A Critical Review Of The Days Of The French Revolution
In Partial Fulfillment Of The Requirements For The Course
History 102
By
SHimmy Mane
7-6-13
After reading this book, one can defiantly gain knowledge on the very broad topic. Which is the French Revolution. Mr. Hibbert relates the chilling story of the French Revolution, highlighting the roles of the leading characters that shaped events during this period. One can also say that the details in this reading give the reader intense details making them feel as if they were alive to see these events in the French Revolution happen. Mr. Roberts Book gives a very good reading to any individual looking for a narrative point of view of the French Revolution. Christopher Hibbert, born Arthur Raymond Hibbert was an English writer, historian, and biographer. He has been called a pearl of biographers and probably the most widely read historian of our time and also is one of the most prolific. Mr. Hibbert was born in 1924 in Enderby, Leicestershire. He attended Radley College before he eventually left for Oriel College at the University of Oxford and was awarded degrees of B.A. and eventually earned his M.A as well. Mr. Hibbert had left Oriel College to serve in WW2 being wounded twice while serving and earning captain rankings and being awarded the military cross. Mr. Hibbert had decided to began his writing career in 1957.
Hibbert starts the book out by putting the reader in the Prologue with King Louis XV in a park at Versailles named Petit Triananon. This happened to be designed for his mistress Madame de Pompadour. After that the reader quickly finds out that the King is coming down with small pox. Giving the description; “ He was staying here in April 1774 when it was noticed by the light of a candle as he bent over a table that his cheeks were blotched with red marks.”1 After King Louis XV passes his son King Louis XVI took on the throne at the age of 19. Who seemed to come off as a contradicting individual. “Although kind and generous by nature his manner was usually brusque, cold and formal, marked by fits of ill humour and sharp resorts.” He was a really good and tender hearted person, but you could never speak to him about disasters or accidents. Yet his replies were so harsh and hard toned.2 The reader could assume that what Mr. Hibbert meant by saying that Louis XVI was a contradicting individual is that the people who he had served as their king had not known what he meant behind is different responses towards different situations. Therefore making his people feel uncomfortable about coming to him about certain situations. Hibbert goes on to tell about how one of his wife’s ladies-in-waiting, the Comtessee de La Tour du Pin wrote in her memoirs that Louis XVI was 5’6 with a bearing appearance and had basically been a physical appearance embarrassment to himself. Hibbert then goes on to explain how Louis XVI was athletic when he was 15 and even went into details about his bride Marie Antoinette and how she wasn’t that smart and had been taken away from her family and sent to the French naked being stripped of all of her Austrian clothes.
Hibbert continues to show great knowledge on the early events that occur during the French Revolution throughout the book. He does a remarkable job at that when he wrote the chapter “The Day of The Market-Women: Dated October 5-6 1789”. Again Hibbert gets the reader involved and makes them feel as if they are right there watching the women march and riots happen right in front of their eyes. “Yet it seemed to many of the poorer people all over the provinces that the Assembly had utterly failed to tackle or even appreciate their problems.”3 Hibbert writes basically not leaving the reader blind and hinting to the fact that something really bad may happen due to lack of help from the French Government and the less fortunate along with the rapidly growing rate of unemployed people were going to
