Léonard Bourdon: The Career of a Revolutionary, 1754-1807

Leonard Adams is a professor of French Studies at the University of
Guelph.

Reformer in educational and economic theory, revolutionary activist,
Montagnard, anti-monarchist, and member of the Convention assembly,
Léonard Bourdon, though far from a household word today, wielded an
important influence during the turbulent years of the French Revolution,
until the tide of public resentment and official indifference turned
against him and his colleagues between 1799 and his death in 1807.
Professor Sydenham, a well-seasoned student of the Revolution marking
the end of the Ancien Régime, traces with meticulous care not only
Bourdon’s complex career but also the equally complex events framing
his rise to some prominence and his final fall from grace following the
ousting of the Jacobins.

On the whole, this book is the result of insightful research into a
broad array of primary and secondary sources. It also reflects
Sydenham’s remarkable erudition and his deft handling of archival
material, both necessary for a convincing interpretation of factual
information. Repeatedly distinguishing between fact and rumor,
Sydenham’s work emerges as a rehabilitation of Bourdon’s reputation
without being an uncritical apology.

Authoritatively written and painstakingly documented, this work reads
like the definitive biography of Léonard Bourdon and has greater
importance for the specialist than the general reader with an interest
in French history. Sydenham’s succinct conclusion focuses on the
salient features of Bourdon’s life and leaves the reader with a clear
image of this colorful historical figure. Highly recommended.