The major changes experienced by France's cities over the period from the end of the middle ages to the eve of the Revolution are explored by six French and North American historians in this volume. They offer an illuminating picture of the significant transformation undergone by French society over three centuries which will be invaluable to all those interested in European social and urban history. Many of the contributors discuss the interaction between urban society and the growth of the state. Others suggest new methods for constructing the life courses and experiences of ordinary French townspeople and chart changes in urban and social structures and governing institutions. These original pieces, based on extensive archival research, are set in context by Philip Benedict in an important introductory overview of uban development in ancien regime France.