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Ancien Regime and the Revolution

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( 2,512 ratings, 179 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Ancien Regime and the Revolution by Alexis de Tocqueville is a historical analysis that explores the social and political conditions leading up to the French Revolution. Tocqueville examines the shortcomings of the old regime, highlighting the paradox of how a structured society ripe with hierarchical control fuelled revolutionary change. He delves into the complex transition from monarchy to the revolutionary era, providing a comparative view of both systems.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you're interested in exploring the societal transformations that led to the French Revolution from a contemporary perspective. The author provides an insightful analysis of the social structures and political conditions of pre-revolutionary France, making it a fascinating read for history enthusiasts keen on understanding the dynamics of revolutionary change.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

Presents a critique of the ancien regime, with its venality, oppression and inequality, yet acknowledges the reforms introduced under Louis XVI, and claiming that the post-Revolution state was in many ways as tyrannical as that of the King. This book raises questions about liberty, nationalism and justice.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

A new translation of this classic text

The Ancien Regime and the Revolution is a comparison of revolutionary France and the despotic rule it toppled. Alexis de Tocqueville (1805-59) is an objective observer of both periods—providing a merciless critique of the ancien regime, with its venality, oppression and inequality, yet acknowledging the reforms introduced under Louis XVI, and claiming that the post-Revolution state was in many ways as tyrannical as that of the King; its once lofty and egalitarian ideals corrupted and forgotten.

Writing in the 1850s, Tocqueville wished to expose the return to despotism he witnessed in his own time under Napoleon III, by illuminating the grand, but ultimately doomed, call to liberty made by the French people in 1789. His eloquent and instructive study raises questions about liberty, nationalism and justice that remain urgent today.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Ancien Regime and the Revolution by Alexis de Tocqueville is praised for its insightful analysis of the social and political structures of pre-revolutionary France. Reviewers commend Tocqueville for his profound understanding of the factors leading to the French Revolution and his ability to connect historical events to broader political theories. The book is often appreciated for its clear writing and its relevance to discussions on governance and societal change.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780141441641

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 29 May 2008

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Penguin Classics

Contributors:

  • Translated by Gerald Bevan

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 17.0mm

Width: 128.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 247g

Pages: 336

About the Author

The nobleman Alexis de Tocqueville (1805-59) was a historian, social critic, and politician. He is best-known for his keen his insights in Democracy in America, but he made important observations about the French Revolution as well.

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  • The Old Regime and the Revolution, Volume II
    The continuation of Alexis de Tocqueville's great meditation on the origins and meanings of the French Revolution. With his monumental work The Old Regime and the Revolution, Alexis de Tocqueville (1805–59)—best known for his classic Democracy in America—envisioned a multivolume philosophical study of the origins of modern France that would examine the implications of French history on the nature and...
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  • Democracy in America
    Alexis de Tocqueville (1805-59) came to America in 1831 to see what a great republic was like. What struck him most was the country's equality of conditions, its democracy. The book he wrote on his return to France, Democracy in America, is both the best ever written on democracy and the best ever written on America. It remains the most...
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