Great affection for the City of Light runs through this biography by
one of Britain’s foremost historians on the topic. He delights in the culture
and glamour of the city while not failing to make quite clear what a turbulent history
it has survived, a fact Horne seems to consider makes it that much more
exciting than our own capital. He admits in the preface that the seven ages
have been chosen capriciously and yet they offer a vast history from the Middle
Ages to the mid-twentieth century. A whirlwind tour it may be but with enough
attention lavished on each epoch that you don’t feel lost. Its ambitious span
allows for themes and recurrences to be easily identified.
It is, predominantly, a history of the upper class and those in
power, the average Parisian only getting a look in as part of a statistic. Horne
has no qualms in expressing his distaste or favour for those he writes about.
His focus is also on the way each ruler impacted the very fabric of Paris. Mass
building under the likes of Napoleon, an often-absent leader who nonetheless
ruled with great attention. Some ages saw great expansion with little to no
care for existing buildings. Interesting also to see the buildings we are so
familiar with – the Louvre and Versailles for example, change roles so
drastically. What is now home to the world’s largest art gallery was once home
to French royalty and the fate of Versailles from pleasure palace to dreadfully
boring under the Sun King as the young and fashionable moved back to the city
centre. It is interesting to see the centre of power move through the ages and
the emphasis on different disciplines such as education or religion as
evidenced by the buildings erected.
The lingering impression of Paris remains one of high culture and
beauty but of a city that has earned its battle scars. Invasions and revolutions
are no stranger to the French capital and Parisians through the ages have
suffered terrible hardships because of them. This easy to read history will
leave you with a greater appreciation of the flourishing city born of so much
turmoil.
