A New World Begins
The History of the French Revolution
Basic Books · Print & ebook · October 26, 2021
From an award-winning historian, a “vivid” (Wall Street Journal) account of the revolution that created the modern world The French Revolution’s principles of liberty and equality still shape our ideas of a just society—even if, after more than two hundred years, their meaning is more contested than ever before.
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- Who it’s for
- A serious, layered history that reads as explanation, not embalmed ceremony.
- Genres
- French History, Revolutionary History, 18th-Century History
- Published
- Basic Books, October 26, 2021
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Start with this bookAbout this book
From an award-winning historian, a “vivid” (Wall Street Journal) account of the revolution that created the modern world The French Revolution’s principles of liberty and equality still shape our ideas of a just society—even if, after more than two hundred years, their meaning is more contested than ever before.
Continue reading
In A New World Begins, Jeremy D. Popkin offers a riveting account of the revolution that puts the reader in the thick of the debates and the violence that led to the overthrow of the monarchy and the establishment of a new society. We meet Mirabeau, Robespierre, and Danton, in all their brilliance and vengefulness; we witness the failed escape and execution of Louis XVI; we see women demanding equal rights and Black slaves wresting freedom from revolutionaries who hesitated to act on their own principles; and we follow the rise of Napoleon out of the ashes of the Reign of Terror. Based on decades of scholarship, A New World Begins will stand as the definitive treatment of the French Revolution.
Why It Clicks
A serious, layered history that reads as explanation, not embalmed ceremony.
Come here for
- French Revolution history with a broad, readable sweep
- Cultural context that invites comparison and discussion
Expect
- Revolutionary-era scope
- A sustained, contextual narrative
Where it sits
| 18th-Century History | 81% |
|---|---|
| Revolutionary History | 58% |
| French History | 48% |
Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.
Publisher categories
- French History
- Revolutionary History
- 18th-Century History
- Social History
Show all 6 publisher categories
- Democracy
- Radical Politics
- Authors
- Jeremy Popkin, Jeremy D. Popkin
- Publisher
- Basic Books
- Published
- October 26, 2021
- Format
- Print & ebook
- Reading lane
- French History