The study of history is important because it places modern day events in context and allows us to make better judgements. It is also full of fascinating characters and stories that are exciting, funny, inspiring, saddening and prescient.

So why was I so bored with History at school? Part of the answer is that the relevance of history becomes more obvious as we ourselves gain some experience of life. But the way that history is (or was) taught as a series of facts failed to convey the fascinating emotional and social aspects at its heart.

Mark Steel's genius lies in comedy and by continuously drawing parallels between the events of the French revolution and modern politics and society (with a UK bias) he will have you laughing out loud from the first page. He tells the story at a fast pace and with plenty of emphasis on the personalities involved. Along the way he debunks the lazy assumptions relied upon by certain conventional historians and passionately argues his case that the revolution is worthy of a balanced re-examination.

Highly recommended.