1789: The French Revolution Begins (New Studies in European History)
Robert H. Blackman
Series: New Studies in European History
Hardcover: 300 pages
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (September 30, 2019)
ISBN-13: 9781108492447

The French Revolution marks the beginning of modern politics. Using a diverse range of sources, Robert H. Blackman reconstructs key constitutional debates, from the initial convocation of the Estates General in Versailles in May 1789, to the National Assembly placing the wealth of the Catholic Church at the disposal of the nation that November, revealing their nuances through close readings of participant and witness accounts. This comprehensive and accessible study analyses the most important debates and events through which the French National Assembly became a sovereign body, and explores the process by which the massive political transformation of the French Revolution took place. Blackman's narrative-driven approach creates a new path through the complex politics of the early French Revolution, mapping the changes that took place and revealing how a new political order was created during the chaotic first months of the Revolution.

Author

Robert H. Blackman is Elliott Professor of History at Hampden-Sydney College, where he won the J. B. Fuqua Award for excellence in teaching. He is the author of articles in French History and French Historical Studies, regularly presenting his research at the Western Society for French History and the Society for French Historical Studies. He is also the co-editor of the H-France Salon 'Becoming Revolutionaries: Papers in Honor of Timothy Tackett' with Micah Alpaugh and Ian Coller.