Leaders of the Jacobins

The Lives and Legacies of Maximilien Robespierre and Jean-Paul Marat

By: Charles River Editors

Narrated by: Michael Gilboe

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.

©2013 Charles River Editors (P)2017 Charles River Editors

A good start for beginners

The reader could spent more time practicing pronunciations, just the basics of French. Even some English words were oddly pronounced. Handkerchief as hanker-cheef and dozens of others. I guess it’s okay if he were doing for free.

Leaders of the Jacobins

Short and lightweight.
More like cliffnotes than a real book.
Dont waste your time.
Overall a disappointment.