This work investigates the nature, composition, and motivations of popular protest movements in Paris and London during the eighteenth century. George Rudé, a prominent social historian, utilizes extensive archival research and quantitative analysis of police and court records to challenge prevailing myths about the 'mob.' He argues that these crowds were not mindless, irrational entities, but rather composed of distinct social groups with specific economic and political grievances.

This text is regarded as a foundational study in the field of social history, noted for its rigorous empirical approach to the study of the common people. The framing suggests a scholarly, academic focus that remains essential for understanding the mechanics of pre-industrial urban protest.