People of Paris: An Essay in Popular Culture in the 18th Century

This is a rich and fascinating description of the lives of ordinary people in Paris - their ways of eating, sleeping, dressing, reading, and furnishing their homes. Money matters are dealt with as well as people's leisure activities. As the Ancien Regime approaches its demise, the people become restless: they have experienced a century of fundamental change which has deeply affected their daily lives; perceptions are becoming sharpened, cultural needs more refined. Drawing on a wealth of contemporary data, Roche paints a most colourful picture of the conditions under which working people organised their lives in 18th-century Paris.