A Place of Greater Safety

From the double Man Booker Prize-winning author of Wolf Hall, Bring Up the Bodies, and The Mirror & the Light, comes an extraordinary work of historical imagination. A Place of Greater Safety stands as Hilary Mantel’s epic retelling of the French Revolution, capturing the tumultuous period with searing insight and intricate detail.

Set against the dramatic backdrop of late 18th-century France, the novel centres on the lives of three key figures whose destinies intertwine amidst the political upheaval: Georges-Jacques Danton, Maximilien Robespierre, and Camille Desmoulins. As the novel opens, these young men navigate the shifting sands of pre-revolutionary Paris, each driven by a potent mix of ambition, ideals, and personal demons.

Mantel masterfully depicts the vibrant, dangerous world they inhabit, where every street corner whispers rumours of change, and the salons are rife with vehement debate about liberty, equality, and fraternity. Through their eyes, we witness the fall of the Ancien Régime and the ensuing chaos that propels France towards the peak of the Terror. The interplay of their personalities—Danton's charismatic pragmatism, Robespierre’s zealous idealism, and Desmoulins’ fervent oratory—heightens the dramatic tension as the Revolution's darker aspects start to eclipse its noble intentions, leading inevitably to the tragic downfall of its leaders.

A Place of Greater Safety is celebrated not just for its historical fidelity, but for its psychological depth and rich, evocative prose. Mantel’s meticulous research brings the past to life in vivid detail, while her narrative skill ensures that the reader is deeply invested in the personal and political stakes of her protagonists.

Critically acclaimed upon its initial publication, this novel is often hailed as one of Hilary Mantel’s finest works of fiction. It offers a penetrating exploration of revolutionary fervour, human ambition, and the sacrifices demanded by politics. As the characters grapple with their own choices and the relentless tide of history, readers are left to ponder the cost of change and the complexities of power.