Massacre

"A story of incandescent ideals, stunning violence, and extraordinary people."

"Massacre is an absorbing and very moving read. John Merriman has found exactly the right unemotional tone and mastery of detail--including many new stories heretofore unpublished--to produce the best popular history of the Commune, in English or French, in a generation."

"A rigorous, vivid book that brings to life the idealism, the horror, and--particularly--the people of the Paris Commune. Massacre fills a gap and will draw new readers to this timely topic."

"Excellent.... Riveting."

"John Merriman's vivid account of the Commune follows a life's work of richly detailed studies of nineteenth-century French social conditions and movements."

"Merriman's nearly blow-by-blow account of the street fighting is vivid.... [His] sobering chronicle of just how far an allegedly democratic state was prepared to go to protect itself against its own people has grim resonance today."

"Merriman's account forces the reader to ponder which is bloodier, violence in the name of the state or violence in the name of the people.... [Merriman] is a rare academic, informing general readers without sacrificing his scholarship. His book is a good combatant against today's prevalent historical amnesia and, particularly, American ignorance of French history."

"[A]n eloquent, frequently moving and disturbing account.... [A] fine recounting of an episode that hung over and haunted Europe for subsequent decades."

"Merriman relates the story of the Commune's brief rise and brutal fall in tight detail, with hour-by-hour intensity, and draws all the drama out of the tale."

"The author handles a dramatic story with verve and moral outrage, weaving together a blow-by-blow account of the Commune's demise with its larger backstory."

"[A] devastating account of the Commune uprising."

"Well-written.... Fans of Les Mis will love this book. Granted, it's less tuneful, but there is no shortage of exploited masses, disputed barricades, inspiring heroes and evil villains. Better yet, it's true."

"[A] powerful narrative history of the Paris Commune.... [A]n engaging history...which poses important questions regarding working-class autonomy, class conflict, and state-sponsored terrorism which resonate in the contemporary world."