In this focused history of Paris, the author posits the idea that the Paris of the 21st century that we know and love was actually formed in the 16th and 17th centuries and not during the time period of Baron Haussmann. The book is a cultural history that focuses on the architecture, fashion, and urban fabric of Paris. In a series of chapters, DeJean explores the meaning of the Pont Neuf - the oldest standing bridge in Paris, the lighting of Paris that transformed the nightlife of the city, the construction of an island in the Seine that created some of the most noteworthy architecture of the time period, the creation of boulevards and parks, the destruction of the city walls, the creation of the Post, and the rise of Fashion, capital F.
If you know history, you may wonder if Paris really was the invention of a lot of these things. Fashion for instance, for those who know their history, is not something that existed only in Paris. Or that was created in fashion. So some of the chapters may stretch your ability to believe. But in terms of the chapters of architecture, the author does make a good case that we should be focusing on kings like Henri IV and Louis XIV when discussing the transformation of Paris. Baron Haussmann, supposedly, copied a lot of ideas that were already implemented in the 17th century.
This is a quick and easy read at around 300 pages. And it is an insightful book. Whether the modern city was invented in Paris is another question that I'm sure authors focused on other cities will have different answers to. Still, this is an excellent history of a vital couple of centuries in the history of Paris.
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