TheBookSwarm
Ask Question

Can anyone recommend a book about the French Revolution?

Can anyone recommend a book about the French Revolution? I would prefer non-fiction that reads like fiction (if that makes sense) but historical fiction recommendations would be welcome as well. Thanks all!

Sue #recommend #historical fiction

8
Reply

49 Answers

Laura

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens.

12
Reply
Lynette

Les Miserables! Except that one is quite… hefty.

2
Reply
Martha

A Tale of Two Cities.

6
Reply
Shirley

Les Mis isn’t actually about the French Revolution, but it’s a terrific book all the same. Try A Place of Greater Safety by Hilary Mantel.

1
Reply
Julie

The full novel spends hundreds of pages on minute battle detail. The more common abridged version skips that (it is still 800+ pages, abridged!)https://amp.pastemagazine.com/articles/2012/12/les-miserables-by-victor-hugo.html

1
Crystal

Yes! This is such a nerdish pet peeve of mine! It was about the 1832 student rebellion.

1
Gayle

Desiree by Annemarie Selinko. She was Napoleon’s fiancee and ended up as queen of Sweden.

1
Reply
LJ

I highly recommend “Far Better Rest,” and the Aristede Revel series by Susanne Alleyn.
http://h-france.net/fffh/the-buzz/interview-with-susanne-alleyn/

1
Reply
Jan

Ambition and Desire, a biography of the Empress Josephine that covers the Revolution extensively. Excellent biography, sympathetic to Josephine.

1
Reply
Krista

Sandra Gulland’s historical fiction trilogy about Josephine Bonaparte is great. Book 1: “The Many Lives & Secret Sorrows of Josephine B.”

Also HF book by Marge Piercy. “City of Darkness, City of Light”

Michelle Moran’s “Madame Tussaud: A Novel of the French Revolution”

“The Scarlet Pimpernel” by Emmuska Orczy

3
Reply
Bill

Where the Light Falls by Alison and Owen Pataki. It’s a great historical fiction book set during the Revolution. I really enjoyed it.

2
Reply
Polly

Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

3
Reply
Janet

Google it

2
Reply
Mirah

??

0
Penelope

I think the point of coming here is to get personal recommendations rather than what google spits out. Otherwise we wouldn’t ask, we would google it instead!

7
SueQuestion author

@Penelope Exactly! Thank you!

0
Janet

I would read member recommendations and google lists. That way I can check goodreads reviews before deciding. I certainly would not criticize a suggestion.

0
Laurie

Madame Tussaud

1
Reply
Jack

Timely!

1
Reply
SueQuestion author

That’s why I’m looking!

1
Mariko

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/jul/10/top-10-french-revolution-novels-jonathan-grimwood

5
Reply
Theresa

Sandra Gulland’s the Josephine Diaries cover some of that. Certainly have insight on Napoleon. Excellent fun read.

2
Reply
Renee

Some good reads on the Revolution and Napoleon:

The First Total War by David Bell

When the King Took Flight by Timothy Tackett

Simon Schama’s “Citizens”

3
Reply
Ann

The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy

5
Reply
Sarah

This was probably my favorite book that I ever had to read for school.

4
DeDe

It was fun! And it made watching the movies again that much more enjoyable.

3
Svetka

Just signing up for the thread;)) would like to read some of the recommendations;)

1
Reply
Mary

Of course A Tale of Two Cities

3
Reply
Kimberly

I second (or is it third?) The Many Lives and Secret Sorrows of Josephine B. by Sandra Gulland. Fictional, but based on her diaries. I learned more about the revolution that I had in studying history.

2
Reply
DeDe

The Three Musketeers are a classic.

2
Reply
Laura

Thomas Carlyle’s French Revolution is the classic work. It’s very readable (but very large – 900+ pages) and is in the public domain so very cheap on Kindle. Peter McPhee’s Liberty or Death is a current, more classic history. Good overview of the revolution and it’s impact ion France and Europe.

1
Reply
Beverly

Nonfiction that reads like fiction is called narrative nonfiction. It is hugely popular these days. https://best-books.publishersweekly.com/pw/best-books/2017/nonfiction#book/book-16

2
Reply
Mark
2
Reply
Jan

The Rose Grower, a lovely novel set in France during the Revolution.

1
Reply
Aimee

.

1
Reply
Rosalie

A tale of two cities.

2
Reply
Susan

The Scarlet Pimpernel is one of my favorites

3
Reply
Gwendolyn

Have you seen the movie? I watched it in French first, then English.

1
Corinne

I don’t think the movie nearly so good as the book!

0
Patricia

??

0
Reply
উম্মে

??????

0
Reply
Jessica

Hilary Mantel wrote a historical fiction novel called A Place of Greater Safety that covers a lot of the personalities of the French Revolution.

1
Reply
Earleen

Tale of Two Cities

2
Reply
Pamela

Marie Antoinette’s life and her love affair includes a lot about that.

1
Reply
Mindy

The Scarlet Pimpernel which I love and reread every year or two.

2
Reply
Jean

Try a classic “Tale of Two Cities” Charles Dickens. Lots of interesting detail around the politics of the time and there impact on individuals. It is of course a novel

1
Reply
Jean

Oops! Someone else suggested this higher up.

0
Louise

The French REvolution as Seen by Madame Tussaud, Witness Extraordinary, by Pauline Chapman, is very good. Madame Tussaud (Marie Grosholtz as she was then) had a unique view of the revolution, because she had been close to the royal family (she taught drawing to Princess Elizabeth), but also was expected to make wax moulds from the severed heads of aristocrats some of whom she had known. Her story is fascinating. Another interesting book is The Memoirs of Madame Campan. Madame Campan was lady in waiting to Marie Antoinette, so her memoirs are very interesting as she knew the Queen well.

2
Reply
Cami

I haven’t finished it yet but this thrift store find is a win!

2
Reply
Leave a Answer Cancel

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Loading Please wait
Log in
Register
Categories
  • get the book
  • questionnaire
  • recommend
  • review
Genres
animal art biography business chick lit classics comics contemporary cookbooks crime detective fantasy fiction gay and lesbian graphic novel historical fiction history horror humor and comedy kids languages manga memoir music mystery nonfiction novel paranormal philosophy poetry psychology religies religion romance scary science science fiction self help spirituality sports suspense thriller travel young adult young adults
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions

2019 © TheBookSwarm