Liberty or Death: the French Revolution is an extraordinarily detailed historical piece written by Peter McPhee, an expert in French history and a former professor at the University of Melbourne.
As a French woman, I have, in my teenage years, studied the French Revolution from the taking of La Bastille on July 14th 1789 to Napoleon Bonaparte's successful coup in 1799 (which put an end to the First Republic). However, the various events and consequences that I learnt about during my history classes were always focused on Paris and a few other important French metropolises. This is why I have immensely enjoyed reading Peter McPhee's Liberty or Death: the French Revolution as, in this historical piece, I have been able to discover the various actions and events that occurred in other regions, towns and villages across France.
Another aspect that I found extremely interesting was being able to see the different ramifications of both Girondins' and Montagnards' actions onto the French people in a very detailed manner.
Moreover, his take on the reason why the French Revolution grew more and more radical throughout the years was quite thought-provoking (the decline of the relationship between the church and the state as well as the many threats coming from neighbouring countries ready to invade France due to its regime perceived as an unstable.).
To conclude, this book is impeccably researched, thorough and written in a clear manner. However, it is not an easy read.
I highly recommend you to read this book if you have an interest in French history and want to know all there is to know about the French Revolution.
McPhee, P., Liberty or Death: The French Revolution, New Haven, Yale Univerity Press New Haven and London, 2016.