Details
Synopsis
Jill Jonnes documents the extraordinary story of the building of the Eiffel Tower in conjunction with the 1889 World's Fair in Paris. Through history, the Tower has become one of the most beloved and iconic structures in all the world, but when it was being built, it was widely considered to be, at best, an eyesore and at worst, an impending disaster. Few believed that the unusual steel mesh tower would be structurally sound enough to stand on its own, let alone support the weight of crowds of people. Meanwhile, as Gustave Eiffel oversaw the construction of his masterpiece, an eccentric collection of scientists and celebrities, including Thomas Edison, Louis Pasteur, and Buffalo Bill, descended on Paris for the great fair. Jonnes's account of the construction and legacy of the tower is filled with amazing anecdotes, fascinating architectural history, and outlandish critiques, such as novelist Guy de Maupassant's claim that he ate lunch in the restaurant of the Eiffel Tower every day because it was the only place in Paris where he could avoid a view of the thing.
| Size | | Length: | 354 pages | | Height: | 9.5 in | | Width: | 6.3 in | | Thickness: | 1.2 in | | Weight: | 20.8 oz |
Industry Reviews
"In EIFFEL'S TOWER, Jill Johnnes examines--with splendid attention to detail...--the importance the tower assumed in its own historical moment."
(05/31/2009)
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