Tea at Trianon Forum
Always be polite. Courtesy is required of you.

Join the forum, it's quick and easy

Tea at Trianon Forum
Always be polite. Courtesy is required of you.
Tea at Trianon Forum
Would you like to react to this message? Create an account in a few clicks or log in to continue.
Tea with the Queen
Latest topics
» Looking for a good book about Madame Elisabeth
Book Review:  Paris:  The Secret History by Andrew Hussey EmptySat Jul 10, 2021 5:43 pm by Elena

» Recognition by the Church of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette
Book Review:  Paris:  The Secret History by Andrew Hussey EmptySat Jul 10, 2021 5:38 pm by Elena

» Reposts: In Praise of Monarchy!
Book Review:  Paris:  The Secret History by Andrew Hussey EmptyWed Apr 15, 2020 10:20 pm by ViveHenriV

» Remembering Louis XVI
Book Review:  Paris:  The Secret History by Andrew Hussey EmptyWed Jan 22, 2020 10:04 am by ViveHenriV

» Mass for Louis XVI on live video
Book Review:  Paris:  The Secret History by Andrew Hussey EmptyTue Jan 21, 2020 6:10 pm by ViveHenriV

» Judges 17:6
Book Review:  Paris:  The Secret History by Andrew Hussey EmptyThu Jan 16, 2020 11:29 pm by ViveHenriV

» War in the Vendée/Guerre de Vendée
Book Review:  Paris:  The Secret History by Andrew Hussey EmptyThu Jan 09, 2020 4:37 pm by ViveHenriV

» The Comte de Chambord (Henri V)
Book Review:  Paris:  The Secret History by Andrew Hussey EmptySun Jan 05, 2020 5:24 pm by ViveHenriV

» Reflection: Les Membres et L'Estomac
Book Review:  Paris:  The Secret History by Andrew Hussey EmptySun Jan 05, 2020 2:35 am by ViveHenriV

Who is online?
In total there are 5 users online :: 0 Registered, 0 Hidden and 5 Guests :: 1 Bot

None

[ View the whole list ]


Most users ever online was 253 on Sat Apr 10, 2021 3:06 am
Social bookmarking

Social bookmarking reddit      

Bookmark and share the address of Tea at Trianon Forum on your social bookmarking website

Banner art courtesy of The Graphics Fairy.

Book Review: Paris: The Secret History by Andrew Hussey

Go down

Book Review:  Paris:  The Secret History by Andrew Hussey Empty Book Review: Paris: The Secret History by Andrew Hussey

Post  Susan Abernethy Tue May 17, 2016 12:19 am

This title really intrigued me.  Paris is a magnetic city just in its own right.  To imagine there was a secret history was too tempting to pass up.  In my ongoing effort to refresh my French history knowledge before my trip to France, I began reading.

Hussey mentions in the introduction his intention in writing this book is to emulate the work of Peter Ackroyd’s “London:  A Biography”.  Ackroyd’s book is splendid so this was a good sign.  The first chapter covers Prehistory to the year 987 AD.  I found this section most interesting.  Paris was started basically on the small, swampy islands in the Seine.  He talks about how the city, then known as Lutetia, was inhabited by the Franks and the Romans.  The Romans built a wall around the city and it became a trading center.  Next, in this chapter and in every one after, Hussey gives small tidbits of history that might not be as well known by the average reader, the so-called secrets of the city.  One of the highlights in this first chapter is the death by beheading of St. Denis on Montmartre, making the name of the hill self-explanatory.

In the medieval section, Hussey give us a colorful array of characters, talking about the ordinary people.  Sections include, lovers and scholars, students and streetfighters, poets, saints and thieves.  In fact, the entire book is filled with details about average everyday people down to the present day.  The history of Paris is filled with robbers, gypsies, drunkards, beggars as well as the nobility, merchants and the bourgeoisie.  There’s a lot of information on artists, writers, poets and students and how they shaped the politics of the city over the millennia.  If social history is your cup of tea, you will enjoy this aspect of the book.  

Hussey obviously knows and loves the city well.  He gives us details about many of the neighborhoods, even down to who and what kind of people lived on certain streets.  The book has many drawings, maps and photos showing us the boundaries of the city over the years.  One of the first things that struck me as I began reading this book is that it is really well written.  Everything he writes is very clear with no grammatical or typographical errors.  It was just a joy to read.  If you are interested in French history and Paris in particular, I can heartily recommend this book.


Book Review:  Paris:  The Secret History by Andrew Hussey Paris-the-secret-history-book-cover
Susan Abernethy
Susan Abernethy

Posts : 323
Join date : 2012-07-01
Age : 67
Location : Denver, CO, USA

http://thefreelancehistorywriter.com/

Back to top Go down

Back to top

- Similar topics

 
Permissions in this forum:
You cannot reply to topics in this forum