The French Revolution challenged the foundation of the social order in essentially every political structure in Europe. In his new book, Phantom Terror: Political Paranoia and the Creation of the Modern State, 1789-1848, historian Adam Zamoyski examines the years after the French Revolution when conservative governments from Britain to Russia responded to France’s Revolution. With the hope of protecting their own power against the threat of rebellion, they implemented various forces which policed both the speech and actions of civilians.
Although Zamoyski focuses on a fixed period in human history, his novel provides a fascinating insight into how human beings operate when motivated by power.
