''The Women Incendiaries'' is a historical account of the role of women during the 1871
Paris Commune
The Paris Commune (, ) was a French revolutionary government that seized power in Paris on 18 March 1871 and controlled parts of the city until 28 May 1871. During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71, the French National Guard (France), Nation ...
, written by French historian
Édith Thomas
Édith Thomas (23 January 1909 – 7 December 1970) was a French novelist, archivist, historian, and journalist.
A bisexual pioneer of women's history, she reputedly inspired a character of the erotic novel ''Story of O''.Dorothy Kaufmann, ''É ...
. The book was first published in French in 1963 as ''Les PĂ©troleuses'' and translated into English in 1966 by James and Starr Atkinson. The history puts special emphasis on the role of
Louise Michel
Louise Michel (; 29 May 1830 – 9 January 1905) was a teacher and prominent figure during the Paris Commune. Following her penal transportation to New Caledonia she began to embrace anarchism, and upon her return to France she emerged as an im ...
in the Commune's events.
The librarian trade publication ''
Library Journal
''Library Journal'' is an American trade publication for librarians. It was founded in 1876 by Melvil Dewey. It reports news about the library world, emphasizing public libraries, and offers feature articles about aspects of professional prac ...
'' review wrote that the book's contemporary—the 1966 ''The Fall of Paris: The Siege and the Commune'' by
Alistair Horne
Horne became a senior member at St Antony's College, Oxford in 1970 and a fellow of the college in 1978. He was made an honorary fellow in 1988, a position he held until his death. He was knighted in the Queen's Birthday Honours in 2003 for ...
—was more interesting with the same subject matter. As a result, the reviewer concluded that Thomas's book would have a smaller audience. ''
The Atlantic
''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher based in Washington, D.C. It features articles on politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science.
It was founded in 185 ...
'' reviewer, however, praised Thomas's memorable characters. Both reviewers noted Thomas's positivity towards the Commune's events, a position one put as "impassioned indignation".
References
Further reading
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External links
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1963 non-fiction books
French-language non-fiction books
Books about anarchism
History books about France
French non-fiction books
Works about the Paris Commune
Éditions Gallimard books
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