Sister Revolutions: French Lightning, American Light

by Susan Dunn

Book Overview

What the two great modern revolutions can teach us about democracy today The American and French revolutions presented the world with two very different visions of democracy. Although both professed similar Enlightenment ideals of freedom, equality, and justice and set similar political agendas, there were also fundamental differences. The French sought a complete break with a thousand years of history; the Americans were content to preserve many...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0571199895
• ISBN13: 9780571199891
• Release Date: September 2000
• Publisher: Farrar, Strauss & Giroux-3pl
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 0.77 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.5" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

Twin Revolutions: The Fench Revolution and The US War of Independence

INCREDIBLE BOOK!! I strongly recommend it for students of comparative history. The US War of Independence earned freedom fot the 13 colonies and created a new nation; the French Revolution descended into a reign of terror. WHY??? Read the book, put it aside, and read it again. What an insight AND inside view of the events!!!! WHO said women could not write military history? or analyze its scientific angle?? Not me!! Bravo, Ms. Dunn.

French Rev Bad; American Rev Good

I am surprised that there aren't more books out there tying together the American and French Revolutions. I read this book as part of the Brother's Book Club (BBC) and thoroughly enjoyed the e-mail discussions it generated. If you are looking for a chronological historical breakdown of the two revolutions, this would not be the book to get. If, however, an analytical breakdown of the causes that generated and fueled the two revolutions, the thought that kept them aloft, the intellectual connection and differences between the revolutions, and lastly the impact that they had upon the rest of the world; all sound compelling to you, then by all means go buy this book. One detractor is Dunn's oversimplification in her critical look at everything involving the French Revolution and high praise for all things American Revolution. She follows this code, almost without exception. A more objective analysis would have been more meaningful and valid. The strength of the book is Dunn's revelation of the power of ideas. She makes it inducingly clear that the historically decisive actions of the world were driven by the power of ideas. Perhaps the most compelling chapters come at the end, as Dunn stretches intellectually by portraying the two revolutions as models and exploring the effect they have had on subsequent revolutions around the globe. The biggest surprise is that after Dunn praises the American model, she concludes by finding America's current system of government inefficient and suggests that the British Parliamentary model is the best fitting for modern day democracies. How we come full circle.Good book for those interested in the thought process behind the American and French revolution, but not so much for a historical breakdown of the two. Through exploring the power of ideas, Dunn comes up with some powerful ideas of her own.

A Great Read!

Having read quite a bit about both the French and American Revolutions, I found this book to be a wonderfully written comparison of both the ideology underlying the movements and the continuing consequences of those ideologies. This is a very meaningful book, both for students of the two revolutions, as well as for people interested in political science and government in general. Not only does it do an excellent job of distilling the movements, but it is extremely well written.

Primer for decendents of Publius,Brutus,and Cato

Susan Dunn has created an easy flowing narrative that brings life to history. Ms. Dunn helps bring perspective to all events that occurred after the "Sister Revolutions". Including our need to reinvigorate our current two party system and not be swayed to stagnation based on middle of the road consensus. This wonderful work also sheds light on the short-comings of views that majority opinions and community rights are paramount to the rights of the individual.

An Innovative Look at Revolutions

This is an innovative book that compares the French and American Revolutions, in both their successes and shortcomings, as well as their influences on modern Revolutions. The American Revolution had always seemed like dead, textbook history to me until I read 'Sister Revolutions.' It brought both movements to life, and theorized on how the best of each could be combined for a successful modern Revolution. Definitely a book worth reading!