A New World Begins Book Summary

In 'A New World Begins,' Jeremy Popkin intricately explores the tumultuous era of the French Revolution, highlighting the fervent cries for liberty and equality. As power shifts dramatically, the lives of ordinary citizens intertwine with revolutionary leaders, leading to both hope and chaos. Popkin’s vivid storytelling illuminates the bold ideals that fueled a nation and the unintended consequences that followed. Through captivating narratives, readers witness the birth of modern politics and society. This compelling journey invites you to reflect on the delicate balance between freedom and order, making you ponder: what lessons does the revolution hold for our world today?

By Jeremy Popkin

Published: 2019

""In the ashes of the old world, we found the embers of transformation, illuminating the path toward a future shaped by our collective resolve and sacrifice.""

Book Review of A New World Begins

From an award-winning historian, a magisterial account of the revolution that created the modern world The principles of the French Revolution remain the only possible basis for a just society -- even if, after more than two hundred years, they are more contested than ever before. In A New World Begins, Jeremy D. Popkin offers a riveting account of the revolution that puts the reader in the thick of the debates and the violence that led to the overthrow of the monarchy and the establishment of a new society. We meet Mirabeau, Robespierre, and Danton, in all of their brilliance and vengefulness; we witness the failed escape and execution of Louis XVI; we see women demanding equal rights and black slaves wresting freedom from revolutionaries who hesitated to act on their own principles; and we follow the rise of Napoleon out of the ashes of the Reign of Terror. Based on decades of scholarship, A New World Begins will stand as the definitive treatment of the French Revolution.

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"In the ashes of the old world, we found the embers of transformation, illuminating the path toward a future shaped by our collective resolve and sacrifice."

A New World Begins

By Jeremy Popkin