The Old Regime and the Revolution

Alexis de Tocqueville's classic work, first published in 1856, is one of the world's most influential books on democracy. De Tocqueville was the first to study the impact of American democracy on individual lives and to explore the roots of its success. A clear-sighted analyst with a sharp wit, he remains an indispensable guide for anyone who wants to better understand this extraordinary country.A seminal text in political science, The Old Regime and the Revolution is also one of our clearest introductions to pre-Revolutionary France. Drawing on his own travels and vast knowledge of French society, de Tocqueville uncovers the central problem that led France to revolution.