The Notebook of Robespierre

Robespierre, Maximilien, 1758-1794Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.4

Word count: 43K words
Chapters: 5

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Le carnet de Robespierre (septembre-décembre 1793) by Maximilien RobespierreAuthor: Robespierre, Maximilien, 1758-1794,Language: French, Class: DC: History: General and Eastern Hemisphere: France, Andorra, Monaco, Release Date: Aug 28, 2009

Editor's review

This book is the notebook kept by Robespierre himself, spanning September to December 1793, a period when the French Revolution was entering its most intense phase. As a primary source, its value lies not in systematic exposition but in revealing the concerns, wording, and fragments of thought in the revolutionary leader's daily records, offering original material for understanding the political workings and personal perspective of the time. The entire book is in French and was released by Project Gutenberg as a public-domain ebook; the main barriers to reading are language and historical background. It is not suitable as an introduction to general history, but is better suited to readers who already know the basic outline of the French Revolution and can use it to cross-check events and experience the texture of the original text. When reading, one may consult a chronology and biographical reference works, note the names, institutions, and issues that recur in the notebook, and observe how revolutionary discourse operated. Its length and genre make it better suited to fragmentary study than to continuous reading in one sitting.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers studying the French Revolution who need access to primary sources
Those able to read French and interested in original texts from the revolutionary period
Readers who already know the basic outline of the Revolution and want a deeper personal perspective
People interested in political notebooks and archival materials

Not a good fit for

General readers without French who hope to read a Chinese translation
Beginners who want to systematically study a general history of the French Revolution through this book
Readers who prefer complete narratives and find the notebook format hard to accept

Reading tips

First prepare a chronology of major events in the second half of 1793 during the French Revolution, and consult the timeline while reading.
Read the notebook in monthly sections, and after each section record the names and issues that recur.
Look up unfamiliar institutions and faction names promptly to avoid misreading due to missing background.
Read it alongside other historical sources or later scholarship, and be careful to distinguish original records from interpretation.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this a complete work written by Robespierre?

According to the material, this book is his notebook covering September to December 1793; it is a fragmentary record rather than a systematic work. It presents primary material from a specific period, and its length and structure differ from a fully developed treatise; readers should expect the notebook genre.

Can I read this book without knowing French?

The book is in French and is a public-domain electronic text, usually without a Chinese parallel text or detailed annotations. Readers without French will find it very difficult; it is advisable to first look for a reliable Chinese translation or scholarly work before considering the original.

What historical background is needed to read this book?

One needs to understand the basic course of the French Revolution, especially the political factions, institutions of power, and major events around 1793. With this background, the names, institutions, and issues in the notebook are easier to place, and the reading is more rewarding.

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About the author

Robespierre, Maximilien, 1758-1794 Author

Maximilien Robespierre (Robespierre, Maximilien, 1758-1794) was a major political figure of the French Revolution, and his surviving writings consist mainly of speeches, a draft constitution, and private notes. This site holds seven of his works, including several chronologically arranged volumes of speeches covering parliamentary addresses from October 1789 to July 1794, along with the 1791 French constitution proposal, a miscellaneous collection of works, and a heliographic reproduction of the Carnet de Robespierre. These materials show him to be a skilled political writer and public debater, with a rigorous and clearly committed style, often arguing around constitutional principles, civic rights, and the legitimacy of revolutionary government. Public information is limited, and details of his life and assessments of him are best sought in specialized historical scholarship; the summary here is confined to the works held and their documentary value.