The Revolutionary Career of Maximilien Robespierre / Edition 2

by David P. Jordan

Overview

As it changed forever the political landscape of the modern world, the French Revolution was driven by a new type of personality: the confirmed, self-aware revolutionary. Maximilien Robespierre originated the role and embodied its ideological essence and extremes; the self that he projected to the people was equated with the ideals for which he strove. In creating this intellectual biography of so enigmatic a figure, David Jordan has stressed the words of the man about himself. With great imagination and insight, Jordan places Robespierre's self-conceptualization within the context of events and explains how Robespierre "The Incorruptible"—a man seen by contemporaries as virtuous—could not only equate justice with vengeance and demand it of the people, but also stand as its symbol before the world.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780226410371
Publisher:	University of Chicago Press
Publication date:	07/15/1989
Edition description:	1
Pages:	315
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

David P. Jordan is the LAS Distinguished Professor of French History at the University of Illinois at Chicago and the author of Transforming Paris and The Revolutionary Career of Maximilien Robespierre.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations
Acknowledgments
Prologue
1. The Memory of a Tyrant
2. The Revolutionary Revealed
3. Representative of the People
4. Robespierre the Orator
5. The War Debates
6. Conversion to Insurrection
7. The King's Trial
8. Purging the Convention
9. Robespierre the Ideologue
10. The Committee of Public Safety
11. A Mortal Blow to Fanaticism
12. Thermidor
13. The Incorruptible
Epilogue
Appendix: Portraits of Robespierre
Notes
List of Works Cited
Index

Editorial Reviews

**** BCL3 cites the Free Press edition of 1985. In this intellectual biography, Jordan (history, Illinois) has stressed the words of the man about himself, placing Robespierre's self- conceptualization within the context of events, and explains how Robespierre originated the role of self-aware revolutionary and how he projected that self to the people. Fresh, readable and intelligent, this book was highly recommended when first published. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Booknews