author
M. (François-Auguste-Marie-Alexis) Mignet
1796–1884
Best known for his clear, influential history of the French Revolution, this 19th-century French writer helped shape how that era was understood by later readers. He also moved in the political and literary circles of his time, balancing journalism, public service, and historical writing.
2 Audiobooks
Vie de Franklin
by M. (François-Auguste-Marie-Alexis) Mignet
History of the French Revolution from 1789 to 1814
by M. (François-Auguste-Marie-Alexis) Mignet
About the author
Born in Aix-en-Provence on May 8, 1796, François-Auguste-Marie Mignet became a French historian and journalist whose work centered on the Revolution and modern French political history. He studied law, but he was drawn to writing and public debate, and he became associated with the liberal intellectual world of the early 19th century.
Mignet is especially remembered for Histoire de la Révolution française depuis 1789 jusqu'en 1814, published in 1824, a book noted for its concise, orderly account of the Revolution. Reference works also describe him as an archivist and a public official, and he later served as director of the archives at the French foreign ministry under the July Monarchy.
Over time he earned a respected place in French intellectual life, including election to the Académie française in 1836. He died in Paris on March 24, 1884, leaving behind a body of historical writing valued for its clarity and its lasting influence on 19th-century historical study.