The Forbidden Best-Sellers of Pre-Revolutionary France

Robert Darnton's seminal work, *The Forbidden Best-Sellers of Pre-Revolutionary France*, stands as a cornerstone of cultural history, and its inclusion in a list of the best books by Robert Darnton is essential. The book exemplifies Darnton's groundbreaking approach, demonstrating how the study of books, the people who wrote them, and the readers who consumed them can illuminate the complex social and political dynamics of a specific era. The work uncovers the vibrant, clandestine world of underground literature in 18th-century France, revealing how a thriving market for "bad" books, often critical of the monarchy and the aristocracy, fuelled a culture of dissent that helped pave the way for the French Revolution. Darnton's research into the forbidden bestsellers, more popular than the great Enlightenment philosophers, including substantial excerpts and analysis of these influential works, brings to life the anxieties and aspirations of the Old Regime. His ability to weave together literary analysis, social history, and the practical realities of the book trade, from printing and distribution to censorship and readership, highlights the vital role of popular culture in shaping historical consciousness. This focus on the "underground" and the power of unauthorized information makes *The Forbidden Best-Sellers* a fascinating, meticulously researched, and enduringly relevant study of intellectual and social forces at play just before one of history's most important revolutions. It received the prestigious 1995 National Book Critics Circle Award for criticism, a testament to its lasting impact.