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Paris: The Biography of a City by Colin…
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Paris: The Biography of a City (2004)

by Colin Jones

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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. ( )
  mtilleman07 | Sep 5, 2009 |
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. ( )
  saliero | Jun 14, 2007 |
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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.

(retrieved from Amazon Mon, 10 Jan 2011 22:57:16 -0500)

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"In this new history, Colin Jones gives a sense of the city of Paris as it was lived in, experienced and imagined over the two thousand years of its history. With an eye for the revealing, startling and occasionally horrible detail, he takes the reader from Roman Paris to the present day, re-creating the highs and lows of the history of the city and its inhabitants. All the great Parises are here: the formidable medieval centre of learning; the ferocious cockpit of the Hundred Years War and the Wars of Religion; the heart of European culture, Enlightenment and fashion; the epicentre of Revolution, Terror and Napoleonic ambition; the dazzling, fevered nineteenth-century city of Balzac, Manet, Baudelaire and Zola; the imperial capital stricken by two world wars and Nazi occupation; the prosperous contemporary capital, reeling beneath the weight of its historical past; and the city's future at the heart of Europe." "It will be enjoyed not only by lovers of history but by habitual Paris obsessives, by first-time visitors, and even by those who know the city only by distant repute."--BOOK JACKET.… (more)

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Penguin Australia

An edition of this book was published by Penguin Australia.

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