Monuments of Paris Pb [Paperback]

Michel Poisson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 31, 1999

From Notre-Dame to the Pompidou Centre, from St-Sulpice to the Louvre pyramid, this text provides an introduction to more than 500 of Paris's finest buildings. Exploring both familiar landmarks and lesser-known medieval streets and private houses, it should inspire regular and first-time visitors.

Product Details

• Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: I.B.Tauris; First Paperback Edition edition (March 31, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1860644805
• ISBN-13: 978-1860644801
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,746,636 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars A clever book. A beautiful book. A flawed book., January 2, 2008

By 

Nicholas Casley (Plymouth, Devon, UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Monuments of Paris Pb (Paperback)

Michel Poisson, a Parisian architect of long-standing, has prepared beautiful line-drawings of more than 500 Parisian monuments. Can there be that many? You bet. And this book proves it: churches, department stores, fountains, bridges, houses, squares, gardens; from Roman remains to post-modern sports stadiums.

Moving systematically through each of the city's twenty arrondissements, each entry comes with at least one meticulous line-drawing (often more), together with brief details of its architectural history. The author also offers valuable additional information where space allows. Hand-drawn maps and plans also abound, and an illustrated index of the architects brings up the rear, together with the expected indices of artists and monuments.

So why is this book flawed? Well, for two reasons. Alas, despite the precision and beauty of the drawings, I could not help feeling that the same book but with colour photographs would be better. And secondly, it is slightly too large for the pocket as you walk the streets of Paris. But, of course, to reduce the size would spoil be to spoil the glorious detail.

Having said that, this volume is a magnificent achievement and beautifully produced: the publishers are to be congratulated in putting together a quality product to match the quality of the drawings. Now all I need is the time to set off with book in hand to view the monuments I have missed, and to see the others with fresh eyes.