Unruly Women of Paris: The Material Foundations

There are many good things to say Gay Gullickson's book on the Paris Commune. She makes a sound, coherent argument, and provides all the necessary background on the topic, which many monographs fail to do. If you know nothing about the Commune, you can still read this book because Gullickson covers the history in enough detail to prepare you for her arguments. Since the actual events of the Commune in 1871, the women involved in the uprising have been portrayed negatively. Women were not supposed to be involved in politics and were expected to confine themselves to family duties, so many men -- particularly of the bourgeoisie -- were outraged by their participation in revolutionary activities. As a result, men slandered these women, and those perceptions not only stuck for decades, but they seemed to intensify. Gullickson gets to the root of these misconceptions and points out the hypocrisies and flaws. She also shows how Commune sympathizers and opponents sought to create far different representations of these women, meaning that at least one side, and probably both, were inaccurate. On the negative side, Gullickson is repetitive in this book and occasionally seems surprised at the way women were viewed in 1871, even though, sadly, these images of women lasted well into the next century. The book is easy to read and easy to follow. It's recommended for anyone interested in European history, and if you're assigned this book for a class, consider yourself fortunate.