Georges Lefebvre Libri

Un'opera diventata un classico imprescindibile della storia rivoluzionaria; un'opera in cui il grande storico della Rivoluzione francese Albert MATHIEZ (1874-1932) voleva "tracciare un quadro, il più esatto, chiaro e vivo possibile, di ciò che fu la Rivoluzione francese sotto i suoi diversi aspetti" e "mettere in luce l'enchainement dei fatti spiegandoli attraverso i modi di pensare dell'epoca e attraverso il gioco degli interessi e delle forze in presenza, senza trascurare i fattori individuali". Contiene: I. La caduta della monarchia (1787-1792); II. La Gironda e la Montagna; III. La paura.

This classic work details what happened in France during the year 1789, the first year of the French Revolution. Lefebvre's signature contribution was writing history "from below" -- a Marxist approach -- and his particular specialty was the French Revolution as viewed from the experiences of the peasantry. Placing the "common people" at the center of his analysis, Lefebvre emphasized the class struggles within France and the significant role they played in the coming of the Revolution. First published in 1939 for the sesquicentennial of the Revolution, the book was suppressed by the Vichy government as a piece of revolutionary literature after the outbreak of the Second World War and the subsequent collapse of the Third Republic. R.R. Palmer, a distinguished historian of the French Revolution, translated the book into English in 1947. Although recent historians have reinterpreted the Revolution and disputed Lefebvre's conclusions, The Coming of the French Revolution remains essential reading for anyone interested in the origins of this great turning point in the formation of the modern world.

This book contains writings from a discussion that took place in the pages of the journal Science and Society between 1950 and 1953 on the "transition from feudalism to capitalism." Although the participants' specific fields of study vary, they all attempt to approach events based on the fundamental principles and concepts of historical materialism. As a result of this method, they have tried to integrate their specific disciplines, achieving varying levels of success depending on the depth of their knowledge in economics and history. We believe the book will provide theoretical clarity to the discussions on the "Transition from Feudalism to Capitalism."

Georges Lefebvre's portrayal of Napoleon and his era is regarded as a classic and comprehensive biography of the great Corsican. His brilliant psychological sketch is among the finest written about him. The author narrates not only the military and political events but also illuminates the social and economic aspects of the time. In a sophisticated manner, he reflects Napoleon's biography and personality within the context of an epoch, its historical conditions, and its dynamics. With Napoleon, the French Revolution comes to an end, ushering in a new era. As a brilliant strategist, he exploited the political vacuum and the security needs of the new bourgeois society to establish his dictatorship. He waged wars across old Europe until it collapsed, paving the way for a reconstruction modeled after France: the modern Europe of nation-states and the contemporary European social order emerged.

Written by the greatest authority on the French Revolution, this masterly overview has taken its place as the definitive account.

La grande peur de 1789 est un événement étonnant. En réaction aux incertitudes de la Révolution, d'un bout à l'autre du royaume, se répand l'idée que des aristocrates arment des brigands pour ravager les récoltes et massacrer le peuple. Aux contemporains déconcertés, elle apparut comme un mystère. Ceux qui voulurent, à toutes forces, en improviser une explication l'attribuèrent à un complot qu'ils rapportèrent, suivant leurs opinions, à l'aristocratie ou aux révolutionnaires. Œuvre majeure de Georges Lefebvre (1874-1959), cet ouvrage se situe à la croisée de l'histoire sociale et de l'histoire des mentalités. Il constitue une étude inégalée sur le rôle et la signification des foules dans la Révolution française et dans l'Histoire