{"title":"Peter McPhee","description":"\u003cp\u003eWelcome to the collection of works by the renowned historian and academic, Peter McPhee. With a focus on French history, McPhee skilfully navigates the complex events and personalities that have shaped our world, bringing to life the drama and significance of the past.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAmong his notable works is \u003cem\u003eLiberty or Death\u003c\/em\u003e, which immerses readers in the intricacies of the French Revolution, examining its causes, key events, and lasting impact on global history. It provides an in-depth analysis of a pivotal moment that defined the course of modern democracy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAnother compelling title, \u003cem\u003eRobespierre\u003c\/em\u003e, delves into the life and legacy of one of the Revolution's most controversial figures. Peter McPhee offers a nuanced portrayal of Maximilien Robespierre, shedding light on his motivations, ideology, and the turbulent political climate of the time.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhether you are a history enthusiast or a newcomer to the subject, McPhee’s books offer an enlightening exploration into historical events, making the past both accessible and engaging.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"robespierre-by-peter-mcphee-9780300197242","title":"Robespierre","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAn intimate new portrait of one of history's most controversial figures: heroic revolutionary or the first terrorist?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFor some historians and biographers, Maximilien Robespierre (1758–94) was a great revolutionary martyr who succeeded in leading the French Republic to safety in the face of overwhelming military odds. For many others, he was the first modern dictator, a fanatic who instigated the murderous Reign of Terror in 1793–94. This masterful biography combines new research into Robespierre's dramatic life with a deep understanding of society and the politics of the French Revolution to arrive at a fresh understanding of the man, his passions, and his tragic shortcomings.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ePeter McPhee gives special attention to Robespierre's formative years and the development of an iron will in a frail boy conceived outside wedlock and on the margins of polite provincial society. Exploring how these experiences formed the young lawyer who arrived in Versailles in 1789, the author discovers not the cold, obsessive Robespierre of legend, but a man of passion with close but platonic friendships with women.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSoon immersed in revolutionary conflict, he suffered increasingly lengthy periods of nervous collapse correlating with moments of political crisis, yet Robespierre was tragically unable to step away from the crushing burdens of leadership. Did his ruthless, uncompromising exercise of power reflect a descent into madness in his final year of life? McPhee reevaluates the ideology and reality of \"the Terror,\" what Robespierre intended, and whether it represented an abandonment or a reversal of his early liberalism and sense of justice.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eRobespierre\u003c\/em\u003e by Peter McPhee offers an intricate exploration of one of history’s most enigmatic figures.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46855830077676,"sku":"9780300197242","price":32.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/23970163482294.jpg?v=1759280079"},{"product_id":"liberty-or-death-by-peter-mcphee-9780300228694","title":"Liberty or Death","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eA strikingly new account of the impact of the French Revolution in Paris, across the French countryside, and around the globe.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe French Revolution has fascinated, perplexed, and inspired for more than two centuries. It was a seismic event that radically transformed France and launched shock waves across the world. In this provocative new history, Peter McPhee draws on a lifetime’s study of eighteenth-century France and Europe to create an entirely fresh account of the world’s first great modern revolution—its origins, drama, complexity, and significance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWas the Revolution a major turning point in French—even world—history, or was it instead a protracted period of violent upheaval and warfare that wrecked millions of lives? McPhee evaluates the Revolution within a genuinely global context: Europe, the Atlantic region, and even farther. He acknowledges the key revolutionary events that unfolded in Paris, yet also uncovers the varying experiences of French citizens outside the gates of the city: the provincial men and women whose daily lives were altered—or not—by developments in the capital.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEnhanced with evocative stories of those who struggled to cope in unpredictable times, McPhee’s deeply researched book investigates the changing personal, social, and cultural world of the eighteenth century. His startling conclusions redefine and illuminate both the experience and the legacy of France’s transformative age of revolution.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47000670339308,"sku":"9780300228694","price":40.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/24284683482294.jpg?v=1763295278"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.co.nz\/collections\/peter-mcphee.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}