A History of the Barricade

Description

In the history of European revolutions, the barricade is a glorious emblem, especially the barricades of Paris, which graced all the revolts of the nineteenth century. The barricade was always a makeshift construction-the word derives from barrique, or barrel-but it served as an offensive tactic in narrow city streets, enmeshing the forces of repression. Barricades were also a theatrical stage, from where insurgents could harangue soldiers and subvert their allegiance, and their symbolic power remained alive in the historic French protests of May 1968 and the Occupy movements. In a series of concise chapters, Eric Hazan traces the many stages in the barricade's evolution, from the Wars of Religion through the Paris Commune, drawing on observations from contemporary thinkers.

Eric Hazan is the founder of the publisher La Fabrique and the author of several books, including Notes on the Occupation, A People's History of the French Revolution and the highly acclaimed The Invention of Paris. He has lived in Paris, France, all his life.

This is a wondrous book, either to be read at home with a decent map, or carried about sur place through areas no tourists bother with. (Praise for Invention of Paris) * Guardian * Hazan is all business. He trudges through Paris street by street, quoting what Balzac, Hugo, Baudelaire or Kafka said about a particular spot, pointing out where barricades were once erected and thieves gathered for drinks. (Praise for Invention of Paris) * Financial Times * One of the greatest books about the city anyone has written in decades, towering over a crowded field, passionate and lyrical and sweeping and immediate. (Praise for Invention of Paris) * New York Review of Books * Hazan wants to rescue individual moments from general forgetting and key sites from the bland homogenization of international city development; he is also a passionate left-wing historian seeking to rescue the truth of Paris's revolutionary past. (Praise for Invention of Paris) -- Julian Barnes * London Review of Books * This book is both a political and aesthetic delight. (Praise for Invention of Paris) -- Andrew Hussey, author of Paris: The Secret History Astonishing breadth of reference and incredible detail. (Praise for Invention of Paris) -- Kevin Rushby, author of Paradise: A History of the Idea That Rules the World A History of the Barricade is essential reading for anyone seeking a guided tour of revolutionary Paris...Hazan's book is arguably the most readable, and constitutes a marvelous introduction to the history of revolt. -- Daniel Benson * Left History * Hazan's short survey, peppered with contemporary quotes and outlining the story of the barricade across three centuries, would provide an engaging introduction to the subject for the general reader or undergraduate student. -- Laura O'Brien, French History