Louis XVI: The Silent King

Description

Louis XVI was the principal actor in the French Revolution. He is an enigmatic character, and classroom opinion on whether he deserved the guillotine would probably be divided. Louis unwittingly ushered in the Revolution that ended both his life and the ancien regime by his convocation of the Estates-General. Thereafter, he became, in the eyes of the Right, insufficiently willing to uphold the status quo, and in the eyes of the Left, a hostile figure colluding with France's enemies. This study explores the perceptions contemporaries had of Louis, both before and during the Revolution, and examines historians' subsequent attempts to define his character and role. It demonstrates not only how far ideological presuppositions must inevitably colour the result but also how far fresh evidence and an enlarged sense of what constitutes a legitimate historical source has changed present views of one of France's least fortunate kings.

John Hardman is at University of Edinburgh.

Nobody who writes in future about Louis XVI will be able to ignore Hardman. English Historical Review Hardman's command of the political history of the age and the intimate and intricate doings of the court is impressive. Journal of Modern History