"The Fall of Paris" - Alistair Horne

I have just finished reading this book, which chronicles the Franco-Prussian War, the Siege of Paris and the Paris Commune.

Originally I was lead to this book by my efforts to learn more about the Franco-Prussian War, although Horne's publication does not cover the military aspects of the war in great detail, preferring to concentrate on the Parisian reaction to the traumatic series of events.

The book places the dramas of 1870/71 in their historical context, examining the prelude to the war, including the state of France as presided over by Napoleon III, and the tensions evident in the proletariat and the bourgeoisie in the light of the revolutions and upheavals of the previous eight decades.

Horne paints a vivid picture of the inertia, inefficiency and self-interest which characterized the actions of the main protagonists, and also the multi-faceted ideological landscape, which was loaded with paradoxes and ironies. The author apportions blame where it is warranted, whilst remaining even-handed. Later in the book, Horne comes across as equally critical of the Commune, and the subsequent repression by the "regular" army.

Throughout, there is an effort to stress the impact of the tribulations of 1870/71 on European history of subsequent generations, in particular the two world wars.  These issues, it seems to me, are sometimes overlooked by those in the English-speaking world.

Perhaps those looking for a dry, technical and chronological military history of the period should look elsewhere, but this book manages to inter-link the military, political and social elements to some effect, with first-hand testimony proving particularly potent.

Whilst I appreciate the times and prevailing attitudes were different in the late nineteenth century, the horrors and authoritarianism detailed in "The Fall of Paris" have reminded me why my world-view and outlook have inexorably become libertarian!