The Great Cat Massacre and Other Episodes in French Cultural History

One of the most prominent American historians, Professor at Princeton University, Robert Darnton writes about the culture of peasants, craftsmen, bourgeoisie, officials, the culture of encyclopedists, and romantics. No matter which specific event of the 18th century he examines, whether it is the extermination of cats by Parisian printers or the collection of materials on writers by a police inspector, Darnton reveals its underlying motives and acquaints readers not only with everyday details but also with the psychology of his characters. Without deviating from the facts and historical truth, he writes so engagingly that his scholarly work turns almost into a work of art, full of purely French elegance.