to start understanding the revolution this is an excellent book for you.
--Ted Murena
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Summary: a masterpiece of research
Review: Even though I am well versed in both American and European history, my knowledge of the French Revolution was rather limited. Mr. Schama filled in all those gaps and then some. It is facinating to read how the revolution got more and more radical as time went on, until it got to the point where each group systematically destroyed each successive group and its individuals. What started as a noble goal degenegated into class hatred and retribution. Political correctness truly was the order of the day, and it took only one wrong word to literally lose your head! The contrast among the English, American and French revolutions is also interesting. The stability of the former two compared to the chaos of the latter. I was disappointed the book didn't continue until the Napoleonic coup of 1799. A glossary of the French terms would have helped.
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Summary: Be Open-minded (And Bring Your Thesaurus)
Review: First off, Simon Schama has a much broader vocabulary than most of us, so bring your thesaurus or dictionary when sitting down. My goal when picking up "Citizens" was to learn more about the French Revolution, something I had never studied in any depth. This book does have depth and beyond just reciting facts and figures, analyzes the men and women of the Revolution, and provides a view point on the events, often contradicting or expanding previous research and publications. I got a hell of a lot more out of "Citizens" than I ever expected. I now have a context of French Revolution not only within French History but how it compares to the American Revolution, English revolutionary struggles, and its influence on Bonaparte, the Soviets, and Europe as a whole. Sit down, bring your dictionary (and plenty of time - it took me over 10 years to pick it up and another year to read it!) and enjoy "Citizens".
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Summary: Be Open-minded (And Bring Your Thesaurus)
Review: First off, Simon Schama has a much broader vocabulary than most of us, so bring your thesaurus or dictionary when sitting down. My goal when picking up "Citizens" was to learn more about the French Revolution, something I had never studied in any depth. This book does have depth and beyond just reciting facts and figures, analyzes the men and women of the Revolution, and provides a view point on the events, often contradicting or expanding previous research and publications. I got a hell of a lot more out of "Citizens" than I ever expected. I now have a context of French Revolution not only within French History but how it compares to the American Revolution, English revolutionary struggles, and its influence on Bonaparte, the Soviets, and Europe as a whole. Sit down, bring your dictionary (and plenty of time - it took me over 10 years to pick it up and another year to read it!) and enjoy "Citizens".
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Summary: A revisionist history of the French Revolution
Review: For many years the Jacobin-Marxist school of interpretation has held sway in looking at the French Revolution. Historians such as Albert Soboul have dominated thinking about the events of 1787 to 1795. Schama takes careful aim at these historians with a massive work, that looks at the chaotic underpinnings of the French Revolution. Schama is a great writer and recreates the swirl of detail of the period. Nonethless, historians such as Soboul need to be read as well. Schama can get a little lost in the detail and the great contribution of Soboul has been to look at the underlying social changes that affected French Society during that period. It would be a grave mistake to believe that Schama was in any sense definitive, but he has shattered the Jacobin-Marxist school's ownership of the French Revolution. Each reader will have to decide which about truth of each interpretation.
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