The Memoirs of Madame Roland

Book excerpt: On 1 June 1973 Madame Roland was arrested for her involvement in the French Revolution and on 8 November she went to the guillotine. During her 6 month imprisonment she wrote these memoirs. This is the first modern English translation. Approximately half of the pages concern the author's upbringing in a Parisian bourgeois family and her marriage to the bureaucrat Jean-Marie Roland de la Platiere; the remainder discusses the period from 1789 to 1793, when she and her husband were leaders of the Girondin party. Madame Roland was devoted to her spouse and always gave him full credit for work in which she was a full partner, including the inspection of manufacturers under the Old Regime and the post of minister of the interior during parts of 1792 and 1793. Her memoirs provide glimpses into the daily life of the period and sharp portraits of several revolutionary leaders. Scholars will wish to consult the complete French edition, but this book is perfect for general readers.