Walks Through Lost Paris: A Journey Into the Heart of Historic Paris [Paperback]

Leonard Pitt (Author), Alexandre Gady (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 24, 2006

When he discovered that the city he lived in for many years was actually entirely rebuilt during the mid-1800s, Leonard Pitt plunged into Paris's history and began photographing what he learned had changed. Eventually, he led tours and gave lectures on the demolition and reconstruction that changed the city forever. Walks Through Lost Paris chronicles Paris's great periods of urban reconstruction through four walking tours. With a special focus on the work of Georges-Eugene Haussmann, this book provides a history of each site along with the motives behind the urban redesign and the reactions of Parisians who witnessed it. Detailed maps take you through a city whose changes were captured by photographers and artists in each stage. Hundreds of color photos, diagrams, and engravings splendidly survey the massive transformation that resulted in the Paris of today.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Shoemaker & Hoard (May 24, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1593761031
• ISBN-13: 978-1593761035
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #42,463 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #7 in Books > Travel > Reference & Tips > Pictorial
  • #56 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Hiking & Camping > Excursion Guides
  • #70 in Books > History > Europe > France

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

81 of 82 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous photo essay of Paris then and now--finally in English!, July 14, 2006

By 

Bruce W. Nelson - See all my reviews

This review is from: Walks Through Lost Paris: A Journey Into the Heart of Historic Paris (Paperback)

Leonard Pitt's book "Walks Through Lost Paris" is amazing. In it he chronicles changes made to Paris in the interest of modernization during the Haussmann era (mid 19th century) and later. The changes are documented with abundant before and after photos, allowing you to literally see for yourself how Paris has evolved over the past 150 years.

To Leonard, most of the changes he shows were regrettable, particularly those made in the 20th century. As he says, the one saving grace of Haussmann's many alterations to Paris is that he beat later rebuilders to it(!).

This book should appeal to anyone who has an interest in the unique visual appeal of Paris. The walks are very well narrated and thus should be easy for even newcomers to Paris to follow.

However, I think "Walks Through Lost Paris" will have its greatest appeal to readers already familiar with the neighborhoods Pitt describes. To them (here I include myself), it will be possible to recall the context of the modern-day photos and better appreciate the historical photos of what used to be in the same place. For the repeat visitor, Pitt's book offers a wealth of detail to form the basis of ever-deeper explorations into this stunning, historic city.

As a final note, let me add that I spotted the Parigramme book, in French, "Promenades dans le Paris Disparu" a few years ago and ever since have been looking to see if it had been translated into English. Now it has, and for that I am very grateful.

I hope you'll enjoy this book as much as I have. I've already read it twice in the last two weeks!

31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful resource for advanced Parisian visitors, April 13, 2007

By 

RonAnnArbor (Ann Arbor, MI United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Walks Through Lost Paris: A Journey Into the Heart of Historic Paris (Paperback)

At last, in English! I got a copy of this years ago in Paris in French, and was hoping it would finally come out in English so I could recommend it to my friends when they visit. The photos allow you to easily follow along while you complete your individual walks - and it really helps expand your understanding of the city, it's people. and its changing social ways. It also lets you look at Paris in a completely different way -- while it points out what has changed and what is gone, it is also a wonderful volume that lets you see through fresh eyes what is still there - albeit often used very differently. One caveat - this is not a guidebook for beginners -- this is a walking tour guidebook for those who already have an extensive knowledge of Paris and its neighborhoods.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Make it bigger please!, May 12, 2008

By 

Joseph J. Brophy (New Rochelle, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Walks Through Lost Paris: A Journey Into the Heart of Historic Paris (Paperback)

Walks Through Lost Paris: A Journey Into the Heart of Historic Paris

This is a wonderful book, except for one thing. It is so small that the maps are almost unreadable, and the print is not so easy to read either. I've been to Paris twice and walked through all four areas in the book before, but the book opened my eyes to a lot of history and details I'm looking forward to seeing first hand. I am taking it to Paris in a couple weeks, and I'm looking forward to the walks, but I'm going to have to blow up the maps so I can read them without a magnifying glass. This book would be far more enjoyable in a larger format.