French Legends: The Life and Legacy of Maximilien Robespierre

De: Charles River Editors

Narrado por: Michael Gilboe

"Citizens, did you want a revolution without a revolution?" (Maximilien Robespierre)

A lot of ink has been spilled covering the lives of history's most influential figures, but how much of the forest is lost for the trees? In Charles River Editors' French series, listeners can get caught up to speed on the lives of France's most important men and women in the time it takes to finish a commute, while learning interesting facts long forgotten or never known.

In many ways it is fitting that Maximilien Robespierre (1758-1794) is one of the best known figures of the French Revolution, if not its most famous. The early years of the Revolution were fueled by Enlightenment ideals, seeking the social overthrow of the caste system that gave the royalty and aristocracy decisive advantages over the lower classes. Few were as vocal in their support of Enlightenment ideals as Robespierre, who was heavily versed in Rousseau and Montesquieu, a champion of the bourgeoise, and an advocate of human rights who opposed both slavery and the death penalty.

But history remembers the French Revolution in a starkly different way, as the same leaders who sought a more democratic system while out of power devolved into establishing an incredibly repressive tyranny of their own once they acquired it. For that reason, the Reign of Terror became the most memorable aspect of the Revolution, and at the head of it all was Robespierre, whose position on the Committee of Public Safety made him the Reign of Terror's instrumental figure, until he himself became a victim of the Revolution's extremism.

©2012 Charles River Editors (P)2015 Charles River Editors

Cursory knowledge of the french language

The reader should be fluent in French. Clearly, Mr. Gilboe's pronunciation of French names and places could be improved.

How did this man become a narrator?

I simply could not finish. The writing is utilitarian. Very much what you would find in a standard high school history book. The reason I could not finish, however was the narrator. He sounds for all the world like a petulant child. Terrible.

one star.

This would not get an "A" if it were turned in as a college essay -- considering its level of writing, research and analysis.