The Notables and the Nation

“In a detailed examination of this critical transition, Gruder examines how the French people became engaged in a movement of opposition that culminated in demands for the public’s role in government.”—The Times Higher Education Supplement

“This excellent work retraces the pre-revolutionary political events of 1787–1788. Particularly interesting is Gruder’s convincing evidence—in the form of newspapers, pamphlets, and nouvelles à la main—showing that the debates of the notables, and after them the Paris Parlementaires, were widely discussed by an involved and informed French reading public. Combining a lively awareness of recent scholarship on the formation of public opinion and the nature of the reading public with a well-written, accessible text, The Notables and the Nation offers much to be admired.”—Patrice Higonnet, author of Paris: Capital of the World