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Loading... Paris: The Biography of a Cityby Colin Jones
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will love Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. This is one of the better-written histories I have ever read. Hundreds of pages flew by as I read. Jones includes 1-or-2 page sidebars about the most interesting stories about personalities, places, and incidents throughout the book, as well as great pictures. I did, however, find the maps to be almost useless, which is a shame since the geography of the city plays a major role in the narrative. The book will go better if you have either knowledge of Paris's layout or a good modern map. ( )A doorstopper of a book, but essential reading for those interested in Paris history from beginning to contemporary. A grand sweep. And very, very readable. no reviews | add a review
Amazon.com Product Description (ISBN 0143036718, Paperback)From the Roman Emperor Julian, who waxed rhapsodic about Parisian wine and figs, to Henry Miller, who relished its seductive bohemia, Paris has been a perennial source of fascination for 2,000 years. In this definitive and illuminating history, Colin Jones walks us through the city that was a plague-infested charnel house during the Middle Ages, the bloody epicenter of the French Revolution, the muse of nineteenth- century Impressionist painters, and much more. Jones’s masterful narrative is enhanced by numerous photographs and feature boxes—on the Bastille or Josephine Baker, for instance—that complete a colorful and comprehensive portrait of a place that has endured Vikings, Black Death, and the Nazis to emerge as the heart of a resurgent Europe. This is a thrilling companion for history buffs and backpack, or armchair, travelers alike.“Fascinating. An embarrassment of riches. One wants to visit—or revisit—Paris armed with this new knowledge and enrichment.” —The Christian Science Monitor (retrieved from Amazon Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:58:05 -0400) The first test round has been closed. Visit the Open Shelves Classification group for details. |
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