On this page: General Resources | French Revolution | Napoleon | Historical Fiction
general resources
▶️ Horrible Histories TV show. Episodes of the popular “Horrible Histories” sketch show are available to stream on Amazon Prime, Hulu, and YouTube. Search our Horrible Histories Sketch List to find every “Fabulous French” sketch from Seasons 1–5. – Elementary • Middle
💻 Enlightenment and Revolution from Khan Academy. Learn all about the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars in this 11-part video tutorial. – Middle • High
french revolution
📖 Robespierre: Master of the Guillotine by John DiConsiglio. This title in the Wicked History series introduces readers to Maximilien Robespierre, the notorious leader of the Reign of Terror during the French Revolution. Choose this short chapter book for a well-written, fast-paced synopsis of the French Revolution; perfect for older students. – Middle • High
▶️ The French Revolution - In a Nutshell. "If you want to know what the French Revolution was all about but only have 3 minutes—you've come to the right place!" – All
▶️ The French Revolution in 9 minutes from John Ruddy. "Discover the origins of France's spirit of Liberté, Egalité and Fraternité in this bloody decade of the French Revolution." – All
▶️ What caused the French Revolution? from TED-Ed. “What rights do people have, and where do they come from? Who gets to make decisions for others, and on what authority? And how can we organize society to meet people’s needs? Tom Mullaney shows how these questions challenged an entire nation during the upheaval of the French Revolution.” – All
▶️ The French Revolution from Crash Course. “In which John Green examines the French Revolution, and gets into how and why it differed from the American Revolution. Was it the serial authoritarian regimes? The guillotine? The Reign of Terror? All of this and more contributed to the French Revolution not being quite as revolutionary as it could have been. France endured multiple constitutions, the heads of heads of state literally rolled, and then they ended up with a megalomaniacal little emperor by the name of Napoleon. But how did all of this change the world, and how did it lead to other, more successful revolutions around the world? Watch this video and find out. Spoiler alert: Marie Antoinette never said, ‘Let them eat cake.’ Sorry.” – Middle • High
Napoleon Bonaparte
📖 Napoleon: Emperor and Conqueror (A Wicked History) by Kimberley Heuston. Here is a concise, engagingly-written chapter book biography of Napoleon Bonaparte. Includes illustrations, map, timeline, and an end section, entitled "Wicked?", that looks at the balance of Napoleons's life and deeds. – Middle
▶️ Napoleonic Wars in 8 minutes from John Ruddy. "200 years on from the Battle of Waterloo, discover what happened in the Napoleonic Wars" – All
▶️ History vs. Napoleon Bonaparte from TED-Ed. "After the French Revolution erupted in 1789, Europe was thrown into chaos. Neighboring countries’ monarchs feared they would share the fate of Louis XVI and attacked the new Republic, while at home, extremism and mistrust between factions led to bloodshed. In the midst of all this conflict, Napoleon emerged. But did he save the revolution, or destroy it?" – All
historical fiction
📖 The Court of the Stone Children by Eleanor Cameron. Here’s a literature link for Early Modern France: “When Nina first sees Dominique in the French Museum, she senses that there is something unreal about the strange, beautiful girl. In fact, Domi is from Napoleon’s time, and she has come to get Nina’s help. Domi’s father was executed as a traitor during the French Revolution, and Domi is convinced that Nina can prove his innocence. But to set the record straight, Nina will have to solve a mystery that has lasted two centuries. And she will have to travel back through time, back to France and the court of the stone children.” – Middle
📖 The Pale Assassin by Patricia Elliott. “In early 1790s' Paris, as the Revolution gains momentum, young and sheltered Eugenie de Boncoeur finds it difficult to tell friend from foe as she and the royalist brother she relies on become the focus of "le Fantome," the sinister spymaster with a long-held grudge against their family.” This is a fine piece of YA historical fiction to supplement a study of the French Revolution. Also see the sequel, The Traitor’s Smile. – Middle • High
