This book employs an innovative format to allow the reader to form his own opinion about Robspierre based on three different viewpoints without distorting the historical facts. Challenging and highly recommended

Fortunately for Napoleonic scholars J.M.Thompson's masterful biography has reappeared in a new, affordable paperback edition. Less hagiographic than Cronin, less expensive than Chandler, and more comprehensive than Markham or Ellis, this volume, though first published in 1952, has aged well and remains a sound investment. Its success, no doubt, is owed in part to the author's reliance on primary sources and his decision to base the foundation of the work on Bonaparte's own personal correspondence. Thompson's facile writing ability plays no small part as well.

While chronicling the rise and fall of Napoleon, the author displays a keen apprehension of the repercussions of decisions and actions while finding time to apprise the reader of the roles of those on the sidelines; a Saliceti, a Fouche, a Madame de Stael. The enormous sweep of time is succinctly capsuled by the author and one comes away with a far better understanding of the era thanks to Thompson's critical analysis while being entertained by a master storyteller.

Neither incomparable saint nor inconceivable devil, Napoleon comes through as a tragically flawed genius, unable to rise to true greatness by his own egoism and selfishness.

In The Enlightenment, Norman Hampson describes the period in European history where a more reasonable and scientific view of the world was being developed. "The object of this book, in other words, is not to attempt a scholarly and systematic investigation of this or that aspect of the Enlightenment. My aim is to convince the general reader that the authors I have quoted are well worth his reading for himself and my ambition, to help him towards a better understanding of what they were saying. I trust he will regard it, not as intellectual nourishment in its own right so much as an invitation to a banquet of his own." (p13).

Mr. Hampson must be given credit for his modesty. The introduction does relieve some of the tensions and address any apprehensions a reader might have when picking up a book like this. It seems to say "don't worry, I'm not intentionally going to make this book difficult. I'll try my hardest to keep it light." To some extent, Hampson succeeds. Norman Hampson's purpose for writing his book was to promote the reading of the primary historical texts on which it is based. It was not intended to be the end-all-be-all Enlightenment survey, but in fact an advertisement for books written during the period. Promoting primary sources is a noble purpose, but one that leaves the reader wondering why it takes 300 pages to generate such enthusiasm. This being established as the purpose, it now must be asked if Hampson accomplished his goal. The reader will not be impressed by his style, which is bad, or his attempt at wit, which is worse. The pages are filled with abstruse paragraphs, and archaic language. It is questionable whether, after finishing The Enlightenment, a reader is likely to run for the primary sources. In fact, after the book is finished, the reader's head is so full of Enlightenment information that if he or she hears one more piece of information about it, a great deal of goo will pour out of the reader's ear and form a puddle on the floor which reads "ENOUGH! I am enlightened already!" This effect is assuredly one of the book's good qualities, but it is contrary to the purpose stated by the author. The first sentence (and presumably the thesis) of the book reads as follows: "The generation that separated the wars of Louis XIV from those of Frederick the Great was not, in any meaningful sense, an age of transition."(p43). This is a very broad thesis, and sets the stage for a survey that is does not attempt to "prove" anything. The thesis goes along with the purpose of the book, which is not to have radical and profound insights into the Enlightenment period, but to spark interest in the reader. With a purpose like this, it is obvious that the work was not intended to be built around a central thesis. The Enlightenment describes various aspects of European society from the years 1715 to 1789. It begins by describing the social and political environment between 1715 and 1740, and then addresses the relationship between the scientific and the divine in the eyes of Enlightenment thinkers. He summarizes certain Enlightenment thinkers' views on human nature, and speaks of the Enlightenment as a way of life. In Part Two of the book, the focus shifts forward to the years between 1740 and 1789. In this part, after covering the social and political environment, the book moves to the scientific and philosophical thought of the time, and ends with a brief prelude to the French Revolution. It includes a very helpful bibliography at the end for all the readers that, after having their whistles sufficiently whet, want to move on to more serious primary literature. Organization is obviously a difficult task for Hampson, as he constantly jumps around with page references and cross-references galore. He covers the social and political environment, with strong emphasis on the contrast between the effects of the Enlightenment on the nobleman and on the peasant. However, at times he seems to want to slip into a chronological style of organization. In The Enlightenment, there is an organizational struggle between chronology and theme-by-theme analysis that is very distracting. This problem may be due to the broadness of the book. It takes on the whole Enlightenment, including the dominant themes as well as the contemporary political and social climate. The book attempts to conclusively link intellectual and social history, which, although a good concept, has its share of problems. This book was not written for a general audience. The reader who picks up Mr. Hampson's work and expects a gay and enjoyable romp through the Enlightenment will be very disappointed. This is not to say that it is impossible to read as a novel. The reader must simply be so hungry for factual information that the bad readability of the work is of no importance. Realistically, this book would do very nicely as a tool for reviewing for the AP exam, but makes a lousy free reading book.

Hampson is a historical missionary. He tries to convince the reader (whom he most likely intended to be a lowly college or APEH student) that reading primary sources is a far better path to obtaining a true flavor for the period than reading a dry, wordy survey like his or Mr. R.R. Palmer's. This said, the reader is not given much reason to read past the introduction. However, the brave reader who dares to ignore the original warning that the book is of little importance will find a very conclusive and well-researched survey.

In this book, prof. Hampson attempts to discuss a number of very diverse topics within the movement of the Enlightenment. This makes the book very interesting but perhaps also unclear in the purpose of the chosen structure and the subjects of the book. Because it tries to span the entire 18th century in only 300 or so pages, it is bound to run into unhelpful generalisations and creating a lack of coherence of the general subject discussed. Yet the book supplies some interesting insights into the Enlightenment not found elsewhere. However, for those looking for the broader historical view of the period of the Enlightenment, I would recommend turning to W. and A. Durant's "The Age of Voltaire" and "Rousseau and Revolution", which are huge but exhaustive in historical background, while for the philosophical perspective, one should turn to Peter Gay's "The Enlightenment, an Interpretation". Thus, Hampson's book is a good starting point, but not much more than that I'm afraid.