France and Women, 1789-1914: Gender, Society and Politics - Hardcover

McMillan, James; Mcmillan, Professor James F

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0415226023 ISBN 13: 9780415226028

Publisher: Routledge, 1999

Synopsis

France and Women, 1789-1914 is the first book to offer an authoritative account of women's history throughout the nineteenth century. James McMillan, author of the seminal work Housewife or Harlot, offers a major reinterpretation of the French past in relation to gender throughout these tumultuous decades of revolution and war.
This book provides a challenging discussion of the factors which made French political culture so profoundly sexist and in particular, it shows that many of the myths about progress and emancipation associated with modernisation and the coming of mass politics do not stand up to close scrutiny. It also reveals the conservative nature of the republican left and of the ingrained belief throughout french society that women should remain within the domestic sphere. James McMillan considers the role played by French men and women in the politics, culture and society of their country throughout the 1800s.

About this title

About the Author

James McMillan is Richard Pares Professor of History at the University of Edinburgh. He has published extensively on the political, social and religious history of modern France. His books include the classic Housewife or Harlot: The Place of Women in French Society, 1870-1940 (1981), Twentieth Century France: Politics and Society, 1898-1991 (1992), and Napoleon III (1991).

Review

..."McMillan again demonstrates a masterful grasp, both in his ability to place his study of women within the broader context of French history and his ability to synthesize the often fragmentary and discordant evidence and arguments of other scholars....This study will prove a useful text for advanced undergraduate and graduate students, and researchers will discover in McMillian a treasure trove of topics for deeper investigation.."
-F. Burkhard, University of Maryland University College
"This book serves as an excellent introduction for those unfamiliar with French women's history, with an outstanding bibiliography to guide the reader to both primary and secondary sources. It would also make a superb addition to any course in modern European and French history; McMillan is more than adept at situating women's history into a greater historical context and holds the reader's interest with an engaging mixture of life histories within the larger narrative.."
-the Journal of Social History, Fall 2001

Edition details

• Publisher: Routledge
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0415226023
• ISBN 13: 9780415226028
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 304