The book was first published in French in 1963 as Les Pétroleuses and translated into English in 1966 by James and Starr Atkinson.

The history puts special emphasis on the role of Louise Michel in the Commune's events.

[1] The librarian trade publication Library Journal's review wrote that the book's contemporary—the 1966 The Fall of Paris: The Siege and the Commune by Alistair Horne—was more interesting with the same subject matter.

As a result, the reviewer concluded that Thomas's book would have a smaller audience.

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