The French Revolution

Focusing on a conservative perspective, Taine's analysis of the French Revolution critiques radicalism, challenging the idealized views of the era. He likens his study to a medical diagnosis, presenting it as a 'pathology' of the Revolution. By contrasting French and English responses to liberty, Taine attributes the Revolution's brutality to a distinct 'French spirit' that predated the upheaval, suggesting that France's disintegration of community made the revolution both inevitable and disastrous. The book includes comprehensive supplementary materials in a slipcase.