The analysis of the 2011 ‘Blackberry’ riots in England reveals conflicting perspectives on the role of inequalities. Conservatives view the riots as lawlessness driven by moral decline, while radicals highlight socio-economic disenfranchisement as a key cause. This essay urges addressing underlying inequalities to prevent future unrest rather than merely punishing the rioters.
Thomas Paine is an important writer at an important time that bequeaths us in his ‘Rights of Man’ a fundamental shakeup of what our democratic rights as citizens should be, drawing especially on the French Revolution and also American Revolution and the fundamental rights that their new revolutionary societies produced…
View More Review: Rights of Man – by Thomas Paine
‘War and Peace’ needs no introduction. It holds its place in the minds of contemporary society as a literary classic. One cannot pick up a newspaper article on great books without a passing mention of Leo Tolstoy’s masterpiece. Like other classical works such as the Bible, I think that their…
View More Review: War and Peace – by Leo Tolstoy
The revolutions of 1830, 1848, and 1870 significantly impacted French working classes, spurring their organization and political consciousness. Despite initial betrayals and repression by the bourgeoisie, these uprisings fostered advances in labor rights, living standards, and democratic participation, ultimately leading to a more cohesive and recognized working class by the end of the century.
View More Nineteenth Century Revolutions and the French Working Classes
The translated academic study offers a detailed examination of 19th century French society, highlighting the impact of various revolutions that generally favored the bourgeois elite despite initial lower-class motivations. It discusses industrialization, improved living standards, and regional variations, while recognizing the rich data sometimes overwhelms the narrative. Overall, it remains a valuable read.
View More Review: A Social History of France in the 19th Century – by Christophe Charle
This book examines post-revolutionary France, highlighting the bourgeois’s dominance during various changes of power from 1789 onwards. It explores modernisation, capitalism’s conflict with the left, and rising living standards among the working class. The author skillfully elaborates on complex topics, emphasizing the lower classes’ experiences amid political transformations.
View More Review: France 1815-1914 The Bourgeois Century – by Roger Magraw
This book examines socialism in France, exploring the evolution of the political left from the nineteenth century through detailed chapters. It covers the rise of trade unionism, the SFIO’s ascent, and the decline of socialist power as communists gained influence. The final chapter discusses Mitterand’s 1981 electoral victory and its historical significance.
View More Review: Marxism and the French Left – by Tony JudtSaint Domingue was the Western French-owned side of Hispaniola. French colonists built it up into a wealthy imperial source of plantation economy produce, founded on the settlement of African slaves, products of the Triangular Slave Trade across the Atlantic. The hills and plains were dotted with sugar plantations and vast…
View More Review: Avengers of the New World – The Story of the Haitian Revolution – by Laurent Dubois