The Days of the French Revolution (1980) by Christopher Hibbert

There are plenty of general histories of the French Revolution for the general reader to choose from. If I had just one to recommend it would be either Simon Schama’s magisterial “Citizens” or William Doyle’s classic “Oxford History of the French Revolution.” If asked what book would make a good companion to one of these standard texts, I’d suggest “The Days of the French Revolution” by Christopher Hibbert.

This book is exactly what the title suggests: a chronological narrative of the dozen or so most eventful and important days in the French Revolution from 1789 to 1795. As a stand alone history Hibbert’s work leaves much to be desired, but as a supplement to more thorough and often academic treatments of the revolution it is fantastic.

The most dramatic events of the revolution, such as the storming of the Bastille (14 July 1789), King Louis XVI’s flight to Varennes (21 June 1791), the storming of the Tuileries Palace (10 August 1792), the execution of the King (21 January 1793), and the fall of Robespierre (27 July 1794) are all told in arresting detail, often using contemporary descriptions drawn from diaries and personal letters that delivers a narrative of unrivaled immediacy and color. Important events that sometimes feel cold and sterile while reading Doyle’s Oxford History come to life in the pages of “The Days of the French Revolution.” While other pieces may do an admirable job of putting the execution of King Louis XVI, for instance, into historical perspective and explaining the continent-wide political reverberations of the regicide, Hibbert recreates in stunning clarity the final hours of the ill-fated monarch’s life, from his last encounter with his family and receiving the Last Rites of the Catholic Church to his humiliating journey to the scaffold in a tumbril and his preternatural aplomb in facing the blade of the guillotine.

In closing, if you already have a firm historical grasp of the French Revolution or are planning to read a more substantive general history, “The Days of the French Revolution” is an excellent resource that will add immensely to your understanding and appreciation of the period.