The French Revolution was a huge, brutal yet inspiring phenomenon that changed global political thinking and action, and its echoes resound even in the twenty-first century. It was an intensely complex mix of events, concepts and individuals and A New Dictionary is an invaluable aid to unravelling its complications, and an essential companion for students and general readers alike. There are some 400 entries covering the main events, personalities, parties, ideologies, political ideas, philosophers, writers, artists, rebellions and wars, as well as touching on colonial and international developments, the interaction of church and state, science, law reform, events in the provinces and overseas territories and the reverberations in other European states. The Dictionary provides a full and vibrant history from the outbreak of revolution in 1789 to the Terror, the Revolutionary state, its wars and the rise of Napoleon. Entries contain much more than just bare factual information: they provide a detailed commentary and include suggestions for further reading – both in print and online – which refer to the extensive literature of over 200 years of scholarship and recent historiography.
Cross-referencing is extensive and the index points to information about minor but important subjects which do no receive entries of their own.