| Smithsonian Timothy Foote December, 2000 Read complete Review in Smithsonian Excerpt: What everyone likes to remember about the French Revolution is that it proclaimed the rights of man, including equality for all under law. By comparison, its slightly older and wiser sister, the American Revolution, is often dismissed as a mere war of independence. Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite, the words of its famous motto, have a more populist ring that ” we hold these truths to be self-evident.” Besides, the infant French republic swiftly abolished slavery, gave women the vote, legalized divorce and granted civil rights to Jews, Protestants and illegitimate children.. Parade Magazine The American Revolution began in 1776 and, once military success was achieved, created a nonviolent democracy. The French Revolution, 13 years later, produced murder, mayhem and internet turmoil, culminating in the reign of “Madame Guillotine” and the dictatorship of Napoleon. Yet, both were inspired by similar ideals of human liberty and justice, and were instigated by dedicated patriots. How and why did they so diverge?… The New York Times Book Review About 10 weeks after America’s first presidential inauguration in New York City in April 1789, the Bastille fell. The Marquis de Lafayette, a hero of the American Revolution, sent the prison’s key as a trophy to George Washington. Thomas Paine, who conveyed it, and who would shortly be offered a seat in the French National Assembly, exclaimed that “a share in two revolutions is living to some purpose.” Together, the United States and France seemed to be leading the world to a new birth of freedom… TIME MAGAZINE They were both rooted in the same Enlightenment ideals of universal human rights, and they both erupted during the waning decades of the 18th century. Why then did the American and the French revolutions produce such radically different results: a contentious but stable democracy on one side of the Atlantic, the terror and the triumph of Napoleon on the other?… Library Journal In this insightful work, Dunn (History of Ideas, Williams College) quickly puts to rest the mistaken notion that all political revolutions are the same. She notes that while the American and French revolutions were “sister” revolutions, there were some distinct differences, most importantly in visions employed and policies pursued. Dunn explores the dramatic differences between these two ideological episodes of the modern political world, illustrating the limits and excesses of revolutionary political thought and behavior. Central to her work is the thesis that the American revolutionaries were more properly guided by skepticism concerning the perils of putting too much faith in reason; they believed, she argues, that experience and a healthy dose of historical understanding and appreciation were critical. Highly recommended for all public libraries. |
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| Sister Revolutions is a keen and judicious meditation on the two great revolutions that created the modern world.
ARTHUR SCHLESINGER, JR. In 1790, the American diplomat and politician Gouverneur Morris compared the French and American Revolutions, saying that the French “have taken Genius instead of Reason for their guide, and adopted Experiment instead of Experience, and wander in the Dark because they prefer Lightning to Light.” Although both revolutions professed similar Enlightenment ideals of freedom, equality, and justice, there were dramatic differences. Why did the two revolutions follow such different trajectories? What influence have the two different visions of democracy had on modern history? In a lucid narrative style, Susan Dunn traces the legacies of the two great revolutions through modern history and up to the revolutionary movements of our own time. Her combination of history and political analysis will appeal to all who take an interest in the way democratic nations are governed. “Stimulating and provocative…Sister Revolutions shows not only how the French and American experiments developed, but also why their differing examples have continued to beguile ambitious leaders.” PAUL GREY, TIME Read the Review in Time Magazine
Read the Review in the New York Times Read the Review in Smithsonian Magazine “Susan Dunn writes most vividly [and] finds some fresh things to say about this old but rich topic.” RICHARD BROOKHISER, THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW |
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