English Historians on the French Revolution

A study of the historiography of the Revolution, demonstrating the successive stages of British opinion.

Hedva Ben-Israel (Author)

9780521522236, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 8 August 2002

328 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 1.9 cm, 0.48 kg

The French Revolution strongly influenced the historical and political thought of nineteenth-century Britain. This study of the historiography of the Revolution demonstrates the successive stages of British opinion, and their relationship to other historical developments. Dr Ben-Israel examines the work of many English historians and thinkers who reflected on the French Revolution, and looks in particular detail at the work of those whose studies of the Revolution figure most prominently in this body of writings. Sinyth, Carlyle, Allson, Croker, Acton and others are considered both as individual writers and as part of a tradition. The author shows that the English historians had certain common aims and methods and above all shared a political point of view, so they can legitimately be grouped together to form a school. This book should be of particular interest to specialists in the French Revolution, historians of British public and political opinion, and students of historiographical method.

Preface
Acknowledgements
Abbreviations
Part I. The Formation of a View: 1. The first decade
2. History in time of war
3. English history vis-à-vis the Bourbons (1815–1830)
4. The memoirs
5. William Smyth
6. Revolution and reform (1830–1832)
7. The French Revolution and the romantic movement in historiography
8. Carlyle and the French Revolution
9. Between 1830 and 1848
10. Studies of Robespierre
11. John Wilson Croker
Part II. The Waning of a Tradition: 12. The Revolution of 1848
13. 1848–1870
14. English history comes of age
15. Lord Acton
16. Conclusions
Bibliographies
Index.

Subject Areas: History [HB]