French Notables is the result of the first comprehensive analysis of the electoral rolls and the economic censuses of the censitaire monarchies. The Becks have concluded that although the nobility remained the wealthiest group in society and the landed in general were still dominant, the diversity of the notables and the economy was great. Men such as negociants, meuniers, and cultivateurs were all part of the electorate and their numbers increased with economic growth. The non-landed electors were found everywhere, but concentrations of more than 20,000 people found them in sharply rising percentages. The economy was also highly diversified, with industry especially dominant in cities of more than 40,000 people. The north of France, especially along the coast, was the most advanced region of France, and the electors reflected the industrialization and regionalism of the country.
"The Becks have gone far beyond the mini-studies of particular towns or small regions with which students had to be satisfied until now, and they have produced a highly informative broad national analysis of socio-economic change. Every social historian of modern France ought to read this book and think about the challenging questions it raises and answers about the different sections of the elite." (David Higgs, University of Toronto)
"Diese Studie ... liefert einen außerordentlich bedeutsamen Beitrag zur Sozial- und Wirtschaftsgeschichte der censitairen Monarchie." (Sidney Pollard, Vierteljahresschrift für Sozial- und Wirtschaftsgeschichte)
"This is a muscular, tough book which effectively manhandles large quantities of statistics in a short volume which contains the concentrated essence of a prodigious amount of work. ... The Becks present important results." (David Higgs, Journal of Modern History)
"Diese Studie ... liefert einen außerordentlich bedeutsamen Beitrag zur Sozial- und Wirtschaftsgeschichte der censitairen Monarchie." (Sidney Pollard, Vierteljahresschrift für Sozial- und Wirtschaftsgeschichte)
"This is a muscular, tough book which effectively manhandles large quantities of statistics in a short volume which contains the concentrated essence of a prodigious amount of work. ... The Becks present important results." (David Higgs, Journal of Modern History)