From a small tribal encampment to what the Romans called Lutetia Parisorum to the City of Light, Paris has always been enchanting. The site of excitement and fantasies, its history receives a dramatic retelling that brings to life every tyrant vanquished, revolution won, and artistic and literary talent inspired. The Capetian Dynasty, Cardinal Richelieu, La Belle Époque, Hitler's occupation, and the work of Georges Pompidou: all these major political, cultural, and architectural shifts are discussed, accompanied by sketches, maps, royal decrees, letters, and more.
A beautiful coffee table book, but a useless read. Reads like an encyclopedia, which isn't conducive to retaining any of the information, unless you are already familiar with the history of Paris. This book could do with a lot more anecdotes about the key historical figures to bring the history to life.
though I enjoyed the book, it felt like I was speed reading through Parisian history and not really getting to soak in the details as I would have liked. I did enjoy all the extras the book came with, not bad for $7.