The Origins of Contemporary France, Complete Table of Contents

A sweeping survey of pre‑revolutionary France, this work opens by mapping the intricate web of privileges that bound the clergy, nobility, and monarchy into a fragile hierarchy. It dissects the court’s lavish rituals, the drawing‑room culture that animated Versailles, and the often‑contradictory moral climate that sustained the ancient regime. By grounding each class in its own services, revenues, and legal immunities, the author shows how seemingly stable foundations were already riddled with contradictions.

The narrative then turns to the intellectual undercurrents that began to unsettle that order: the rise of scientific thought, the clash between classicism and new analytical methods, and the spreading ideas of liberty, equality, and popular sovereignty. Detailed sketches of the peasantry’s hardships, burdensome taxation, and the growing resentment of the middle class add a human dimension to the analysis. Together, these layers illuminate the tensions and aspirations that would soon erupt into the French Revolution, offering listeners a richly contextualized portrait of a society on the brink.