Kindle
$12.99
Available instantly
Audible Logo Audiobook
$0.00
with membership trial
Hardcover
$28.51
Paperback
$15.56
Buy new:
-13% $15.56
FREE delivery Wednesday, May 22 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Ships from: Amazon.com
Sold by: Amazon.com
$15.56 with 13 percent savings
List Price: $17.95

The List Price is the suggested retail price of a new product as provided by a manufacturer, supplier, or seller. Except for books, Amazon will display a List Price if the product was purchased by customers on Amazon or offered by other retailers at or above the List Price in at least the past 90 days. List prices may not necessarily reflect the product's prevailing market price.
Learn more
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
FREE delivery Wednesday, May 22 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35. Order within 4 hrs 11 mins
In Stock
$$15.56 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$15.56
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Ships from
Amazon.com
Ships from
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Returns
30-day easy returns
30-day easy returns
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Returns
30-day easy returns
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Payment
Secure transaction
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
$11.21
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
FREE delivery Thursday, May 23 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
$$15.56 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$15.56
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Ian Davidson
+ Follow
More books from this author
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

The French Revolution Paperback – January 9, 2018

by Ian Davidson (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 282 ratings
See all formats and editions
{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$15.56","priceAmount":15.56,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"15","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"56","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"kh5ft9kbKYiSXeAS2UG%2FeywgDsy3WakSWEy8TOQkRGrAHGAjWLNvwymZ5vcmbrJcBzKig3XDxPga6vLwcMoZ10co0jsGT603ssTjwOOETpzTt3PfpMDJyfENHz1UtCNU5bc0MytvqJELtQwGjzKcCQ%3D%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$11.21","priceAmount":11.21,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"11","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"21","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"kh5ft9kbKYiSXeAS2UG%2FeywgDsy3WakS99ngLYIeXEB6oymna7j%2FokBqWNtVL7vNtaNHeD71ZtYhSDGKGb6tWJHjKWYyHIsqPNdp%2Br1kRAX9ouXFP2bW0k4FvSIjw7yqSan%2F%2FuZ7Lw30i5uknlO0YUFmu41ljRMo76Ks1g6%2BWWxIYYuwWsd8lX0dYxsaORoL","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

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 as a series of gory tableaux, a regrettable slide into uncontrolled anarchy—or a radical reshaping of the political landscape.In this riveting new book, Ian Davidson provides a fresh look at this vital moment in European history. He reveals how it was an immensely complicated and multifaceted revolution, taking place in different places, at different times, and in different spheres; and how subsequently it became weighted with political, social, and moral values. Stirring and dramatic—and filled with the larger-than-life players of the period and evoking the turbulence of this colorful time—this is narrative history at its finest.
Read more Read less
Previous page
  1. Print length
    352 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Pegasus Books
  4. Publication date
    January 9, 2018
  5. Dimensions
    6 x 1 x 9 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1681776170
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1681776170
  8. See all details
Next page
The Amazon Book Review
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.

Frequently bought together

The French Revolution
$15.56
Get it as soon as Wednesday, May 22
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
Napoleon: A Life
$20.99
Get it as soon as Wednesday, May 22
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
New World Begins
$15.99
Get it as soon as Wednesday, May 22
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Total price:
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Details
Added to Cart
Choose items to buy together.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“More than 200 years later, the world’s first true working-class revolution is little-enough understood that a new, nuts-and-bolts history, subtly but importantly reframed, feels essential and sadly all-too-relevant. The terror that followed feels inevitable today, but Davidson shows that it wasn’t.”
- Vulture (7 Books You Need to Read This December)

“What we don't know about the French Revolution could fill a book; Davidson has done just that―in spades. An invaluable history of the French Revolution and its repercussions through the years”
- Kirkus Reviews (starred)

“An even-handed, step-by-step account of key moments of the French Revolution. A serious work of popular history, challenging enough to intrigue those already familiar with the revolution and accessible enough to engage those who are not.”
- Shelf Awareness

“Davidson aims to correct modern misperceptions of the French Revolution that toppled the ancien régime in 1789 and ushered in the First Republic. He persuasively argues that the aftershocks of this most turbulent era continue to reverberate into the 21st century.”
- Publishers Weekly

About the Author

After graduating in Classics from Cambridge, Ian Davidson worked for the Financial Times for many years as their Paris correspondent and chief foreign affairs columnist. He is also the author of Voltaire (Pegasus) and Voltaire in Exile (Grove). Ian lives in England.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Pegasus Books; Reprint edition (January 9, 2018)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 352 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1681776170
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1681776170
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.6 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 282 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Ian Davidson

