Contesting the French Revolution

"Contesting the French Revolution provides an invaluable account of recent thinking on the history and politics of the French Revolution. Hanson does not 'take sides', but by explaining what underlies the debates, and why historians have found the politics of the Revolution so important and yet so contentious, he makes it possible for students to make up their own minds. This is the best kind of teaching. Above all, he shows why the French Revolution still matters. The written style is beautifully expressed, elegant and lucid."
–Marisa Linton, Kingston University

"Paul Hanson breathes new life into the events and ideas of the French Revolution and makes clear their relevance to topics of contemporary concern. His balanced and sensitive approach to issues such as state-sponsored and popular violence, as well as what he terms 'routine violence', will be appreciated by both scholars and students alike. Hanson's engaging and accessible writing makes the book ideal for use in the classroom."
–Denise Davidson, Georgia State University

Paul R. Hanson (Author)

9781405160834, Wiley

Hardback, published 27 January 2009

256 pages
23.7 x 16 x 2.6 cm, 0.517 kg

“The historiography of the French Revolution is notoriously voluminous. Paul Hanson is one of very few people who can be said to have mastered it.” (Informaworld.com, January 2011)

"This book is no neutral survey of historiography, bur an engaged contribution to the debate. Hanson challenges older revisionism by endorsing recent studies that emphasize social conflict as key to the French Revolution, and he contests interpretations of the Terror or of revolutionary violence as the outcomes of revolutionary ideology." (Journal of World History, September 2010)

Contesting the French Revolution provides an insightful overview of one of history’s most significant events, as well as examining the most significant historiographical debates about this period.

• Explores the causes, events, and consequences of the French Revolution
  
• Offers a stimulating analysis of the most controversial debates: Were the events of 1789 a social revolution or a political accident? Did they mark the rise of industrial capitalism or the birth of modern democracy? Was Napoleon Bonaparte an heir to the ideals of 1789 or a betrayer of the Revolution?
  
• Shows how historical interpretation of the French Revolution has been influenced by the changing political and social currents of the last 200 years – from the Russian Revolution to the fall of the Berlin Wall – and how historical study has shifted from a political focus to social and cultural approaches in more recent years.

Acknowledgements viii

Subject Areas: History [HB]