In The French Revolution: From Enlightenment to Tyranny, journalist Ian Davidson (Voltaire in Exile) uses the skills he developed as a foreign affairs correspondent for the Financial Times to consider one of the most complicated and influential events of the 18th century. The result is an even-handed, step-by-step account of key moments of the French Revolution, from August 2, 1788, when Louis XVI called a meeting of the États généraux in the hopes of getting financial help, through the execution of Maximilien Robespierre on July 28, 1794.
Davidson assumes that his reader is familiar with the catchwords and names associated with the French Revolution, but not with the details of its development. He begins with a careful description of the economic and social conditions in France in the years before the war. He identifies possible points of confusion for a modern reader--the Parlement, for example, was a law court--and gives brief biographies for each of the players, bringing even the most familiar names into clearer focus. Most importantly, he makes it clear that the Revolution began as a peaceful attempt at social change, with leaders who were dedicated to the rule of law, and that it remained largely peaceful for three years.
Davidson's The French Revolution is not a scholar's account of the French Revolution, and makes no claim to be. It is instead a serious work of popular history, challenging enough to intrigue those already familiar with the revolution and accessible enough to engage those who are not. --Pamela Toler, blogging at History in the Margins