Seven Ages of Paris

Alistair Horne's "Seven Ages of Paris" is a remarkably well-written look at French history as viewed through the focal point of the city of Paris. Horne openly admits the so-called "seven ages" he creates are indeed arbitrary, and are more a reflection of how he has categorized the historical events of the city in his own mind rather than necessarily any universally recognized historic mile markers. Even so, his divisions help structure the work, and we find no issues with his seven "ages" as we enjoy each chapter. We do, however, read with astonishment that Horne started the work by collecting snippets and scraps over the decades he lived in France which he did not know how to use - he called it his "discard box" - because the work itself is a marvel of narrative storytelling. The text is a hallmark Horne work, with exceptionally well-structured prose and content that is at the same time interesting and informative. The writing is so well constructed that it is easy to not be aware of just how much factual information is being covered. For example, his opening chapter, which covers Paris pre-history up to the age of Philippe Auguste is a scant dozen or so pages, but it is remarkable to see the amount of information that is meaningfully conveyed with such a paucity of words. It is an excellent introduction to the work, but at the same time, slightly disappointing to those who are deeply interested in these earlier periods of "Parisian" history, because we find ourselves wishing that Horne would have turned his immense research and writing talents to an even further amount in describing this mysterious period of French history. Nevertheless, Horne's introduction is marvelously and interestingly written, and it simply whets us for the rest of the work. The rest of the work is superbly executed. We read about Philippe Auguste and the Templars, Henry IV his interaction with the Catholic-Protestant conflicts and the role of Richelieu in it all, Louis XIV and his rise as the "Sun King," the emergence of Napoleon after the Revolution, and the Commune Revolt in the late 19th century, France in WW I and WWII, and finally, the person of de Gaulle. The book arbitrarily ends at about 1969 with de Gaulle, and although this has been questioned by those who have read and reviewed the book, Horne's decision to do so is probably justified. In fact, we do see the effect of the logarithmic collection of data over time in this book: as the first 600 years or so of the history of Paris is covered in a handful of pages (maybe 30 - 50 years per page on average), by the time we enter the later parts of the text, we may only be covering one year per page. But none of this matters. The book is marvelously told as a story as much as a history, and we come to feel we are a part of the unfolding history of France as viewed by those most affected by each of the "ages" Horne presents. Easily one of the most enjoyable popular French histories in print, Horne's work is dest

A brief history of France as relates to Paris. The writing style is engaging, but not simplistic. Enjoyable. If you've been to Paris, this is a good way to add to your enjoyment and knowledge of that wonderful place. I especially enjoyed the epilogue that focused on Pere Lachaise Cemetery.

Coming from French stock I was thrilled to read Allister's Horne's book on the history of Paris. Besides being a totally engrossing and entertaining read, the Seven Ages of Paris, presents the reader with an indepth history of a unique city and country. It is so easy to become lost in the long line of Louis but Allister Horne cleary and concisely introduces us to these colorful monarchs. This is a book for all history enthusiasts to enjoy.

This is a superbly written history of Paris, as well as of France. It is at once well researched and scholarly, and highly readable and entertaining. While the history is focused on Paris, Horne skillfully weaves in the history of France as well. One thing that makes this such a good book is that Horne not only provides the reader with the political history, but weaves in descriptions of social issues, how the average Parisian lived, descriptions of the different social classes, information on the arts and culture, entertaining anecdotes, interesting portrayals of the important persons in the history of Paris and France, etc. In essence, he provides the reader with a full, comprehensive portrayal of Paris and France in a highly engaging writing style. My only very minor criticisms of the book are that a map of Paris should have been included, and not all of the very limited use of French was translated. Nevertheless, this is a must read for anyone interested in Paris and France. I would love to see Horne write a similar history of London.

One of the most beautiful cities in the world has finally found a worthy biographer in A. J. Horne. Paris has always held a fascination for most, being a center of not only political and commercial interest, but also home to the art and culture known throughout the world. Horne's book describes the history of the city, with particular interest on the architectural changes, by highlighting seven different time periods, beginning with an introduction of the early beginnings of the city culminating in the late 1960's riots which shook Paris. Wonderfully written, with snippets of information hard to find elsewhere. For example, I often wondered by St. Genevieve was the patron saint of the city. Horne supplies that information that very early during the history of the city an attack was feared from the invaders of the west and as the city prepared to flee, young Genevieve had a vision that the attack would not take place and halted the evacuation. It's little pieces of information such as this, which made the book an exceptionally fun as well as educating read.Special attention is also paid to other significant historical events, especially those after the 1600's. What really strikes the read is one thing: the number of uprisings (the French Revolution of 1789 was only one in a series) that had struck the city, most of them organized on a grass roots level. This also helps explains why the cobblestones of the streets have been cemented into place...these make very good missiles for those fed up with the weak administration of the city. That is another point that the author stresses...sanitation and city planning came very late to Paris, and this led to unimaginable squalor in various quarters of the city.The reader is also introduced to some of the great figures of French history, particularly Henri IV (famous for his "Paris is worth a mass") and Emperor Napoleon III (who fled the country immediately following the defeat of the French in the Franco-Prussian war). Other notables include Haussman who reinvented the look of the city we now see. The writing is crisp and flows wonderfully from chapter to chapter. Not at all a technical march of statistics, but a story of one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Highly recommended for everyone who ever dreams of Paris.