Customer Reviews

Haussmann: His Life and Times, and the Making of Modern Paris

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Recently, I was looking for a book about Georges-Eugene Haussmann because of a long time interest in Paris, and when you come to speak of how it developed, that is a name that you just cannot ignore. The book hasn't been out for so long, so I took a gamble in buying it (no reviews were posted pretty much anywhere).
The first part of the book is about Haussmann and how he climbed up the ladder in the civil service (without losing sight of any of the cultural or historical background), when the following parts of the book focus more on Haussmann's time in Paris and the changes he made there (what it should be about). The only comment you can give on this part is that the maps in the back of the book are not enough to understand the bigger picture. I don't know whether this should be included in the book or whether the writer should have recommended the reader to buy a detailed plan de paris. He didn't say that so that's the star that's missing, but short of that, I think it's the perfect book you can buy about Baron Haussmann, his plans to change Paris and the cultural circumstances surrounding it.

Baron Haussman was the famous 'architect' of modern Paris and has been little covered in history: enter Carmona, a biographer who sets the architect's life against the backdrop of 19th-century European society and history. A fine balance between biography and history is created in a survey of Haussmann's involvement in civic life as an administrator, and his influence on Paris politics and structures.

In a volatile era and area - 19th century Europe - surviving 17 years in one of the highest ranks of government was quite an achievement. This detailed and perceptive reading of the life of Georges-Eugene Haussmann - and the part of it lived during the reign of Louis Napoleon - is a terrific achievement and a fascinating trip. If, of course, you're into Paris or city planning, history or intrigue - preferably all of those.

By the way, Louis Napoleon wasn't run out of town - he was out of town as a prisoner of war when his regime fell (it was his wife Eugenie who fled in fear. But none of the imperial family were harmed in the rise of the Third Republic. Not directly, anyway.)

Haussmann is blamed by some for removing "vieille Paris" - much of it clums and breeding ground for disease, but here we get a clear case for the side that says a) the "grand traveaux" were already Louis Napoleon's dream when he became President, and his goal when he became Emperor, and b) without them, and without Haussman's own contributions to the aesthetic, as well as the innovation, force and dedication he put behind the development of water supplies and sewers, not to mention the bois and parks, Paris would not have become the leading city of the 19th century, or indeed the loved and beloved place we know her to be today.

Vive Haussmann ~ flawed but formidable, one of history's greatest administrators.

Wow what power this guy had, Napoleon III intrusted him with a total makeover of Paris, a Herculean undertaking, which cost thousands their homes and lost Paris much history. Nobody, save Robert Moses, has ever transformed a city like Haussmann did Paris, and at least Haussmann had taste, unfortunitely for New York, Moses was a philistine. This book gives the reader a real history of the man and his motivations. I find it most interesting that the real reason for the broad blvds Haussmann was so famously known for was to quell riots and herd the people into the rond ponts and squares, ingenious really..ironically Napoleon III was run out of town on a rail and he never really got to put his plan into action..later the Nazi's did..ah leave it to the Germans to take advantage of good engineering.