Maxime Vuillaume

Born in Saclas, France, in 1844, Maxime Vuillaume trained as an engineer and later became known as a journalist and pamphleteer. He was involved in the Paris Commune of 1871, a defining episode in his life, and after its fall he went into exile.

Vuillaume is especially remembered for Mes cahiers rouges, his detailed memoir of the Commune, first published in installments between 1908 and 1914. Readers return to it for its sharp observation, its sense of lived experience, and the way it captures political upheaval through everyday scenes as well as major events.

Beyond his memoir writing, he also published other historical and political works, and his career reflects an unusual mix of technical training, public debate, and witness testimony. He died in Neuilly-sur-Seine in 1925.