That this case is not entirely convincing may, in part, be due to the nature of the Directory itself. That it does lie between the periods of the Jacobin Republic and the Napoleonic Era and that it was ultimately short-lived will probably always condemn the Directory to being seen as largely transitional. After Fructidor parliamentary rule was largely out of the question. These powers were sweeping, but differences among the Directors themselves added to the regime s instability. Ultimately supporters of the exiled Bourbons, the Jacobins and Bonaparte all managed to agree on their low estimation of the Directorial regime.
Crook manages to produce a largely dispassionate and factual account of the coup.
Naturally, a book entitled Napoleon Comes to Power is going to focus primarily on Napoleon's role in the events, but this to an extent de-emphasizes the fact that this was a conspiracy undertaken by a number of individuals who had varying interests and ambitions. Nor could Bonaparte have accomplished the change of regime single-handedly. Or that perhaps it was the public, identifying the coup as Bonaparte's, that thrust him so firmly into the leading position. Crook devotes a good deal of space to discussing the reaction to the coup in the provinces, pointing out both support and opposition to the new regime. Crook also points out the shaky nature of the new regime.