Revue de presse
Written in a clear, direct style, with little jargon, and theory largely limited to how these ceremonies were conceived and received at the time they took place, this is a refreshing and always interesting commentary upon one way in which the French have sought to express their diverse political identities over two centuries of waning commitment to public religious values. (Journal of Ecclesiastical History)
The ongoing presence of monarchical tradition, peculiar to French Republicanism, is emphasized to good effect ... With the excellent index, this book becomes a useful reference tool. (English Historical Review)
Innovative. (French History)
The exceptional richness of this book will make it - for a long time - a work of reference that wonderfully illustrates the new ways of doing political history. (Annales)
Présentation de l'éditeur
This is an interdisciplinary study of the state funerals that were celebrated in France between the French Revolution and the death of François Mitterand. Its aim is to explain how the funerals of such prominent figures as Voltaire, Napoleon, Gambetta, Hugo, and de Gaulle became major public events that helped to mould the national memory. Combining the insights of anthropologists and sociologists with a historical analysis, it argues that the dual character of the ceremony, a political festival and final rite of passage, turned the state funeral into a gripping event to which few French people could remain indifferent. The book focuses on the republican tradition of state funerals, which emerged in the French Revolution and has continued through the Fifth Republic. Whether in power or in opposition, the republicans used the funerals of their leaders and militants to educate the masses and mobilize public support. This book, the first comprehensive analysis of French state funerals, is also a major contribution to the study of republican culture.
