A Socialist History of the French Revolution
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- Create Date：2022-08-23 12:17:50
- Update Date：2025-09-23
- Status：finish
- Author：Jean Jaurès
- ISBN：0745342191
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Summary
One of the most influential accounts of the French Revolution ever published， now available for the first time in paperback。
Jean Jaurès was the celebrated French Socialist Party leader， assassinated in 1914 for trying to use diplomacy and industrial action to prevent the outbreak of war。 Published just a few years before his death， his magisterial A Socialist History of the French Revolution has endured for over a century。
Written in the midst of his activities as leader of the Socialist Party and editor of its newspaper， L'Humanite， Jaurès intended the book to serve as both a guide and an inspiration to political activity; even now it can serve to do just that。
Jaurès's verve， originality， and willingness to criticize all players in this epic drama make this a truly moving addition to the shelf of great books on the French Revolution。 Mitchell Abidor's abridged translation of Jaurès's original six volumes makes this exceptional work truly accessible to an Anglophone audience。
Jean Jaurès was the celebrated French Socialist Party leader， assassinated in 1914 for trying to use diplomacy and industrial action to prevent the outbreak of war。 Published just a few years before his death， his magisterial A Socialist History of the French Revolution has endured for over a century。
Written in the midst of his activities as leader of the Socialist Party and editor of its newspaper， L'Humanite， Jaurès intended the book to serve as both a guide and an inspiration to political activity; even now it can serve to do just that。
Jaurès's verve， originality， and willingness to criticize all players in this epic drama make this a truly moving addition to the shelf of great books on the French Revolution。 Mitchell Abidor's abridged translation of Jaurès's original six volumes makes this exceptional work truly accessible to an Anglophone audience。
Reviews
Nathaniel Flakin
，
To avoid misunderstandings: the "Histoire Socialiste" is a massive book with something like 3，000 pages in eight volumes。 This is not that book。 This is selections from Jaurès's book comprising maybe an eighth or a tenth of the original。 In my opinion， this is a good thing — I would never have attempted to read eight volumes。 Pluto Press has included a very useful introduction by Henry Heller explaining how Jaurès's work has been interpreted in the 100+ years since its publication。 Jaurès's writ To avoid misunderstandings: the "Histoire Socialiste" is a massive book with something like 3，000 pages in eight volumes。 This is not that book。 This is selections from Jaurès's book comprising maybe an eighth or a tenth of the original。 In my opinion， this is a good thing — I would never have attempted to read eight volumes。 Pluto Press has included a very useful introduction by Henry Heller explaining how Jaurès's work has been interpreted in the 100+ years since its publication。 Jaurès's writing is wonderful， without a shred of the "objectivity" expected of modern bourgeois historians。 He is almost like a character in the story， commenting on every decision by the revolution's leaders and giving retroactive advice about the best course of action。Still， Jaurès is a social democrat， and his thinking is permeated with the reformist teleology typical of the Second International: for him， the bourgeois revolution was carried out precisely as it had to be， and any attempt to go further would have been doomed to fail。 He heaps praise on the leaders of the bourgeois revolution for creating a "republic" and a"democracy，" providing the proletariat with a mechanism to create socialism。 Thus he vigorously defends Robespierre， and is haughtily dismissive of his critics to the Left， particularly the Enragés。 This is the third book I have read in the last year on the French Revolution。 A number of commenters have said this book is confusing for people who need an introduction。 For me， it was just the right level。 I think Albert Soboul is the one who has provided a true socialist history， and this is more of a "Social Democratic / Reformist History of the French Revolution。" Still， a great read， above all to see a historian with such a strong personality。 。。。more
Sinan Öner
，
French Socialist Party Leader， Social Philosopher Jean Jaurés' "A Socialist History of the French Revolution" is one of the most important books about the French Revolution by a Socialist Leader。 Jaurés writes the History of French Revolution with a Socialist view。 Jaurés' philosophy of history forms "A Socialist History of the French Revolution"， for Jaurés， to understand the History of the French Revolution， a socialist philosophy， a socialist historiography is necessary！ Socialism as an ideol French Socialist Party Leader， Social Philosopher Jean Jaurés' "A Socialist History of the French Revolution" is one of the most important books about the French Revolution by a Socialist Leader。 Jaurés writes the History of French Revolution with a Socialist view。 Jaurés' philosophy of history forms "A Socialist History of the French Revolution"， for Jaurés， to understand the History of the French Revolution， a socialist philosophy， a socialist historiography is necessary！ Socialism as an ideology of modern working class， bring the new and more useful methodological tools to study on the History of the French Revolution。 In the development of the French Revolution， Jaurés sees the social changes of France， the development of social classes' conditions and social reformation of France。 。。。more
Nathan Fisher
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One of the true absences in English translation; this is more than welcome， but obviously enormously truncated。 Nonetheless， while straining for poetic effect often， it lands upon it by virtue of Jaures' obvious commitments。 There are overly psychological detours， but nothing here remotely close to the armchair variety — rather， from one who shares the impossible burden of living with the full weight of revolutionary struggle and its ambiguities。 One of the true absences in English translation; this is more than welcome， but obviously enormously truncated。 Nonetheless， while straining for poetic effect often， it lands upon it by virtue of Jaures' obvious commitments。 There are overly psychological detours， but nothing here remotely close to the armchair variety — rather， from one who shares the impossible burden of living with the full weight of revolutionary struggle and its ambiguities。 。。。more
Shelley Ettinger
，
As others have noted， if you don't already have a good knowledge and understanding of the French revolution you won't gain it from this book。 I don't and I didn't。 I'm sorry， and frankly embarrassed， to say that I was at sea through much of it。 Though there are many soaring passages and the angle of approach， the use of a Marxist analysis， is wonderful， I wish I'd read this after first reading a more basic history。 I might just do that and then come back and reread this。 As others have noted， if you don't already have a good knowledge and understanding of the French revolution you won't gain it from this book。 I don't and I didn't。 I'm sorry， and frankly embarrassed， to say that I was at sea through much of it。 Though there are many soaring passages and the angle of approach， the use of a Marxist analysis， is wonderful， I wish I'd read this after first reading a more basic history。 I might just do that and then come back and reread this。 。。。more
Suzammah
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