Rabble!: A Story of the Paris Commune

1870, 17-year-old Étienne Bonin travels from Lyon to Paris, seeking excitement and professional opportunity. He becomes deeply committed to the insurrection for workers power, to Rose Durand, and to his new comrades. They experience festive celebrations, institutional innovations, military disasters, and the final "week of blood." The growth of the Paris Commune of 1871 is the story of the growth of a powerful working-class movement, including bookbinders, bronze workers, tin smiths, shoemakers, typographers, printers, laundresses, clothing and textile workers, carpenters, and many others. "Rabble" is the closest English equivalent to canaille, the way the privileged classes described the rough and ready workers who had seized the city and were remaking it.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 440 pages
Publication date: 28 September 2021
Publisher: Troubador Publishing

1870. At the age of 17, Étienne Bonin, an apprentice bookbinder, embarks on a journey from the revolutionary city of Lyon to the even more revolutionary capital of Paris, driven by a thirst for excitement and professional opportunities. By the spring of 1871, he is fully immersed in the insurrection for workers' power, forming deep connections with Rose Durand, a 16-year-old coworker and budding feminist from Belleville. Together, they witness a kaleidoscope of experiences, including festive celebrations, institutional innovations, military disasters, and the final "week of blood."

This coming-of-age tale unfolds amidst the backdrop of a burgeoning working-class movement. The tradesmen and women who played pivotal roles in the creation and defense of the Paris Commune of 1871 were not limited to bookbinders alone. They encompassed a diverse range of professions, including bronze workers, tin smiths, shoemakers, typographers, printers, laundresses, clothing and textile workers, carpenters, and many others.

The privileged classes referred to these workers as "rabble," a term that carries a sense of roughness and readiness. However, it is important to recognize that these tradesmen and women were not mere rabble but rather a formidable force that had seized the city and embarked on a transformative mission. They envisioned a society that championed liberty, equality, and fraternity, and they successfully established the first self-governing, proto-communist society in the modern world, within the most advanced capitalist city of its era.

The Commune faced immense challenges as it sought to uphold its ideals. It faced relentless bombardment and attacks from external forces, which ultimately led to its demise. However, the ideals that the Commune stood for did not perish. They resonated through subsequent revolutions, from 1917 to our present day, continuing to inspire and guide movements for social change.

The legacy of the Paris Commune remains a testament to the power of collective action and the determination of workers to create a better world. It serves as a reminder that even in the face of adversity, the spirit of revolution and the pursuit of a more just and equitable society can endure and thrive.

Weight: 602g
Dimension: 131 x 198 x 47 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781800464254