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Twelve Who Ruled

The Year of the Terror in the French Revolution

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Twelve Who Ruled

By: R. R. Palmer, Isser Woloch - foreword
Narrated by: David Stifel
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About this listen

The Reign of Terror continues to fascinate scholars as one of the bloodiest periods in French history, when the Committee of Public Safety strove to defend the first Republic from its many enemies, creating a climate of fear and suspicion in revolutionary France.

R. R. Palmer's fascinating narrative follows the Committee's deputies individually and collectively, recounting and assessing their tumultuous struggles in Paris and their repressive missions in the provinces.

A foreword by Isser Woloch explains why this book remains an enduring classic in French revolutionary studies.

©1941 Princeton University Press; Foreword to the Princeton Classic Edition copyright 2005 by Princeton University Press (P)2020 Tantor Europe France Historical Military French Revolution Middle Ages Socialism War

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All stars
Most relevant
The best book on the Committee of Public Safety, incredible story with meaningful and considered Nuance on the most contested topics. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

Detail, Nuance & Depth

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I can see why this is still in print after 75 years. Genuinely excellent - probably the clearest, fairest explanation of the Terror I've read. And I've read a few by now.

As with most of the best books on this period, it also contextualises Robespierre nicely by positioning him within the context of the wider Committee of Public Safety, ensuring he's neither demonised nor fully vindicated. Unusually, the same treatment is also afforded the usually equally demonised St Just. Both are seen as much as victims of circumstance, caught up in the chaos, as instigators.

This kind of nuanced reading is particularly impressive for a book published in 1940 - not just because this kind of subtle reading of history was still rare then, but because it must have been tempting to draw parallels to contemporary events. These do pop up, but rarely - and don't seem to have influenced the interpretation. Certainly not in the most obvious way it could have done, making direct parallels between the Terror and Nazism/fascism, or between Robespierre and Hitler.

I listened to this as an audiobook because it was leaving Audible's free catalogue soon, but will likely now pick up a hard copy.

A classic for a reason

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A engaging narrative history of the committee of public safety. Some knowledge of the major facts and timeline of the revolution is really required. Let down by performance that was adequate in all respects except the pronunciation of all the French (and some English) words and names. Would definitely recommend though.

Very interesting but let down by performance

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An alternately stirring and chilling narrative of the French Revolution in the tense years of 1793-94, interspersed by penetrating analysis of the challenges of running a war economy and waging total war which the 12 men of this committee grappled with. David Stifel reads this important historical work with a good feeling for the text, if with an occasionally shaky grasp of the pronunciation of the names of some of the protagonists.

A superb account of the rise and fall of the Committee of Public Safety

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Elegant, enlightening and scholarly without ever descending into academic minutiae. There’s a good reason it has never been out of print and also that it has never been revised. Palmer’s wonderful turns of phrase may seem dated to some but I found them delightful. The narrator is very good, but his pronunciation of some names may annoy some ears. Robespierre in particular. But you get used to it and it’s worth overlooking.

A true classic of narrative history

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