John Hardman is one of the world’s leading experts on the French Revolution and the author of several distinguished books on the subject, including The Life of Louis XVI, Marie-Antoinette, and Barnave.

“This is a book of exceptional clarity and analytical force, reliant on evidence and not on supposition, and tells the story with great conviction.”—Simon Heffer, Telegraph“Hardman has gone back to the archives, back to the papers and the manuscripts, and managed to suggest, quite reasonably, that when it comes to deciding upon the French Revolution, there is still more to say.”—Michael Taylor, Literary Review“John Hardman provides a compelling and highly readable account of the great political upheaval that was the French Revolution.”—Julian Swann, author of Exile, Imprisonment, or Death“A triumph of scholarship and original interpretation. Another masterpiece which will cause a stir in the world of French Revolutionary studies.”—Ambrogio Caiani, author of Losing a Kingdom, Gaining the World“Fascinating and important. . . . A highly original and important contribution to the history of the French Revolution.”—Munro Price, author of Napoleon “Hardman offers a revisionist and explicitly political history of the Revolution that places much of the blame for failure on an experiment in constitutional monarchy which denied the king any meaningful executive role.”—Alan Forrest, author of Waterloo “John Hardman has devoted many years to the study of the political history of the French Revolution as it was seen from the perspective of the monarchy. In this latest book he distils his knowledge in a readable and often insightful account.”—Marisa Linton, author Choosing Terror

John Hardman is one of the world’s leading experts on the French Revolution and the author of several distinguished books on the subject, including The Life of Louis XVI, Marie-Antoinette, and Barnave.

“This is a book of exceptional clarity and analytical force, reliant on evidence and not on supposition, and tells the story with great conviction.”—Simon Heffer, Telegraph“Hardman has gone back to the archives, back to the papers and the manuscripts, and managed to suggest, quite reasonably, that when it comes to deciding upon the French Revolution, there is still more to say.”—Michael Taylor, Literary Review“John Hardman provides a compelling and highly readable account of the great political upheaval that was the French Revolution.”—Julian Swann, author of Exile, Imprisonment, or Death“A triumph of scholarship and original interpretation. Another masterpiece which will cause a stir in the world of French Revolutionary studies.”—Ambrogio Caiani, author of Losing a Kingdom, Gaining the World“Fascinating and important. . . . A highly original and important contribution to the history of the French Revolution.”—Munro Price, author of Napoleon “Hardman offers a revisionist and explicitly political history of the Revolution that places much of the blame for failure on an experiment in constitutional monarchy which denied the king any meaningful executive role.”—Alan Forrest, author of Waterloo “John Hardman has devoted many years to the study of the political history of the French Revolution as it was seen from the perspective of the monarchy. In this latest book he distils his knowledge in a readable and often insightful account.”—Marisa Linton, author Choosing Terror