Alexandre Rousselin's extraordinary life tells the story of the French Revolution from the perspective of an eyewitness. He worked for and with some of the most important men and women of the era which provided him with incredible access to the corridors of power for this youth. He was part ofthe fall of the Maximilien Robespierre and the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte. Dedication to the ideals of the Revolution led him to accept the need for a system of Terror to save the Republic from the crisis of 1793-94. While on mission in Provins and Troyes, Rousselin utilized violent methods toaccomplish the state's goals. This terrorism marked his life. It led to his denunciation by its victims. He spent the next five decades trying to escape the consequences of his actions. His emotional responses as well as the practical measures he took to rehabilitate his reputation illuminate thehopes and fears of the revolutionaries. During this tumultuous era, Rousselin acquired a noble title and emerged as a wealthy press baron of the liberal standard-bearer Le Constitutionnel, the comte de Saint-Albin. But he could not escape his past, he retired in 1838 to write his own version of hislegacy and to protect his family from the consequences of his actions as a terrorist during the French Revolution. Rousselin's life demonstrates how national trauma forced its survivors to accommodate regime change; his biography shows how a revolutionary could become a liberal. | The Making of a Terrorist by Jeff Horn, Hardcover | Indigo Chapters