Paris At the End of the World - The City of Light During the Great War, 1914-1918

A preeminent writer on Paris, John Baxter brilliantly brings to life one of the most dramatic and fascinating periods in the city''s history. From 1914 through 1918 the terrifying sounds of World War I could be heard from inside the French capital. For four years, Paris lived under constant threat of destruction. And yet in its darkest hour, the City of Light blazed more brightly than ever. It''s taxis shuttled troops to the front; its great railway stations received reinforcements from across the world; the grandest museums and cathedrals housed the wounded, and the Eiffel Tower hummed at all hours relaying messages to and from the front. At night, Parisians lived with urgency and without inhibition. Artists like Pablo Picasso achieved new creative heights. And the war brought a wave of foreigners to the city for the first time, including Ernest Hemingway and Baxter''s own grandfather, Archie, whose diaries he used to reconstruct a soldier''s-eye view of the war years. A revelatory achievement, Paris at the End of the World shows how this extraordinary period was essential in forging the spirit of the city beloved today.

About the author

John Baxter has lived in Paris for more than twenty years. He is the author of four acclaimed memoirs about his life in France: The Perfect Meal: In Search of the Lost Tastes of France; The Most Beautiful Walk in the World: A Pedestrian in Paris; Immoveable Feast: A Paris Christmas; and We'll Always Have Paris: Sex and Love in the City of Light. Baxter, who gives literary walking tours through Paris, is also a film critic and biographer whose subjects have included the directors Fellini, Kubrick, Woody Allen, and most recently, Josef von Sternberg. Born in Australia, he lives with his wife and daughter in the Saint-Germain-des-Prés neighborhood, in the same building Sylvia Beach called home.

Product details

• Authors: John Baxter
• Publisher: Harper Perennial USA
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback
• Released: 15.04.2014
• EAN: 9780062221407
• ISBN: 978-0-06-222140-7
• No. of pages: 402
• Dimensions: 127 mm x 181 mm x 17 mm
• Series: P.S.
• Subjects: Non-fiction book; Afghanistan, Europe, France, European History, First World War, military history, 21st century, c 2000 to c 2100, History of Art, Second World War, United Kingdom, Great Britain, c 1938 to c 1946 (World War Two period), Travel and holiday, Military history: post-WW2 conflicts, Early 21st century c 2000 to c 2050, c 1914 to c 1918 (World War One period), HISTORY: Europe / Great Britain / 20th Century, HISTORY: Military / World War I, HISTORY: Military / General, TRAVEL: Europe / France, HISTORY: Modern / 21st Century, HISTORY: Europe / France, ART: European, HISTORY: Wars & Conflicts / World War II / General, HISTORY: Modern / 20th Century / General, HISTORY: Wars & Conflicts / Afghan War (2001-2021)