An exceptionally rich area of early modern European history, the history of work in France, has received its due in a fine synthesis by James Farr, himself a master in the field. . . . Farr provides a thorough and thoughtful survey of the literature, highlighting important recent work and skillfully integrating the specialized findings of French labor history with ... Read morethe broader concerns of early modern history.
Journal of Modern History
This exceptional book fully deserves the wide audience of scholars and students to which it is addressed. . . . For scholars and teachers, Work of France offers a powerful interpretive model; for their students, a lively and handsomely written introduction to the society and culture of premodern Europe.
Sixteenth Century Journal
A broad-ranging, powerfully argued, and innovative account of the world of work and its relationship to the key transformations of the early modern centuries. It succeeds on many levels—as a lively and accessible introduction to the early modern world for undergraduates and as a provocative interpretative framework for scholars.
Julie Hardwick, University of Texas at Austin Show Less