French Revolution Bibliography

1790 to 1800

copyright 1997 by Historical Novelists Center

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Ardagh, John, with Colin Jones

The Cultural Atlas of France *****!
Facts on File, NY, 1991; 240 pg, bibliographic reference, glossary, index
Like all the books in this series, this serves as both your introductory history text and just about all the atlas you will need. T1

Arnold, James

All Drawn By Horses *****!
Good text with line drawings by the author, and an invaluable 2-page glossary of coach terms. Freight wagons as well as phaetons; in fact, heavier on the wagons, which do all the duty of trucks, while on the streets of old only the richest had the carriages equivalent to cars. T2

Boucher, Francois

Twenty Thousand Years of Fashion; the History of Costume and Personal Adornment ***
Harry N. Abrams, 1966; 440 pg, index, glossary
Includes some surviving costumes, photographed. T1

Bray, Peter, editor

Transport Through the Ages **
Taplinger Publishing Co., Inc., NY, 1971; illos by Barbara Brown
Covers a bit of everything, from dugout canoes on. Emphasis on later periods. T1

Brett, Gerard

Dinner is Served ***
Archon Books, Hamden, CN, 1968
British meals of the day and their conduct; Part Two covers 1660 to 1900. French Society is not that much different, and finding a book in English on French meals is daunting. T2

Brockett, Oscar G.

History of the Theatre ***
Allyn and Bacon, Inc., 1977
Good university-level text on staging conventions, acting forms, audience behavior, etc. T3

Deacon, Richard

The French Secret Service ***
Grafton Books, 1990; 363 pg, index, bibliography
Chapter 5 is on the activities during the French Revolution, Chapter 6 on Fouche'. T2

Delbrueck, Hans

The Dawn of Modern Warfare: History of the Art of War, volume IV *****!
University of Nebraska Press, 1990, trans. Walter J. Renfroe, Jr.; orig. 1923; 487 pg, index
From the late 1400's through the Napoleonic Wars, the most detailed and clearly written exposition of the development, theory, practicality, and organization of armies. T2

Duffy, Christopher

Fire and Stone: The Science of Fortress Warfare, 1660-1860 ****
Hippocrene Books, NY, 1975
Well-written, well-illustrated and well-designed. The Fortess Wargame for Miniatures is tactical fun while teaching you how things can work or go wrong. The other appendix, on how to tour old fortifications, is good if you get to make the research trip. T3

Durant, Will & Ariel

Rousseau and Revolution *****!
1968; now from MJF Books, NY

The Age of Napoleon *****!
1975; now from MJF Books, NY; 870 pg, index, bibliography
The last volumes of The Story of Civilization. Discusses everyone and everything. The second volume begins with the Revolution, in which Napoleon made his political footing. Thick, physically and intellectually, yet readable as always. Highly recommended that you read these early on, not long after deciding to write in the period. One of the few easy-to-find sources for Europe outside France and England at this time. T1

Hale, William Harlan, and the editors of Horizon Magazine

The Horizon Cookbook and Illustrated History of Eating and Drinking Through the Ages ****
American Heritage Publishing, Inc., 1968
Part One has the description of customs and habits, foods available, and some interesting art. Part Two has the tastiest recipes, done for the modern kitchen. Especially hits this period in Part One. T1

Herold, J. Christopher

Mistress to an Age ****
Time-Life Books, NY; 1958
NOT a picture book. A lively detail biography of Madame de Stael, one of the feminists and bluestockings of the Revolutionary and Napoleonic periods, detailed as to dates, places, and persons whenever possible, including friends like Mdm. Recamier. T2

Hogg, Ian V.

The History of Fortification ***
St. Martin's Press, NY, 1981
Clear, interesting and accurate overview from 7000 BC through the 1970's, well illustrated with photos and diagrams; bibliography and glossary. T2

Inglis, Brian

Trance: A Natural History of Altered States of Mind ****
Paladin/Grafton Books, London, 1990
A history of animal magnetism, mesmerism, hypnotism, and related phenomena, especially the parts that do not fit materialist scientism. Details the researchers and their studies through this century. T3

Ingraham, Holly

People's Names: A Cross-cultural Reference Guide to the Proper Use of Over 40,000 Personal and Familial Names in Over 100 Cultures *****!
McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers, Jefferson, NC; 1997; 613 pgs, index, select annotated bibliography
The Contemporary half will do for all of Europe at this period, providing wide choices of individual and family names, with proper orders and procedures. T1

Kohler, Carl

A History of Costume ****
Dover Publications, Inc., NY
Hand-sized, info-packed, based on surviving clothes first and artwork secondarily. Author's line drawings of construction and detail. Neophytes should use with a picture book, which it will greatly clarify. T1

Loomis, Stanley

Paris in the Terror, June 1793 to July 1794 *****!
Lippincott, Philedelphia and NY, 1964
A deep exploration of the lives and personalities of major players like Marat, Charlotte Corday, Danton, Robespierre, Mme. Roland, with glimpses into the petty nobility, the bougeoisie, various street scenes and ways of life. Good as part of the second tier of research. T2

Parkinson, C. Northcote

Britannia Rules: The Classic Age of Naval History, 1793-1815 ***
Royal Naval Museum
Valuable coverage. Check it out if you are unfamiliar, though it may be almost too basic for Hornblower/Aubrey-Maturin fans. T1

Ros, Martin

Night of Fire: The Black Napoleon and the Battle for Haiti ****
Sarpedon
The story of Toussaint Louverture's revolt covered in detail.

Salmonson, Jessica Amanda

The Encyclopedia of Amazons: Women Warriors from Antiquity to the Modern Era *****!
Paragon House, NY, 1991; 290 pg, no index, bibliography
In the chaos of the Revolution, if a commoner could crawl out from under the feet of the nobility, women also dreamed that they could shake off the boots of men. A number of women led careers as violent revolutionaries. T2

Tarr, Laszlo

The History of the Carriage ****
Arco Publishing Company, Inc., NY, 1969; translated by Elisabeth Hoch
Excellent descriptions of how carriages work, what styles were in use when, and a discussion that sheds new light on the term "high-perch phaeton." T3

Waugh, Norah

Corsets and Crinolines *****!
Theatre Arts Books, 1954
Underpinnings, 1600's to 1925, in period art. T3

The Cut of Men's Clothes 1600-1900 *****!
Theatre Arts Books, 1964
The most fashionable men's dress, in period illustrations, with tailor's patterns, period comments on colours and fabrics, etc. Superb. T3

The Cut of Women's Clothes, 1600 to 1930 *****!
Theatre Arts Books, 1968
The same for women. Both books show fastenings! T3


Video

Salamandre: Chateaux of the Loire ***

The Voyager Company, 1988; laserdisc, 30 min.
Tours eighteen of the chateaux, which may provide you with grounds and interior for one of your settings. T2

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Websites

H-GIG Historical Times & Places ***

http://www.ucr.edu/h-gig/topperindex.html

A thorough-going linksite maintained by the University of California at Riverside, H-GIG sorts by area, by era (ancient, Medieval, early Modern, Modern<yours>, and 20th C), or by topic (military, women, etc.). It's a good place to start a hunt for books and essays online.

The Phrenology Page ***

http://www.LHOON.com/phreno/index.html

"Phrenology is the science which studies the relationships between a person's character and the morphology of the skull." Includes a historical overview, definitions of words and concepts, and images with meanings of various characteristics.


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