{"product_id":"9781250042682","title":"Paris Reborn : Napoléon III, Baron Haussmann, and the Quest to Build a Modern City","description":"\u003cstrong\u003eParis Reborn\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor(s): Stephane Kirkland\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the mid-nineteenth century, the Paris we know today was born, the vision of two extraordinary men: the endlessly ambitious Emperor Napoléon III and his unstoppable accomplice, Baron Haussmann. This is the vivid and engrossing account of the greatest transformation of a major city in modern history.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTraditionally known as a dirty, congested, and dangerous city, Paris was transformed in an extraordinary period from 1848 to 1870, when the government launched a huge campaign to build streets, squares, parks, churches, and public buildings. The Louvre Palace was expanded, Notre-Dame Cathedral was restored, and the masterpiece of the Second Empire, the Opéra Garnier, was built. A very large part of what we see when we visit Paris today originates from this short span of twenty-two years.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe vision for the new Paris belonged to Napoléon III, who had led a long and difficult climb to absolute power. But his plans faltered until he brought in a civil servant, Georges-Eugène Haussmann, to take charge of the implementation. Heedless of controversy, at tremendous cost, Haussmann pressed ahead with the giant undertaking until, in 1870, his political enemies brought him down, just months before the collapse of the whole regime brought about the end of an era.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eStephane Kirkland's\u003ci\u003e Paris Reborn\u003c\/i\u003e is a must-read for anyone who ever wondered how Paris, the city universally admired as a standard of urban beauty, became what it is.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eReview(s):\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Wide-ranging and readable history.” —\u003ci\u003eThe New Yorker\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Stephane Kirkland recalls how the City of Light got its luster.” —\u003ci\u003eVanity Fair\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Kirkland clearly knows Paris intimately, writes lucid and engaging prose, and is both spirited in his advocacy of Napoléon III and clear-eyed about how he was able to do what he did.” —\u003ci\u003eThe Washington Post\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Scrupulously researched...Fascinating and highly readable, \u003ci\u003eParis Reborn\u003c\/i\u003e is strongly recommended for Francophiles, travelers, and students of urban history and planning.” —\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal (starred review)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Long before Robert Moses set about sculpting New York City, Baron Haussmann--with the blessings of Napoleon III (\u003ci\u003ethe\u003c\/i\u003e Napoleon's nephew)--transformed Paris from a medieval maze into a modern metropolis....Kirkland is an able navigator of architectural history--vivid descriptions abound, and the evolution of the city's infrastructure, public spaces, and other amenities is a testament to the oft overlooked reign of Napoleon III. Lovers of the City of Light and urban planners alike will find Kirkland's survey illuminating.” —\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Stephane Kirkland succeeds in linking strands of politics and finance, to those of history, art and beauty, with a skill that lends his book a most contemporary cutting edge.” —\u003ci\u003eAlistair Horne, author of Seven Ages of Paris\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Destined to become a classic...Kirkland's authoritative study sparkles with little-known gems...un-put-down-able.” —\u003ci\u003eDavid Downie, author of Paris, Paris\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“In this richly illustrated, broadly researched volume we follow, step by audacious step, as these two men raze neighborhoods, float bond measures, and, through daring, gamesmanship, even corruption, craft the modern City of Light.” —\u003ci\u003ePenelope Rowlands, author of Paris Was Ours\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eISBN:  9781250042682\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e ","brand":"Picador","offers":[{"title":"Paperback \/ softback","offer_id":40633864683726,"sku":"9781250042682","price":26.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/pickwickbookshop.com\/products\/9781250042682","provider":"Pickwick Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}