Ian Davidson

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
282 global ratings
Book in horrible conditions
1 Star
Book in horrible conditions
Book is great content wise but i quit reading at p 52 as pages 15 to 52 came unbinded. Product itself was horrible.
Hide
Thank you for your feedback
Sorry, there was an error
Sorry we couldn't load the review

Top reviews from the United States

M. Sullivan
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book
Reviewed in the United States on March 25, 2024
Verified Purchase
I highly recommend this book. I am a history buff and this book is very well written
Helpful
 Report
Jim
4.0 out of 5 stars Great Overview of the French Revolution
Reviewed in the United States on August 1, 2019
Verified Purchase
You don’t get to know the personalities involved, and there’s not a lot of backstory with the various events, but it is a good primer on the subject.
9 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Miss Annoyed
5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous and unfiltered
Reviewed in the United States on May 17, 2023
Verified Purchase
I was stunned to read the unfiltered story of the French Revolution and how quickly an illiterate mob and ambitious “group think”people wrecked an economy and ruthlessly slaughtered its citizens in four short years. The story of the past has similarities to current events!
3 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
JYamser
5.0 out of 5 stars Fine resource and fascinating retelling.
Reviewed in the United States on June 27, 2021
Verified Purchase
I bought this book for personal interest, having finished a history of the U.S. Revolution and the involvement of LaFayette. Reads like a novel and am very glad that it is not U.S. history. Only comment for improvement of a new edition: too many names introduced that, while important at the event, never appear again and create confusion. Perhaps an appendix of incidental players or as part of the notes. Inclusion of superfluous names detracts from the narrative. Overall, well worth reading.
3 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Hung-Tak Lee
3.0 out of 5 stars Vive la tiers etat!
Reviewed in the United States on March 22, 2017
The way the author develops his story is of an immense interest, since he maintains the King's surrender to the tiers etat precedes the fall of the Bastille, the storming of the Bastille itself cannot serve even as a symbolic event of the French Revolution itself. His audacious effort to RE-WRITE on the tiers etat and of the Revolution does not seem to have succeeded. Davidson's book reminds me of Philipp Bloom's "A Wicked Company (2010),"an interesting introduction to the European Enlightenment.
Helpful
 Report
Amazon Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Great introduction to the French revolution and its aftermath.
Reviewed in the United States on January 30, 2017
Verified Purchase
Clear,concise, highly readable overview of a very unfortunate period in world history. Great introduction to the French revolution and its aftermath.
11 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Brandon Whisenhunt
5.0 out of 5 stars A Touchstone of Modernity
Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2020
Verified Purchase
Today I finished this really good book on one of the seminal events of modernity. The French Revolution has a tendency to be caricatured by people who have little understanding of it or the context in which it happened. This book seems to cut through partisan histories and gives an excellent account of the key events surrounding the French Revolution. It provides a lot of insight into how a country, such as 18th century France, could spiral into what has become a byword... the Terror. The book also contains a series of appendices that I found to be highly succinct and interesting.
13 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
J. Norman
5.0 out of 5 stars Refreshing Perspective on French Revolution
Reviewed in the United States on November 6, 2016
Verified Purchase
I have read several other books on the French Revolution but this is the first one that clearly puts into perspective the original lawful and noble goals of the early revolutionaries and how several years later these noble goals turned into lawlessness and terror. For the first time I feel that I really understand this confusing, fascinating time in French history and the major players involved. I am very grateful for this well written, researched and easy to digest history book.
51 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Charles
5.0 out of 5 stars Very informative
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 21, 2024
Verified Purchase
A very good introduction about the history of the French Revolution for people like myself who are
not professional historians. It is a story of how democratic governments with the best intentions become
brutal dictatorships. i.e a story which is relevant today as it was then.
Report
Lorenzo Fari
5.0 out of 5 stars perfect reading for starters
Reviewed in Italy on July 31, 2021
Verified Purchase
this book is a perfect first-reading for those who are interested to approach the subject
Report
Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyed by recipient.
Reviewed in Canada on December 2, 2019
Verified Purchase
Was a gift.
Report
Amazon Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars We first were taught the French Revolution in boarding school ...
Reviewed in India on September 1, 2017
Verified Purchase
We first were taught the French Revolution in boarding school.Since that time, I have read litterature in French and English on this event, it was the basis of the world of to day
Report
DR.ARAS BALSYS
3.0 out of 5 stars Three Stars
Reviewed in Canada on May 25, 2017
Verified Purchase
NOT SCHOLARLY ENOUGH
2 people found this helpful
 Report