David Lawday - The Giant of the French Revolution

THE GIANT OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION

Danton, a face to strike fear

The Danton family home, Arcis-sur-Aube

THE CORDELIERS

Camille Desmoulins, the romantic, with Lucile and son Horace

Philippe Fabre dEglantine, the playwright

Louis Legendre, the butcher, without his apron

WOMEN OF INFLUENCE

Gabrielle Charpentier, the first Madame Danton

Louise Gly, the second Madame Danton, with Dantons son Antoine

Manon Roland, the nemesis

MENTORS

Comte de Mirabeau, voice of revolt

Duc dOrlans, alias Philippe Egalite, patron of revolt

TROUBLESOME SOLDIERS

Marquis de LaFayette, Dantons bte noire

General Dumouriez, the cross Danton had to bear

THE GIRONDINS

Jean-Marie Roland, their organiser

Jacques-Pierre Brissot, their champion

Franois Buzot, Madame Rolands lover

Anti-Girondin forces at ease Dantons people, the sans culottes

DANGEROUS ALLIES

Maximilien Robespierre, the purist

Antoine de Saint-Just, the purists apprentice

Jean-Paul Marat, hungerer for heads

Jacques-Rn Hbert, hellraiser

The Committee of Public Safety the green room in lethal debate

Mad Tom Paine, an English friend of the Revolution

Prime Minister William Pitt, a stern English foe

The execution of Louis XVI at the Place de la Rvolution, 21 January 1793

Danton, hands tied, on the way to the guillotine, 5 April 1794

By the same author

Napoleons Master: A Life of Prince Talleyrand

Danton, A Life

DAVID LAWDAY

Copyright 2009 by David Lawday

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First published in 2009 in Great Briatin by Jonathan Cape
A division of Random House Group Limited, London

Published simultaneously in Canada

ISBN-13: 978-0-8021-9702-3 (e-book)

Grove Press
an imprint of Grove/Atlantic, Inc.
841 Broadway
New York, NY 10003

Distributed by Publishers Group West
www.groveatlantic.com

To Andrew and Amy

Georges Jacques Danton (1759-94), Chteaux de Versailles RMN

Dantons home

Portrait de Camille Desmoulins (1762-94), David Jacques Louis (1748-1825), Chteaux de Versailles RMN/Droits rservs

Philippe-Franois-Nazaire Fabre dEglantine (1750-94) Chteaux de Versailles, France/The Bridgeman Art Library

Adrien Marie Legendre, from Histoire de la Revolution Franaise by Louis Blanc (1811-82) Private Collection/Kevin Welsh/The Bridgeman Art Library

Antoinette Gabrielle Charpentier (d. 1793) by David, Jacques Louis (1748-1825) Church of St. Madeleine, Troyes, France/Lauros/Giraudon/The Bridgeman Art Library