The Road from Versailles: Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette, and the Fall of the French Monarchy

by Munro Price

Book Overview

What becomes of leaders when absolute power is wrested from their hands? How does dramatic political change affect once-absolute monarchs? In acclaimed historian Munro Price's powerful new book, he confronts one of the enduring mysteries of the French Revolution - what were the true actions and feelings of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette as they watched their sovereignty collapse?Dragged back from Versailles to Paris by the crowd in October 1789, the...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312268793
• ISBN13: 9780312268794
• Release Date: January 2003
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press
• Length: 448 Pages
• Weight: 1.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.5" x 6.5" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

Insight into the Royals

I got this book to learn a little about a topic I didn't know that much about. That I came away feeling that I was well-versed in the most esoteric of historical controversies is a testament to the quality of the work. The author has painstakingly researched the issues involved in the French Revolution. Everywhere in the book where a controversy is discussed, the author makes his conclusion, provides the evidence for his conclusion, and why he doesn't believe in alternative explanations. This comprehensive approach allows the reader to understand history not from the usual "because I say, it is so" approach, but to have a sense of how other theories might co-exist. The narrative shows how close run a thing the French Revolution was and how many directions it might have taken. It also shows the struggles of two highly flawed individuals (the irresolute King and his stubborn, crafty wife) placed in the most complicated of situations. Most importantly, it focuses on Mssr. Bretieul, a French noble, who steadfastly negotiated on their behalf among foreign capitals for many hopeless years. The book differs from others in that it shows the Revolution from an almost exclusively Royal point of view. Those looking for an overview of the Revolutionary side will be sorely disappointed. But, those who want to see insight into the minds of the royals, who fumbled and bumbled into an escalation that destroyed the tradition of ages, will revel in the fascinating story.

Concise and excellent

This book is a true pleasure to read. It focuses on a relatively small number of personalities and describes what they did- always backed up with research- and the consequences of their actions. The author's style is crisp, focussed and dignified, bereft of obscure or uncommon words that save you the frustration of constantly referring to the dictionary. It makes the principal charcters come to life. The narrative quality is consistent and sustains your interest throughout. It is neither exhaustive, nor exhausting to read. I recommend it highly.

Incredibly Researched

Author Munro Price has shown that intense research combined with informative speculation is consistent with successfully piecing together a very confusing and torrid sequence of events in Western European history. Price, through what appears to be pains taking information gathering, relays a brilliant account of the lives of some of the French Revolution's most influential players. He brings to light, to those not in the academic world, the Baron de Breteuil and his tremendous influence on the policy of counter-revolutionary France. Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, the recipients of the brunt of the Revolution, were shown both in their glory and in the flaws that led to their eventual demise. Price has not failed to impress with his clearly thought out formulations of the mindset and personal weaknesses of Louis XVI and, in contrast, the inner strength of Marie Antoinette. This book is easily followed and is difficult to put down. I recommend to anyone interested in this monumental period of political change in Europe.

Interesting history

This was an interesting and very readable book - I was sorry to see it end. It was obviously painstakingly researched and contains a lot of little known information about Louis and Marie-Antoinette and particularly their attitude toward the revolution which eventually killed them. It includes details about Marie-Antoinette's actions and attitudes that the general public may be surprised at - she was not just another pretty face who let events unfold - instead she apparently became stronger and took an active part in events. Even though the death of the king and queen were inevitable I found myself rooting for their escape. The book almost reads like a novel, but is a true and absorbing story.

3.7 stars; a provisional grade

Munro Price's history of how Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette confronted the French Revolution comes at a less than propitious time. In a month from now, we will see Timothy Tackett's book on the Flight to Varennes. Tackett's previous books have been known for their thorough and exhaustive research, and his newest book may be a stark contrast to Price's which, as we will soon see, is comparatively under-researched. Nevertheless this book does have something of considerable value. It has been known that the royal couple were less than thrilled with the Constitution of 1791 and were trying to deal with foreign powers which France was at war with. But what were their real plans? Price's book offers some real answers.The answers are convincing because they are not ones that Price is fully comfortable with. Price's colleague and occasional co-writer, John Hardman, has been the most pro-Louis historian for a couple of generations, even in one book comparing Louis to a saint. It is well known that Louis' last pre July 14 prime minister, the Baron de Breteuil was given special powers to talk to other foreign powers. (His letter of authority from the king, was forged, but Price reasonably argues that the Queen was just forcing the pace on her indecisive husband. The letter would not have worked if it did not represent Louis' views, and the plans for the Flight of Varennes could not have occurred without his knowledge and support.) But what were Louis XVI and Breteuil planning for France during the Flight to Varennes and the war with Europe? On at least two occasions the royal couple destroyed valuable documentation, while Breteuil was careful to leave as little information as possible. However with some diligence Price tracked down the papers of an ally of Breteuil, the Marquis de Bomballes, and found out what the royalists were planning. The result is devastating to Louis XVI's reputation.Recently several scholars, most noticeably Keith Baker, have argued that by refusing a bicameral legislature in 1789, the National Assembly paved the way to totalitarianism and rejected reasonable compromise. It is clear from Bomballes' papers that the king had no interest in such a legislature. Royalists rejected it in 1789, and he and Breteuil rejected it several times in 1791-92. Louis had no interest in the Constitution of 1791, which he had swore to uphold, or using its mechanisms for amending it. He did not wish to go back to the National Assembly, but to the Estates General, giving the Nobles and the Clergy certain powers of veto. He did not plan to compromise with the Assemblies, but seek to use either his own troops to overwhelm them, or use the victory of foreign troops to get what he wanted. Although often unable to make a decision, these were his basic principles, pushed and prodded on by his wife.This is the most valuable part of the book, and there are descriptions of the Flight of Varennes, the events of August 10 and the battle of Valmy