Living the French Revolution and the Age of Napoleon

By: Suzanne M. Desan, The Great Courses

Narrated by: Suzanne M. Desan

Length: 24 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

The 25 years between the onset of the French Revolution in 1789 and the Bourbon Restoration after Napoleon in 1814 is an astonishing period in world history. This era shook the foundations of the old world and marked a permanent shift for politics, religion, and society - not just for France, but for all of Europe. An account of the events alone reads like something out of a thrilling novel:

• France’s oppressed and hungry masses rise up against their government.
• In Paris, crowds storm the Bastille looking for bread and weaponry.
• Rumors, panic, and fear grip the nation as it faces an uncertain future.
• The National Assembly adopts the Declaration of the Rights of Man, the first bold step toward the invention of democratic politics and a republican state.
• A young Corsican named Napoleon Bonaparte stuns Europe with his military strategy and political boldness.

Living the French Revolution and the Age of Napoleon is your opportunity to learn the full story of this captivating period. Taught by Dr. Suzanne M. Desan, these 48 exciting lectures give you a broad and comprehensive survey of one of the most important eras in modern history.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2013 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2013 The Great Courses

As good as Great Courses gets

Wow, this is a tour de force of a course. Don’t be daunted by the number of lectures, it will hold your interest from start to finish. As other reviewers have observed, Prof Desan really makes you feel like you are there. She captures the personalities and the environment with rich detail, and the philosophical underpinnings of history are all there. My sense of never understanding the sequence of events in this time of history is finally remedied. Don’t miss this course.

Fascinating

This is well worth a listen. The lecture is compelling and erudite, and does an excellent job of putting the French Revolution in the context of world history.

Espectacular

Considero que este curso logra un maravilloso equilibrio, la autora narra los capítulos temáticos con un tono y dicción que mantienen al escucha en constante interés; aporta todo tipo de datos útiles para poner en contexto el momento histórico y sus repercusiones hacia el futuro, incluso con humor, lo cual lo hace muy ameno; la visión histórica que constantemente alude a períodos de tiempo extensos o muy particulares, como un acordeón que abre y cierra, va y regresa, me parece genial, nos permite preguntarnos asuntos de nuestra propia realidad actual en esa perspectiva histórica de la que somos parte.

Es un maravilloso curso, la autora una voz genial y clara. Lo recomiendo ampliamente.

Superior Lecture! Entertaining, Engaging,History

If you could sum up Living the French Revolution and the Age of Napoleon in three words, what would they be?
Living in war.

What other book might you compare Living the French Revolution and the Age of Napoleon to and why?
Caeser's Commentaries And The Civil Wars

Have you listened to any of Professor Suzanne M. Desan’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
I have not, but liked her presentation very much for substantial detail and the connection to the American and Russian wars. I learned a lot.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
Thinking of WW2 and the German Invasion and history repeating itself.

Any additional comments?
France was lucky to retain its borders and sovereignty/

Great course, indeed

This course is a very good introductory to the French revolution period. I started with another book on the same subject, but was struggling to keep up. That one is more advanced in terms of a lot of times, the author probably assumed the reader is familiar with the person or event in question. Then I turned to this book/course, which I feel is made to audience like myself. The narration of the historic events is clear, with a good amount of circumstances, which helps to explain the causal relations. The professor is obviously passionate, and I can feel the intensity of that period of time in France.
Great course. Highly recommended.

Could not stop listening!

What a treat, to have such an accomplished historian give you such a grand tour of the French Revolution and the Napoleanic era. I studied the French Revolution as part of high school and I vaguely remember doing well on that section of AP History. And I do enjoy playing the card game Guillotine! But I never knew much about the Rights of Man, the fact that the revolution changed everything - even the names of the months! - and that it turned family dynamics upside down too - the lecturer tells us the revolution brought about the no-fault divorce (which Napolean later got rid of .. .France would have to wait until 1975 for anything like it to reappear). As for Napolean, the lecturer did a great job explaining how he actually codified and promoted some gains made during the revolution ... while completely trampling on others.

My teen-age daughter heard half of it during our commutes to her summer camp. It was entirely graspable for her, with lots of humorous moments. I enjoyed DeSan's tone - she's obviously really into the subject, and you can hear her thinking - wait, it gets even better! behind many of the vignettes.

I've listened to and tried to listen to Great Courses before - this is hands down my favorite one so far!

A Must for Francophiles and History Addicts

As a lover of France and everything French,I found myself drawn to this course on the French Revolution,which I hoped would give me a clearer understanding of the events leading up to and following he overthrow of the Bourbon regime. I got allthat and more. The lecturer Susan Dessan,has a clear passion for her topic. She instills each lecture with well-researched facts,theories and anecdotes which bring the era to life in all its complexity. She gives the listener much to think about, as any good teacher does. I cannot overstate what an excellent experience this course has been. I certainly hope to have more like it from Professor Dessan.

Great course!!

Great course. Very interesting and instructive.
I enjoy it s lot
Nice overview of French and world history of the XVIII and IXX centuries

Marvelous!! Wonderfully Enriching!!!

This course is a juggernaut. The professor provides a marvelous and vast coverage of the topic.

I'm so grateful for having listened to this. So impressed with the expertise.

Superb course in French political history

Well, written, well spoken by this distinguished professor, a specialist on the French Revolution. Will listen again and again to this masterpiece of instruction!