Customer Reviews

Monuments of Paris Pb

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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.