Reflections on the Revolution in France

A good historical perspective

What made the experience of listening to Reflections on the Revolution in France the most enjoyable?

In our times, we have developed a way of thinking about the past that is unique to ourselves and our time. As I listen to Edmund Burke's ideas and words, one gains an insight of how people thought about the events in France in that time.
One also gains a perspective of how a person thinks about the times as he sees the problems develop after a revolution. We have seen issues like this when one fights and wins a war, but does not know how to win the peace. We have recently seen revolutions that do not know how to build a new government.
Edmund Burke's book helps us know we humans have not progressed much in our thinking in over 200 years. We are still the same set of creatures as then. It is good to review such histories and momentous occasions. We have more technical solutions, but we have no solutions for the hearts and minds of populations.
The story is well read. The perspective can make you angry at times or sad at times. This is what a good book should do. I hope you enjoy it as well.

13 people found this helpful

Great book - but why no Irish reader???

Seriously guys! Edmund Burke was one of the most famous native Gaelic speaking Irishmen ever. His flamboyant Brogue and his red-headed temper were both notorious. So why would you hire a bored upper class sounding English dude to record this book?

5 people found this helpful

A Timely Classic

Burke’s Reflections are a cautionary reminder of how revolutions devour their children and, with the exception of the American Revolution, lead to tyranny worse than the governments than the governments that revolutionaries overthrew.

My only criticism of this audible book is the failure of the producers to provide translations of the extended passages in Latin and French.

5 people found this helpful

A excellent work, undermined by audio

Absolutely terrible audio quality, like out of range AM radio. It sounds like an older recording thrown on Audible for a quick buck and completely undermines Burke's work. Worse, the audio sample before buying is the clearest part of the whole book, so it isn't a useful representation.

3 people found this helpful

Relevant 200+ years later

Fascinating response to French Revolution, frol philosophical to economics. A little heavy in French and Latin at some parts, along with economic data from the day, but otherwise accessible.

3 people found this helpful

Brilliant book

Much has been written about why this book is great. It is the founding text of Anglo-American conservativism and correctly predicted the rise of Napoleon. There are some brilliant insights in the book and it can even be quite funny (I think the voice actor really helped with that). Some of it is very in-the-weeds about 18th century policy or regnal chronology or economics, but that’s what it was meant to be and do. My one complaint is that there is a lot of French and Latin quotes in the book, none of which are translated for the 21st century English-speaking listener.

3 people found this helpful

I don't speak French

Reflections is one of those classics of political philosophy which two centuries later, is still as relevant as it was when it was written. Of course, if you're considering listening to this, you already know that.

I like a lot of things about this narration; the reader interests a lot of the good humor that would otherwise be lost if you were reading this off of the page. My one big complaint is that none of the passages in Latin or French are translated. I speak neither language so this presents a bit of a problem for me. If the narrator didn't speak French either, I understand, but he could have just skipped those parts and saved us the time. If he doesn't understand French well enough to translate it, I doubt his pronunciation is good enough for people who do speak it to understand him. But that just may be my presumption.

2 people found this helpful

A Conservative's Conservative

I am a Christian libertarian, but before that I was a conservative. This audiobook was not in any direct way helpful to me. Indirectly however, it was of historical significance. Mr. Burke covered a number events of the French revolution which I was not fully aware, and this he did from a English (British) perspective. Additionally, I found it quite profound that this "book", was actually intended to be merely a letter.

Bernard Mayes did an exceptional job as the reader of this audiobook!

2 people found this helpful

Excellent contemporary observations

Thoughtful commentary. The author compares the British revolutions (not U.S.) with the French revolution. A revolution can respect the law. Or, a revolution can have mob rule.o

2 people found this helpful

Excellent

I had heard that Edmund Burke was one of the great English writers. I was very curious to see if I would agree. I can honestly say that almost every sentence in this book is worth it. I listened to it twice and though I was not always knowledgeable of the events and people that he refers to, he sentences were delightful. I listened to it twice back to back and I downloaded his other works just to get more.