One Thousand Buildings of Paris

Book Description
Perhaps the most picturesque of all international cities, Paris is the quintessential walker's paradise, with architectural delights down every winding street. It is the city of the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe, of the Louvre and Monmartre. But, within its 20 concentric arrondissements are many surprises too, from glass office towers to jewel-box mansions to massive public buildings. The monuments, private houses, museums, hotels, and myriad other structures that make up the widely various neighborhoods of Paris have been captured here as never before, by photographers Jorg Brockmann and James Driscoll. Each of the 1,000 photographs is accompanied by detailed and informative text recounting the history, significance, and the current state of each building. There are also neighborhood maps and fascinating sidebars and appendices, all adding up to an unprecedented view of a uniquely beautiful city that has captivated the imagination of world travelers for centuries.


Buy from Amazon     Compare Prices

Prepared by a writer/traveller and two seasoned photographers, this book is too hefty to lug around as a travel guide but, nevertheless, could enhance the experience of curious travellers and residents of the city. Organized by neighborhood, it's replete with bits of history and anecdotes about each building; and it conveniently includes indexing and keyed maps. The brief descriptions (80 words or so) touch on distinctive features and give historical context for the buildings, each shown in a fine resolution black & white photo. Armchair travellers won't be excited by the small photos (most are 2.5x3"; a few are larger), and scholars won't find the visual documentation sufficiently consistent; but the lucky folks lingering in Paris long enough to cruise by and see the buildings will find the book entertaining and informative. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR


Buy from Barnes & Noble     Compare Prices