''The Women Incendiaries'' is a historical account of the role of women during the 1871
Paris Commune
The Paris Commune (french: Commune de Paris, ) was a revolutionary government that seized power in Paris, the capital of France, from 18 March to 28 May 1871.
During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71, the French National Guard had defended ...
, written by French historian
Édith Thomas
Édith Thomas (23 January 1909, Montrouge – 7 December 1970, Paris) 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''.Dor ...
. The book was first published in French in 1963 as ''Les Pétroleuses'' 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 important figure in the Paris Commune. Following her penal transportation to New Caledonia she embraced anarchism. When returning to France she emerged as an important French a ...
in the Commune's events.
The librarian trade publication ''
Library Journal'' review wrote that the book's contemporary—the 1966 ''The Fall of Paris: The Siege and the Commune'' by
Alistair Horne—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. It features articles in the fields of politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science.
It was founded in 1857 in Boston, ...
'' 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 books
Books about anarchism
History books about France
French non-fiction books
Works about the Paris Commune
Éditions Gallimard books
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