Parisians

An Adventure History of Paris

By: Graham Robb

Narrated by: Simon Vance

This is the Paris you never knew. From the Revolution to the present, Graham Robb has distilled a series of astonishing true narratives, all stranger than fiction.

A young artillery lieutenant, strolling through the Palais-Royal, observes disapprovingly the courtesans plying their trade. A particular woman catches his eye; nature takes its course. Later that night, Napoleon Bonaparte writes a meticulous account of his first sexual encounter.

An aristocratic woman, fleeing the Louvre, takes a wrong turn and loses her way in the nameless streets of the Left Bank. For want of a map - there were no reliable ones at the time - Marie-Antoinette will go to the guillotine.

Baudelaire, Baron Haussmann, the real-life Mimi of La Boheme, Proust, Charles de Gaulle (who is suspected of having faked an assassination attempt on himself in Notre Dame) - these and many more make up Robb's cast of characters. The result is a resonant, intimate history with the power of a great novel.

©2010 Graham Robb (P)2010 Tantor

Critic reviews

“With his profound knowledge of Paris, its treasures and squalor, its heroes and victims, Robb reveals a city of not only lights but darkness.” ( Publishers Weekly)

history told through random events

I enjoyed the stories but I would have enjoyed the printed version more; there were far too many street names I couldn't spell to look up.

Guide to Paris from Another Slant

Graceful prose and a superlative narration (I have a crush on Simon Vance) combine to beautifully present a view of Paris from unique guides - the experiences of historical figures presented by an inspired writer. The most appealing aspect of The Parisians is the sense of the immense and rich history of the place living in the streets and buildings and even the air. It offers the reader the same opportunity for intimacy and lived experience that a good novel would. For the would-be traveller, I would highly recommend this book over any "travel guide" to Paris.

What a journey!

Robb brings the City of Light to life in a unique and fascinating way, through the lives of people who have lived there. Napoleon, Mme. Zola, Hitler, and others unknown but remarkable. It makes one want to take the book to Paris and trace the stories. Wonderful, and beautifully read.

Enjoyable backstories

Hard to follow sometimes as dates moved forwards and backwards but the stories filled in parts of other common and major historical events with interesting details.

Interesting at first

Interesting and compelling at first, the book gets very uneven at the end. I enjoyed parts of this book very much, and skimmed through others.