French Revolution: A History. Volume 1: The Bastille (Version 2)
Thomas Carlyle
Play
Length 11 h 9 min
Chapters 50
First published 1837
Subtitled "The Bastille", Volume 1 of Thomas Carlyle's three volume "The French Revolution: A History" was first published in 1837, and covers the events of the French Revolution up to the forced move of Louis XVI from Versailles to Paris. While a modern listener not already familiar with the events described here may need some time to get their bearings amidst a sea of unfamiliar names and allusions, Carlyle's idiosyncratic yet justly famous present-tense, quasi-firsthand narrative quickly builds into a gripping, highly dramatic story which contemporary scholars still regard as being essentially accurate.
It may help the reader to understand that the term 'Oeuil de Boeuf' signifies the palace of the French King, and that references to 'Jean Jacques' are to Jean-Jacques Rousseau, whose 1755 book "The Social Contract" argued that 'we are obliged to obey only legitimate powers'. - Summary by Peter Dann
Chapters
1
Book 1, Chapter 1: Louis the Well-Beloved Read by Peter Dann 10:02
2
Book 1, Chapter 2: Realised Ideals Read by Peter Dann 24:30
3
Book 1, Chapter 3: Viaticum Read by Peter Dann 7:36
4
Book 1, Chapter 4: Louis the Unforgotten Read by Peter Dann 17:15
5
Book 2, Chapter 1: Astraea Redux Read by Peter Dann 15:52
6
Book 2, Chapter 2: Petition in Hieroglyphs Read by Peter Dann 6:24
7
Book 2, Chapter 3: Questionable Read by Peter Dann 9:54
8
Book 2, Chapter 4: Maurepas Read by Peter Dann 9:44
9
Book 2, Chapter 5: Astraea Redux without Cash Read by Peter Dann 9:33
10
Book 2, Chapter 6: Windbags Read by Peter Dann 11:10
11
Book 2, Chapter 7: Contrat Social Read by Peter Dann 7:21
12
Book 2, Chapter 8: Printed Paper Read by Peter Dann 13:11
13
Book 3, Chapter 1: Dishonoured Bills Read by Peter Dann 12:27
14
Book 3, Chapter 2: Controller Calonne Read by Peter Dann 8:21
15
Book 3, Chapter 3: The Notables Read by Peter Dann 23:26
16
Book 3, Chapter 4: Loménie’s Edicts Read by Peter Dann 11:49
17
Book 3, Chapter 5: Loménie’s Thunderbolts Read by Peter Dann 11:27
18
Book 3, Chapter 6: Loménie’s Plots Read by Peter Dann 11:50
19
Book 3, Chapter 7: Internecine Read by Peter Dann 14:03
20
Book 3, Chapter 8: Loménie’s Death-throes Read by Peter Dann 25:49
21
Book 3, Chapter 9: Burial with Bonfire Read by Peter Dann 8:38
22
Book 4, Chapter 1: The Notables Again Read by Peter Dann 13:30
23
Book 4, Chapter 2: The Election Read by Peter Dann 15:23
24
Book 4, Chapter 3: Grown Electric Read by Peter Dann 9:09
25
Book 4, Chapter 4: The Procession Read by Peter Dann 45:23
26
Book 5, Chapter 1: Inertia Read by Peter Dann 20:59
27
Book 5, Chapter 2: Mercury de Brézé Read by Peter Dann 17:41
28
Book 5, Chapter 3: Broglie the War-God Read by Peter Dann 13:26
29
Book 5, Chapter 4: To Arms! Read by Peter Dann 12:39
30
Book 5, Chapter 5: Give us Arms Read by Peter Dann 15:45
31
Book 5, Chapter 6: Storm and Victory Read by Peter Dann 21:00
32
Book 5, Chapter 7: Not a Revolt Read by Peter Dann 10:30
33
Book 5, Chapter 8: Conquering your King Read by Peter Dann 9:05
34
Book 5, Chapter 9: The Lanterne Read by Peter Dann 14:03
35
Book 6, Chapter 1: Make the Constitution Read by Peter Dann 15:17
36
Book 6, Chapter 2: The Constituent Assembly Read by Peter Dann 13:09
37
Book 6, Chapter 3: The General Overturn Read by Peter Dann 20:19
38
Book 6, Chapter 4: In Queue Read by Peter Dann 6:47
39
Book 6, Chapter 5: The Fourth Estate Read by Peter Dann 7:54
40
Book 7, Chapter 1: Patrollotism Read by Peter Dann 10:18
41
Book 7, Chapter 2: O Richard, O my King Read by Peter Dann 10:43
42
Book 7, Chapter 3: Black Cockades Read by Peter Dann 4:51
43
Book 7, Chapter 4: The Menads Read by Peter Dann 9:18
44
Book 7, Chapter 5: Usher Maillard Read by Peter Dann 13:05
45
Book 7, Chapter 6: To Versailles Read by Peter Dann 9:31
46
Book 7, Chapter 7: At Versailles Read by Peter Dann 9:35
47
Book 7, Chapter 8: The Equal Diet Read by Peter Dann 12:20
48
Book 7, Chapter 9: Lafayette Read by Peter Dann 9:19
49
Book 7, Chapter 10: The Grand Entries Read by Peter Dann 12:08
50
Book 7, Chapter 11: From Versailles Read by Peter Dann 15:46
From LibriVox, read by volunteers and in the public domain. LibriVox page (opens librivox.org) , the text (opens gutenberg.org) , all files on the Internet Archive (opens archive.org) .
