The French Revolution a History

By Thomas Carlyle

The French Revolution A History was written by the Scottish essayist, philosopher, and historian Thomas Carlyle. The three-volume work charts the course of the French Revolution from 1789 to the height of the Reign of Terror (1793-4) and culminates in 1795. A massive undertaking which draws together a wide variety of sources, Carlyle's history is considered to be an authoritative account of the early course of the Revolution. The book immediately established Carlyle's reputation as an important 19th century intellectual. It also served as a major influence on a number of his contemporaries. Carlyle unfolds his history by often writing in present-tense first-person plural: as though he and the reader were observers, indeed almost participants, on the streets of Paris at the fall of the Bastille or the public execution of Louis XVI. This, naturally, involves the reader by simulating the history itself instead of solely recounting historical events.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Mar 22, 2014
• ISBN: 9781105601392

Thomas Carlyle

Thomas Carlyle was a Victorian-era Scottish author, philosopher, and historian. Raised by a strict Calvinist family, Carlyle abandoned his career with the clergy in 1821 after losing his faith, focusing instead on writing. Carlyle went on to publish such noted works as Life of Schiller, Sartor Resartus—which was inspired by his crisis of faith, and The French Revolution, and became one of the most prominent writers of his day. Carlyle’s later works included Heroes and Hero-Worship and Frederick the Great. Carlyle passed away in 1881.

Reviews for The French Revolution a History

[tendulkar01_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

fantastic writing

[pallandavid · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Been working on this book for a while, it is hard to read. I've read the first two parts and had to finally put it down. For some reason it gives me a headache. A lot of esoteric description of people and situations. Very little straight forward discussion. As a whole it paints quite a word picture, but I had to get away from it. I'll complete it maybe in a few months.

[jburlinson_3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In 1834, the philosopher John Stuart Mill discovered that although he had signed a contract with his publisher to produce a general history of the French revolution, he was actually too busy with other commitments to come up with the promised work. So he proposed to his friend Thomas Carlyle that Carlyle write it instead. Carlyle, struggling to make ends meet, and unwilling to stoop to mere journalism, took on the project with a fury — it was, he hoped, the work that would make his literary reputation.Throughout 1834, Carlyle slaved over his history of the French Revolution with passion late into the night. When he had completed Volume One, he sent it to Mill to for his review.On the evening of the 6th of March, 1835, Mill turned up at Carlyle’s house in Cheyne Walk, looking, Carlyle later wrote, “the very picture of desperation”.Mill had left the manuscript at the house of his friend, Mrs Taylor. Her servant, who could not read, had used it to light the fire. All that was left of Carlyle’s passion and fury were a few charred leaves. Mill brought the leaves, as confirmation.While most of us would greet this circumstance with hysteria and retribution, Carlyle was the epitome of politeness. Mill was beside himself with grief and self-recrimination. Carlyle probably offered him some tea. Mill offered to pay Carlyle for the damage, but Carlyle refused, saying that he could simply start again. Mill stayed very late, meaning that Carlyle, and his wife, Jane, had to stay up late, too, to comfort him.When Mill left, Carlyle’s first words to Jane were: “Mill, poor fellow, is terribly cut up. We must endeavour to hide from him how very serious this business is for us.” And it was serious. The Carlyles had no money, and Thomas knew he could never write that book again. He had destroyed his notes and could not remember what he had written: “I remember and can still remember less of it than of anything I ever wrote with such toil. It is gone.” He would have to tell Mill he couldn’t carry on.That night, however, he had a dream. His father and brother rose from the grave and begged him not to abandon the work. The next morning, Carlyle told Mill that he would take the money after all. He used it to buy paper, and started writing again.First, he wrote volumes two and three. Then, he recreated volume one. Carlyle wrote the entire manuscript from memory, words that came “direct and flamingly from the heart”.The three-volume work — a heroic undertaking which charts the course of the French Revolution from 1789 to 1795 — was completed and published in 1837. It has never been out of print and is still in print nearly 200 years later.Carlyle kept the charred leaves in his study for the rest of his life. Many of his readers have wished they would have been forced to study the charred leaves rather than have had to read his revision.

[antiquary_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Not only a literary classic, but to my taste a better popular history of the revolution than Schama's Citizens, which has an unpleasantly contemptuous attitude. Carlylecertainly can be sarcastic, but he takes the revolutionseriously as an important event.