Edmund Burke's "Reflections on the Revolution in France" is considered by many to be a masterpiece of political analysis and a compelling rationale against the French Revolution. Originally written as a letter in response to a young Parisian and later expanded upon and published in book format in January 1790, the work has greatly influenced conservative and classic liberal intellectuals and stands as a powerful argument against violent revolutions,...

In the year 1792, Sir Percy and Lady Marguerite Blakeney are the darlings of British society--he is known as one of the wealthiest men in England and kimwit; she is French, a stunning former actress, and "the cleverest woman in Europe." Together they find themselves at the center of a deadly political intrigue. The Reign of Terror grips France, and every day aristocrats in Paris fall victim to Madame la Guillotine. Only one man can rescue them--the...

It is 1789, and three young provincials have come to Paris to make their way. Georges-Jacques Danton, an ambitious young lawyer, is energetic, pragmatic, debt-ridden--and hugely but erotically ugly. Maximilien Robespierre, also a lawyer, is slight, diligent, and terrified of violence. His dearest friend, Camille Desmoulins, is a conspirator and pamphleteer of genius. A charming gadfly, erratic and untrustworthy, bisexual and beautiful, Camille is...

A vital and illuminating look at this profoundly important (and often perplexing) historical moment, by former Financial Times chief foreign affairs columnist Ian Davidson. The French Revolution casts a long shadow, one that reaches into our own time and influences our debates on freedom, equality, and authority. Yet it remains an elusive, perplexing historical event. Its significance morphs according to the sympathies of the viewer, who may see it...

"Winner of the 2015 PROSE Award in European & World History, Association of American Publishers" Jonathan Israel is professor of modern history at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton. He is the author of A Revolution of the Mind: Radical Enlightenment and the Intellectual Origins of Modern Democracy (Princeton). How the Radical Enlightenment inspired and shaped the French Revolution Historians of the French Revolution used to take for...

A brief introduction to the French Revolution that explores the impact the French Revolution had on literature, society, and institutional and social structures in France and beyond.

A journey through French history from the bestselling author of Absolute Monarchs. Beginning with Julius Caesar's conquest of Gaul in the first century BC, this study of French history comprises a cast of legendary characters—Charlemagne, Louis XIV, Napoleon, Joan of Arc, and Marie Antoinette, to name a few—as John Julius Norwich chronicles France's often violent, always fascinating history. From the French Revolution—after which neither France...

Born into a world of wealth and pleasure, Annette Vallon enjoys the privileges of aristocracy, but a burning curiosity and headstrong independence set her apart from other women of her class. Spoiled by the novels of Rousseau, she refuses to be married unless it is for passion. Her stubborn devotion to her romantic principles bears the sweetest fruit when William Wordsworth, a young English poet, enters her life. She will be his mistress, his muse,...