Ian Davidson (1) (1935–)

Davidson's book is a very nice basic history of the French Revolution. It is not so very detailed that is gets too overwhelming, but you can understand what happened in a very, very confusing time. From it's beginnings through The Terror of Robespierre, Davidson covers it all and is not biased like many other writers seem to be. He also gives a lot of information about the various participants, from Louis to Lafayette to Marat, Thomas Paine and, of course Robespierre.
The French Revolution began with a somewhat noble way of thought by the Middle Class (the Bourgeoisie), but the lower class poor (The Sans-culottes) were not seeing any benefits to themselves, and Robespierre used them and set up himself in power, then making it worse for the poor. And it caused him to loose his head (literally!).
Think about this, the Revolution started because the extremely wealthy of France, the Catholic Church, and Louis XVI ruled so tyrannically. The super-wealthy (yes, and it was 1% of the population!) were tax exempt (!), the Church owned vast areas of land and had immense power, and the lower classes were forced to pay taxes (as well as tithes to the Church), had few rights, and were starving. Boy, does that sound familiar?! History repeats itself...
Davidson's history is a fine study by itself or is a great start if you want to learn more about the French Revolution.… (mehr)

Most Europeans, like me, pick up odds and ends about the French Revolution over the years, but it's impossible to get a clear overview without digging deeper. This book provides more than an overview, without belabouring the minutiae. I'd say it hits the right balance.

There are, of course, a lot of names, places, factions, events and so forth, which you will want to keep notes about if you require a solid understanding; but I read it without that in mind and didn't find it overwhelming to the point of skimming.

If you need academic depth, look elsewhere; if you want a solid introduction, then this book is ideal, and it has plenty of reference resources should you wish to travel further down the rabbit hole.… (mehr)

I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a general understanding of the events and people in the French revolution. At about 250 pages the book does not delve too deeply into the details - but I think the author does a good job of describing the forces within French society at the time, and what led to most of the key events. I didn't really know too much about the revolution besides the broad strokes of what occurred. Now I have a clear understanding of the timelines and circumstances surrounding the revolution. The book is an easy and pretty quick read. For anyone looking for a "lighter" plunge into the French revolution this book, in my opinion, is a good choice.… (mehr)