Publisher's Note First published in 1980, this book rapidly established itself as the indispensable guide to what brought about the French Revolution, and to the debates of historians about the issue. The new edition brings the subject up to date with an extensively rewritten survey of the historiography up to the present day, and revised interpretation modified in the light of research by a new generation of scholars. It will thus remain the starting point for any serious study of the greatest of all revolutions.