Chapters in this book

1. Frontmatter i
2. Contents vii
3. Illustrations ix
4. Acknowledgements xi
5. Abbreviations xiii
6. Introduction: ‘Clay in the hands of writers’ xv
7. Map of France xx
8. 1 A ‘serious, grown-up, hardworking’ little boy: Arras 1758–69 1
9. 2 ‘An extremely strong desire to succeed’: Paris 1769–81 13
10. 3 ‘Such a talented man’: Arras 1781–84 27
11. 4 ‘Bachelorhood seems to encourage rebelliousness’: Arras 1784–89 41
12. 5 ‘We are winning’: Versailles 1789 62
13. 6 ‘Daring to clean out the Augean stables’: Paris 1789–91 78
14. 7 ‘Numerous and implacable enemies’: Arras 1791 98
15. 8 ‘The Vengeance of the People’: Paris 1791–92 112
16. 9 ‘Did you want a Revolution without Revolution?’: Paris 1792–93 133
17. 10 ‘A complete regeneration’: Paris, July–December 1793 158
18. 11 ‘Men with changing tongues’: Paris, January–June 1794 182
19. 12 ‘The unhappiest man alive’: Paris, July 1794 204
20. Epilogue: ‘That modern Procrustes’ 222
21. Chronology 235
22. Notes 243
23. Bibliography 276
24. Index 292