It has taken me a while to finish this short work. There is little new information, aside from the personal opinions repetitively stated by the author, that cannot be found in more detailed and more heavily researched works. If you know little about the time period, this could be seen as a nice introductory text. I received this galley in exchange for my honest review via the publisher through NetGalley.

If I am being honest, before reading this book, I had never before considered the planning that had gone into the construction of Paris as we know it today; it had never even crossed my mind. But it should have done. The French capital is known throughout the world for its striking layout - I can recall the aerial view of the city if I close my eyes and I haven’t seen an image of it in… who even knows how long - and it is clear, even after the slightest moment of examination, the human precision that went into creating it. Although Rupert Christiansen brings a rather odd Anglo-centric tinge to a book that should have been solely focussed on France, City of Light brings a rich amount of detail to each part of Paris’ infrastructure: the sewer systems, the roads, the architecture. The city is truly a marvel and one that will pattern human’s relationship with it for many years to come.

There's some good information here, but if you know your Paris history, there's not much you haven't seen before. While the writing is certainly competent, the book fails as narrative nonfiction. The facts are there but the story fails to compel.

A surprisingly short and quick read, "City of Light" explores the development of the city of Paris under Louis Napoleon. From about 1850-1870 the nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte ruled France and made the modernization and improvement of the infrastructure of the city of Paris his main focus. Headed by Georges-Eugene Haussmann, ruthless rebuilding and renovation moved thousands of poor Parisians out of their homes to make room for large, straight roads, new apartments, shops, etc. Haussmann improved the quality of running water in Paris, lessened traffic congestion, and emptied marshes that caused could air and epidemics among the citizens.

"City of Light" is a fast read, with a surprising number of gorgeous photographs of the changing city of Paris. Although occasionally the writing wanders a little, and I would have appreciated a bit more depth to more of the book, it was a nice read that history lovers, architects, and those who love Paris will enjoy.

Rupert Christiansen delivers an enlightening and fascinating account of the making of a modern Paris that we all know and love. If you have ever been to the city, or been drawn to it by its wonderfully wide boulevards, endless seemingly identical apartment blocks (they aren't!), and wondered about the genius of its conception, this book will be a salve. Not only does the book delve into the politics, and detail of its construction, but it works its way into the social order that began to change as well.

City of Light describes Paris in the late 19th century, focusing on the work of Georges-Eugène Haussmann. This was a man seemingly obsessed with de-clogging the city streets. He wanted effective transport, orderly buildings, fresher air and cleaner water. There were political reasons for expanding as well. Twisting, narrow streets had allowed rioters to barricade themselves during the rebellions of 1832 and 1848.

This book was informative, but sometimes jumped from one topic to another at breakneck speed. All the right elements of a good history book are there- colorful descriptions of people and places, rare photographs, enlightening quotes and excerpts- and yet it felt a bit unorganized in places. We are told several times but with different wording that Haussmann is a neat freak. At one point we're on the topic of female employment, then suddenly education reform with very little transition. But halfway through it smoothed out into a satisfying read. Up close, the writing is excellent.

Overall I enjoyed this book because it closely examines such a fascinating pocket of history. This era is nestled between the turbulent Revolutions that took place decades before, and the modern era just around the corner. It is clearly well researched and I was left fascinated by this moment in Paris' history.

A fascinating look at a fascinating city! I learned so much from City of Light.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

An interesting examination of the reconstruction of Paris during the Second Empire. It situates Haussmann's famous city planning in its cultural and political context, and in relation to Haussmann and Napoléon III's particular careers and psyches. It's refreshing to have a study go deeper than 'the boulevards were widened to prevent riots'; that's the bit about rebuilding Paris everyone knows, and Christiansen points out how much more complex the changes and their reasons were, and the pictorial accompaniments make the rebirth of Paris very visual and real.

I was particularly interested in the way the introduction and last chapters spillover, the way the reconstruction and construction did, beyond the bounds of the Second Empire; examining the changes in the later context of the 1870 Siege and the Commune is really fascinating, especially the way the Palais Garnier's construction hungover into post-Commune years, past its original context, accruing new cultural meanings.

Paris is ALWAYS a good thing and in the stunning CITY OF LIGHT, Rupert Christiansen describes in painterly detail the tumultuous period of 1852-70, during which Napoleon III harnessed the genius of Baron Georges-Eugène Haussmann to transform her from slum-ridden embarrassment into great world beauty. Christiansen is an author, Daily Telegraph arts writer and teacher at Keble College, Oxford. Highly recommended!

Pub Date 09 Oct 2018

Thanks to Perseus Books, Basic Books and NetGalley for the review copy, in exchange for my honest opinion.

#CityOfLight #NetGalley

Continuing my apparent little kick on the architectural history of France, I just finished Versailles by Colin Jones a few days ago and Mr. Christiansen's work is a good work to continue the story of French leaders and their architecture, City of Light is an interesting, albeit short, take on the development of Paris during the Second Empire. The meat of the work is focused on the grand carnival of Louis Napoleon's reign, particularly the work of Haussmann to "modernize" Paris. Mr. Christiansen present's the Second Emperors grand ambitions, as well as those who sought to build upon and subvert those ambitions, in an engaging and largely entertaining manner. Readers will also be introduced to a light history of France from the fall of Louis-Phillipe, and subsequent rise of Louis Napoleon, to the collapse of the Second Empire in the face of the Franco-Prussian War and subsequent Commune.

As far as negatives, there isn't much to say. Occasionally minor figures are mentioned a few times and sort of lost, but the main actors remain clear and distinct. The architecture descriptions are occasionally a bit tedious but generally do not slow down the narrative.

All in all, if you're interested in a brief overview of Napoleon III's reign, particularly Haussmann's efforts at renovation, this is good work to pick up.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley.