Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
ISBN: 9781538173336
May 2023 - Cloth 296 pages 6" x 9"
There’s a clear passion for Paris in these pages. Prolific Paris historian and author McAuliffe presents the well-researched history, celebrities, and anecdotes from each of the City of Light’s main neighborhoods, from the very touristy Montmartre and Latin Quarter to the not-as-well known Montparnasse and Grand Croisée. Countless facts astound. The Louvre was built as a fortress against the King of England. Two windmills exist within the city limits. Le Corbusier designed a University of Paris building. And along with the storied Seine, a second river (the hidden Bievre) flows through Paris. There are also entrancing stories of Man Ray’s affair with his muse, Kiki; the famous people buried in Père Lachaise cemetery; and the formation of the Eiffel Tower.
— Booklist
Paris by Mary McAuliffe is an original look at this sprawling metropolis that has attracted people from all walks of life from around the world for literally centuries. She leads the reader through its history with stories and photographs. This is not a conventional travel guide, but rather a travelogue, a journey, an essay, or perhaps even a memoir of a fascinating city. This is a book to sit down with, to enjoy, to savor, to remember one’s own experiences in Paris, or to imagine what it would be like to visit. The author takes the reader through an exploratory journey, one that will open readers’ hearts and minds to the unexpected and the awe-inspiring backdrop of what makes this a city of many identities. I loved it!
— Readers' Favorite
Most Paris guides are published for tourists who just want to be able to tell their friends which iconic monuments they saw during their stay. But from time to time, there is a guide written by someone who is in love with the capital of France, and this is definitely the case here. Mary McAuliffe shares different elements that explain her addiction to the history and the architecture of the city of Paris, and if you follow the author’s advice, you’ll have the opportunity to see Parisian details that even residents don’t know. Open the door of this book to discover a hidden Paris that lies behind the walls, a Paris most tourists never see.
— Gilles Thomas, winner of the 2016 French Academy Award Eve Delacroix Prize for The Catacombs: History of Underground Paris
An enticing introduction to Paris for travelers and general readers looking for a different side of Paris.
— Colin Jones, author of Paris: Biography of a City