Observer
A great read. Smart, comic non-fiction is clearly the future
OBSERVER
'A great read. Smart, comic non-fiction is clearly the future'
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
TIME OUT
'Steel writes with zip and earnestness, showing a keen eye for detail and an eagerness to impart knowledge. Terrific'
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
THE TIMES
'A whole new way of teaching history...Steel mixes jokes and facts brilliantly'
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
Product Description
If real life can be funny, history should be doubly so. For Mark Steel, the French Revolution was one of the most inspirational moments in human history - a moment when ordinary people changed the world and became extraordinary. Here he strips away the layers of prejudice and preconception to be found in some historians' portraits of the revolutionaries - like Robespierre, Danton, de Sade, Tom Paine, Marat - to get to the people behind the stereotypes and the events behind the myths. This is a humorous and deadly serious account of the French Revolution: what happened, why, and how it could have happened to you. It's a book for anyone who's ever wanted to know what happened behind the storming of the Bastille and the guillotine, when a nation decided that things could only get better.
About the Author
Mark Steel is the writer and presenter of THE MARK STEEL SOLUTION (3 series on Radio 4) and the MARK STEEL REVOLUTION. He writes a weekly column for the INDEPENDENT and is a highly popular stand-up comedian. He is a regular on Radio 4's LOOSE ENDS and NEWSQUIZ.
