StephenClarke

My latest history book is an in-depth examination of the truth behind the heroic myth – the French seem to suggest that on 14 July 1789 the Parisians stormed the Bastille and suddenly there was Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité. That is completely false, and my book seeks to prove it.

For a start, almost no one in France wanted to end the monarchy then. All they wanted was a British-style constitutional monarchy and fairer taxation. And that was what some highly-principled democrats – since guillotined and forgotten – were trying to give them. 

As usual, the true story is a lot more fascinating than the simplistic myth.

See the Books section of the website for more details.