In his detailed depiction of the Great Fear that plagued France in 1789, Lefebvre reveals how and why sheer panic and terror swept revolutionary France in a matter of days.
Lefebvre's examination begins with a description of life of the peasant in revolutionary France. During prosperous years, the peasants fared well, though in the years prior to the revolution wages continually lagged behind rising food prices. Peasant life revolved around the harvests -- the effects of a poor harvest were felt until the next harvest as there would be little food to store in the granaries. As France's production became more efficient exporting was encouraged, though the peasants feared famine as a result of exportation because there never seemed to be enough food in storage.
During this era of fear and unease, panic developed, pitting different social stratifications against each other. It started with the peasants. Forced to bring their harvests to market rather than place them in storage, their growing nervousness brewed a series of food revolts through which the peasants refused to pay taxes.
It is clear that Lefebvre is very familiar with French geography, history and government through his vocabulary and descriptions, making this book better-suited for someone with at least a basic foundation in French history. Though he includes a short glossary at the beginning, the terminology he uses can be mind-boggling and confusing at times. The organization is confusing, alternating between top-down, bottom-up, and rural and city perspectives.
In general, this is a fascinating book that uses a historical setting to examine how profoundly rumor and fear effect human behavior and humanity.
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