Hibbert captures the drama in ‘The Days of the French Revolution’
By John Soltes
Christopher Hibbert’s exquisite summary of the French Revolution is a testament to what can go right and what can go wrong when power is returned to the people. Detailing the murderous actions and bloody consequences of France’s aristocracy in the time of King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, the accessible book is a no-holds-barred look at all the beheadings, countesses and flair of 18th-century Paris and Versailles.
Hibbert has a way of bringing to life complicated and often dense court proceedings. He does this by casting the historical figures as characters rather than archetypes. The king and queen are not merely people who did this and that; Hibbert breathes life into them and captures the drama of the people’s cry for help.
When the actual revolution rolls around and the executions begin, the author doesn’t hold back on detailing all of their gruesomeness. In fact, in Hibbert’s deft hand, the guillotine becomes a sad, sad historical reality. All it took in these volatile days was a rumor from a neighbor and one’s head could be lopped off. The savage attitudes of the people, who certainly had the right to protest their lack of affordable bread, is frightening. Although not necessarily a supporter of the monarchy system, the book instills a respect for law, order and proper government. When the people of France took to the streets, the consequences were downright horrorific.
The Days of the French Revolution is that rare historical drama: not only does the 384-page book retell a well-known story, but it does so with a verve that makes the events and figures jump from the page. One would do well to learn the lessons of the French Revolution; it’s a dark period that deserves more context than silly exhortations like “Off with their head!”
The Days of the French Revolution
By Christopher Hibbert
Harper Perennial, 1980
Retail price: $16.99 (paperback)
Bubble score: 3.5 out of 4
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