Paris Underground: The Maps, Stations, and Design of the Metro [Mass Market Paperback]

Mark Ovenden (Author), Julian Pepinster (Editor), Peter B. Lloyd (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 27, 2009

The delectable follow up to Transit Maps of the World- with a French twist

A word-of-mouth sensation, Transit Maps of the World garnered rave reviews and offered delicious eye-candy to the many who devoured its lusciously designed pages. In Paris Underground, Mark Ovenden turns his attention to the famous Paris transit system with its inimitable Art Nouveau inspired stations and Art Deco signage. More than one thousand maps, diagrams, and photographs- historical and current-along with fascinating factual tidbits and enthusiastic, informed commentary embellish this gorgeous cultural history of the Métro's design and construction. Transit buffs, Francophiles, and anyone who appreciates beautiful design are sure to make Paris Underground the season's must-have volume.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Mark Ovenden is a British writer and broadcaster. He gained entry to a graphic design course by submitting a reworking of the London tube map. After working in journalism and media, he published his first book, Transit Maps of the World.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) (October 27, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0143116398
• ISBN-13: 978-0143116394
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 9.4 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #85,547 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #10 in Books > Professional & Technical > Transportation > Mass Transit
  • #51 in Books > Travel > Europe > France > Paris
  • #90 in Books > Education & Reference > Atlases & Maps > World

More About the Author

Mark was born and brought up in London, England and as a kid he was always interested in the media and in trains. He built miniature TV studios out of Lego & sticky backed plastic. He set up a closed circuit radio station which got piped through to other parts of the family home. He collected old maps of trains and often went out exploring closed-down rail lines. Aged 14-16 Mark presented a weekly show on the local hospital radio station, collected records and attempted to DJ at local events. A genuine 'geek' in the making!

Following early interests, Mark's school project was on the London Underground in which he painted a revision of the classic Beck inspired Tube diagram. Marks version kept the diagrammatic style but retained the geographic position of the lines: the resulting mess convinced him why Beck was right to expand the central area but helped gain Mark a place at Art College in Southampton. It was there he conceived of an idea to start a 'what's on' listings magazine for the area. 'Due South' published from November 1982 but Mark stepped down after just a couple of years as Editor to persue more pressing political interests. He become an activist during the 1984/5 Miners Strike. This spurred his journalistic interests and he began working for a local radio station as a trainee reporter. After a few years he was reading the news not making it.

Given his ongoing interest in gay politics and a desire to move to a livelier city, he took a job with the progressive Manchester City Council as an Equality Officer in 1990, delivering training on tackling homophobia in the workplace. Meanwhile Mark developed ideas with a colleague for a national radio show and scored a huge coup by getting BBC Radio 1 to commission their first ever series aimed at young lesbians and gay men: 'loud'n'proud' in 1993. Mark became freelance journalist and newsreader for Manchester's Kiss102 from 1994.

He took four months out in London to work on BBC2's first series for lesbians and gays, 'Gaytime TV' and back at Kiss102, Mark fronted the daily entertainment show 'The Word' , became newsreader 'Peter Parker' for London's Kiss100 breakfast show and was promoted to Programme Manager until 1997 when he became full time producer at BBC Radio 1 on the Annie Nightingale show. In mid 1998 he joined MTV as a freelance Music Programmer then became a producer and presenter at Atlantic252.

In early 2000, Mark moved to Ministry Of Sound, helping set up their DAB Digital Radio station, and as Head of Radio at MoS, Mark applied for and won the licence to run a one month long FM version of the station.

Mark moved into consultancy after this and in 2002 he joined a fledgling TV channel as Channel Manager but by this stage had already become wrapped up in the idea of compiling a book that contained the official map of every urban transit system in the world. "Metro Maps of The World" was published in November 2003 and sold out its first run in a matter of weeks. In September 2005 Mark moved to France to focus on his next book about the Paris Metro. Meantime his original publication was picked up by a Dutch Publisher ('Metrokaarten van der wereld" 2006) and also by Penguin in the USA. The American version, "Transit Maps of The World" was published October 2007. Media coverage was phenomenal and led to unexpectedly high sales, and a Top 100 ranking in the Amazon Sales Charts where it is still often the number one best-selling book in it's category (Mass Transit)! Mark is hugely proud that his work has become the best-selling book about transport design.

The book on the design of the French capital's transit system was published in October 2008 as "Paris Metro Style in map and station design". Penguin US commissioned an American version of it so Mark re-worked the concept, updated the content and it was published on October 24 2009 by Penguin as "Paris Underground, The Maps, Stations, and Design of the Metro".

Mark's next book, a follow-up to the popular transit maps offering, is called 'Railway Maps of the World' and was published by Viking Adult in May 2011. He's also working on three other follow-up books in the design field.

He lives in Paris with two fat cats where he also writes comedy and is a freelance journalist.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Paris Metro Background History, November 21, 2009

By 

tramvan (Scotland) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Paris Underground: The Maps, Stations, and Design of the Metro (Mass Market Paperback)

This is an excellent and fully comprehensive of the historical events that led up to the building of the first metro line in Paris.

It then details the steady implementation of the planned network covering the whole of central Paris and also deals with the structures and stations.

Well wrtitten and very readable.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful historic perspective, November 16, 2009

By 

C. Comes (New Jersey, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Paris Underground: The Maps, Stations, and Design of the Metro (Mass Market Paperback)

What a great way to realise a deeper understanding of the Paris metro system! The book gives the reader a moles-eye view of how it was created and developed through the years. I found the book totally captivating.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent!, December 27, 2009

By 

Philip Hom (Washington DC area) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Paris Underground: The Maps, Stations, and Design of the Metro (Mass Market Paperback)

If one expects a review of the rolling stock of the Paris Metro, skip this book. If you are interested in the looks, feels of the graphics used on their system - this is the book you are waiting for.

Just as in his other book, this is a study of transit maps especially Paris.

Hopefully this author will cross over to this side of the pond and do such a book om a system in the USA.