Overview

THERE is no one in the history of the French Revolution who has been more eagerly canonized than Madame Tallien; yet according to L. Gastine, there is no one in that history who merited canonization so little. He has therefore set himself the task of dissipating the mass of legend and sentiment that has gathered round the memory of La Belle Tallien and of presenting her to our eyes as she really was. The result of his labour is a volume, which combines the scrupulous exactness of conscientious research with the richness and glamour of a romance. In the place of the beautiful heroic but purely imaginary figure of popular tradition, we behold a woman, dowered indeed with incomparable loveliness, but utterly unmoral, devoid alike of heart and soul, who readily and repeatedly prostituted her personal charms for the advancement of her selfish and ignoble aims. Though Madame Tallien is the central figure of the book, the reader is introduced to many other personages who played famous or infamous roles in the contemporary social or political arena, and the volume, which is enriched by a number of interesting portraits, throws a new and valuable light on this stormy and perennially fascinating period of French history. * * * * * Aside from its ruthless dissection of its chief figure, the volume is invaluable for its many sidelights on the principal actors in the French revolution and for its vignettes of the social life of that period. The author's attitude is so clearly one of investigation that the book is somewhat marred for the casual reader by his discussion of the veracity of many small points, but for the student his critical attitude cannot help attracting Interest. -Boston Transcript

Full Product Details

9781500811655

Table of Contents

Reviews

Author Information

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available