Rational Era -- France

Author: None
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-01-01
Features: "The Age of Reason: France" is one of the World History series "Living in Distant Times" published by Time-Life Books. This volume tells the story of how these French kings sought supreme power, leading to the overthrow of the monarchy during the French Revolution—a tale that is unforgettable. However, the book also tells another kind of revolutionary story, that of an intellectual revolution. It focuses on the daily lives and brilliant achievements of the great thinkers of the time—such as the philosophers Voltaire, Rousseau, and Diderot, the scientists like the chemist Lavoisier, the mathematician Lagrange, and the astronomers Pierre-Simon and Laplace—who changed people's understanding of the world and paved the way for a technological revolution.
In addition, the book provides a detailed description of the lifestyles of the bourgeoisie during this turbulent and socially transformative era, as well as the conditions of men and women toiling for a living. The paintings created by the masters of this period vividly portray the people of France, while other works depict the daily labor of the lower classes. Etchings, engravings, and sketches, due to their relatively quick completion, offer fleeting glimpses of everyday life in the 17th and 18th centuries for modern audiences. These works include depictions of street vendors hawking goods in Paris, as well as events like balloon flights and scientific experiments.
A wide variety of items, from the celestial sphere known as the armillary sphere to the fragrant porcelain flowers placed in the gardens of Madame de Pompadour, form the complete backdrop of the works. To compile this series, the colleagues at Time-Life Books immersed themselves in the collections of scholars, travelers, museums, and universities. They not only provided rich illustrations of art and crafts for each book, aiming to recreate the lost life vividly, but also drew numerous maps, reconstructions of cities and buildings, and other visuals to bring the entire world in which the stories unfold to life.
The opening overview is a thought-provoking historical essay, accompanied by a chronology, giving you a clear picture of the era at a glance. The narrative is engaging and fresh, avoiding clichés. Every detail, every image, every anecdote, and every historical fact will leave you amazed—and give you a sense of what life was like in those distant times.