Vive La Revolution: A Stand-Up History of the French Revolution

by Mark Steel

Book Overview

"Thank goodness . . . for Mark Steel. Engagingly lighthearted while clearly thorough, the author has taken the events of the French Revolution and given them a human face, as well as neatly poking fun at the over-pomposity with which our recent historians have dealt with the period."-- The Observer "With Vive La Revolution [Steel] examines the raw material of 1789, not so much in search of laughs as in an attempt to reclaim the first popular revolution...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 193185937X
• ISBN13: 9781931859370
• Release Date: December 2006
• Publisher: Haymarket Books
• Length: 293 Pages
• Weight: 1.02 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.0" x 9.9"

Customer Reviews

Now THAT'S How You Write History

Steel's delightful little primer on the 18th century "regime change" they had in France should be required reading for all history authors. Yes, Steel is irreverent and he is a comedian, so his apparently frivolous style can be dismissed as the scribblings of an amateur. Doing so would miss the point of good writing; don't take your subject so seriously that you forget Rule Number One; Don't let the reader fall asleep. In this Steel admirably succeeds, sprinkling anecdotes, witty reflections and significant historical highlights throughout, letting the casually interested reader taste enough of the subject to want to know more. To this effect, Steel provides a nice summation of relevant tomes on the major characters and events written by more "sophisticated" authors. His observations on the issues of then versus today are, at times, a bit of a stretch, but ideologically I'm on the same page with this dude. Revolution may be a cure for what ails this country, with Bush the new Louis XVI. I wish the analogy could be brought to its full fruition.

Great overview of events; different point of view

As an overview of the French Revolution from the start in 1789 through to the reign of Napoleon this book is an excellent review of events with intelligent insight into causes and motives, done with a British sense of humour. While debunking some myths and challenging the statements of some other scholars the author also brings a viewpoint of the "worker" into focus based on his own experiences in being part of labor movement protests that never went nearly so far as a Reign of Terror. Having read several other more in depth books on the revolution I enjoyed this step-back approach. I think I got more out of this for having read other material on the subject first; but one could read this as an introductory or as only source material. It also has an excellent bibliography for further reading.

A spirited treatment which is both funny and pointed

VIVE LA REVOLUTION: A STAND-UP HISTORY OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION is more revealing than your usual dry history, offering a survey of the French revolution's philosophies, key people, and ideals with a eye to defining individuals and their effects on the Revolution. Here's a spirited treatment which is both funny and pointed, injecting humor and critical observation to make for an engrossing and lively survey perfect for high school to college-level holdings seeking student interest in French history. Diane C. Donovan California Bookwatch

Who knew the French Revolution could be so funny?

This is a very funny, and also a very human book about the French Revolution. While it's often quite hilarious (Steel is a professional comedian), what really makes it so engaging is the way he presents the history itself. He helps you imagine what it actually must have felt like for people to realize, for the first time, that they could create society anew. I read Steel's book alongside several more "serious" historical works on the subject for a class. This was at least as good at explaining the revolution (maybe better because Steel is so good at expressing the significance of the story as he tells it), and many times more enjoyable to read. Highly recommended.

A fantastic introduction to the French Revolution

This book is a great place to start if you want to know the history of the French Revolution. It's a great survey of the whole period, and it's written in a hilarious and totally accessible way that makes it a page-turner (something I really can't say about many other history books). The other thing is that Mark Steel is sympathetic to the goals of the revolution. There's been a lot of bunk written about the French Revolution by conservatives wanting to make it seem like the French went crazy for blood, the King and Queen were really okay, and the revolution only made things worse. That's not true, and Mark Steel sets the record straight.