Re-Creating Authority in Revolutionary France

"An exceptional collection of essays, at once theoretically sophisticated and empirically sound. . . . The articles are accessible . . . and allow for discussion of different approaches to historical problems."--Patricia O'Brien, University of California, Irvine

The location of authority proved transitory and elusive in France from the outbreak of the Revolution in 1789 through the Third Republic. This instability, far from having a destructive effect, created unprecedented opportunities for diverse groups to articulate new claims and aspirations. The essays in this volume analyze the struggle for political and cultural authority that unfolded during the revolutionary decade 1789-1799 and then continued throughout the nineteenth-century. They demonstrate that the Revolution created symbols and vocabularies that became persistent and often bitterly contested elements of a new political culture. Interdisciplinary in approach, this volume presents the work of a new generation of scholars of the French Revolution. In addition to the editors, the contributors are Leora Auslander, Suzanne Desan, James H. Johnson, Catherine J. Kudlick, and Michael A. Osborne. It will interest not only French historians but also students of women's history, literary criticism, and the history of science.

This collection of seven essays covers the legacy of the French Revolution from the 1790s through the 19th century. Topics include Jacobin Women's Clubs, taxation and rural politics, theater audiences, anthropological medicine and the evolution of medical authority, statistics and the role of government in public health, applied natural science and utilitarian ideals, and the popularity of ancien regime furniture styles among Parisian bourgeoisie of the late 19th century. All the essays follow the revisionist, non-Marxist interpretation of the French Revolution. Moreover, they demonstrate that to understand the Revolution one must go beyond political elites in Paris. The Revolution provided opportunities for the aspirations of all social classes, both genders, and every region of the country. The essays are clearly written and well researched. Recommended for academic libraries.
- Thomas J. Schaeper, St. Bonaventure Univ., N.Y.
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