Seven Ages of Paris
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Narrated by:
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Derek Perkins
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By:
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Alistair Horne
About this listen
In this luminous portrait of Paris, the celebrated historian gives us the history, culture, disasters, and triumphs of one of the world's truly great cities. While Paris may be many things, it is never boring.
From the rise of Philippe Auguste through the reigns of Henry IV and Louis XIV (who abandoned Paris for Versailles); Napoleon's rise and fall; Baron Haussmann's rebuilding of Paris (at the cost of much of the medieval city); the Belle Epoque and the Great War that brought it to an end; the Nazi Occupation, the Liberation, and the postwar period dominated by de Gaulle - Horne brings the city's highs and lows, savagery and sophistication, and heroes and villains splendidly to life. With a keen eye for the telling anecdote and pivotal moment, he portrays an array of vivid incidents to show us how Paris endures through each age, is altered but always emerges more brilliant and beautiful than ever. The Seven Ages of Paris is a great historian's tribute to a city he loves and has spent a lifetime learning to know.
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- By: Jay Winik
- Narrated by: Jonathan Davis
- Length: 31 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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It is an era that redefined history. As the 1790s began, a fragile America teetered on the brink of oblivion, Russia towered as a vast imperial power, and France plunged into revolution. But in contrast to the way conventional histories tell it, none of these remarkable events occurred in isolation.
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I was crazy addicted to this book.
- By Daniel R McCloy on 12-06-17
By: Jay Winik
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Children of the Night
- The Strange and Epic Story of Modern Romania
- By: Paul Kenyon
- Narrated by: Paul Kenyon
- Length: 19 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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The country that gave us Vlad Dracula, and whose citizens consider themselves descendants of ancient Rome, has traditionally preferred the status of enigmatic outsider. But this beautiful and unexplored land has experienced some of the most disastrous leaderships of the last century. After a relatively benign period led by a dutiful king and his vivacious, British-born queen, the country oscillated wildly.
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A haunting look at Romanian history
- By Steve Adams on 07-19-24
By: Paul Kenyon
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Lotharingia
- A Personal History of Europe's Lost Country
- By: Simon Winder
- Narrated by: Jonathan Cowley
- Length: 18 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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Following Germania and Danubia, the third installment in Simon Winder's personal history of Europe. In 843 AD, the three surviving grandsons of the great emperor Charlemagne met at Verdun. After years of bitter squabbles over who would inherit the family land, they finally decided to divide the territory and go their separate ways. In a moment of staggering significance, one grandson inherited the area we now know as France, another Germany, and the third received the piece in between: Lotharingia.
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The Loquacious Traveler in Middle Earth
- By Doris on 11-22-19
By: Simon Winder
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Empress Dowager Cixi
- The Concubine Who Launched Modern China
- By: Jung Chang
- Narrated by: Jolene Kim
- Length: 16 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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At the age of 16, in a nationwide selection for royal consorts, Cixi was chosen as one of the emperor's numerous concubines. When he died in 1861, their five-year-old son succeeded to the throne. Cixi at once launched a palace coup against the regents appointed by her husband and made herself the real ruler of China - behind the throne, literally, with a silk screen separating her from her officials who were all male.
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An insult to audiobooks. Get a print version.
- By Reademandweep on 02-23-15
By: Jung Chang
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Napoleon
- A Concise Biography
- By: David A. Bell
- Narrated by: Paul Heitsch
- Length: 4 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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David Bell emphasizes the astonishing sense of human possibility that Napoleon represented. Bell emphasizes the importance of the French Revolution in understanding Napoleon's career. The revolution made possible the unprecedented concentration of political authority that Napoleon accrued. Without the political changes brought about by the revolution, Napoleon could not have fought his wars. Without the wars, he could not have seized and held onto power. Though his virtual dictatorship betrayed the ideals of liberty and equality, his life and career were revolutionary.
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Perfect introduction to Napoleon
- By DJP on 10-17-20
By: David A. Bell
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Napoleon
- A Life
- By: Andrew Roberts
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 32 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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Andrew Roberts' Napoleon is the first one-volume biography to take advantage of the recent publication of Napoleon's thirty-three thousand letters, which radically transform our understanding of his character and motivation. At last we see him as he was: protean multitasker, decisive, surprisingly willing to forgive his enemies and his errant wife Josephine.
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What a dynamo!
- By Tad Davis on 01-16-15
By: Andrew Roberts
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Istanbul
- City of Majesty at the Crossroads of the World
- By: Thomas F. Madden
- Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini
- Length: 14 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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For more than two millennia, Istanbul has stood at the crossroads of the world, perched at the very tip of Europe, gazing across the shores of Asia. The history of this city - known as Byzantium, then Constantinople, now Istanbul - is at once glorious, outsized, and astounding. Founded by the Greeks, its location blessed it as a center for trade but also made it a target of every empire in history, from Alexander the Great and his Macedonian Empire, to the Romans and later the Ottomans.
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A History Without People
- By SeanO on 04-02-19
By: Thomas F. Madden
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Danubia
- A Personal History of Habsburg Europe
- By: Simon Winder
- Narrated by: James Cameron Stewart
- Length: 22 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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From the end of the Middle Ages to the First World War, Europe was dominated by one family: the Habsburgs. Their unprecedented rule is the focus of Simon Winder's vivid third book, Danubia. This is a narrative that, while erudite and well researched, prefers to be discursive and anecdotal. In his survey of the centuries of often incompetent Habsburg rule which have continued to shape the fate of Central Europe, Winder does not shy away from the horrors, railing against the effects of nationalism, recounting the violence that was often part of life.
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Magnificent history of the Habsburg Empire
- By Skeptical on 10-25-18
By: Simon Winder
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Titans of History
- The Giants Who Made Our World
- By: Simon Sebag Montefiore
- Narrated by: Steve West
- Length: 22 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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In this inspiring, horrifying, and accessible collection of short, entertaining, and vivid life stories, Simon Sebag Montefiore - one of our preeminent historians and a prizewinning writer - presents the giant characters who have changed the course of world history.
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Party line history
- By Narada on 11-24-18
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Lost to the West
- The Forgotten Byzantine Empire That Rescued Western Civilization
- By: Lars Brownworth
- Narrated by: Lars Brownworth
- Length: 10 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Filled with unforgettable stories of emperors, generals, and religious patriarchs, as well as fascinating glimpses into the life of the ordinary citizen, Lost to the West reveals how much we owe to the Byzantine Empire that was the equal of any in its achievements, appetites, and enduring legacy. For more than a millennium, Byzantium reigned as the glittering seat of Christian civilization.
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Just a delight for anyone interested in history !
- By Cinders on 05-28-13
By: Lars Brownworth
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Peter the Great
- His Life and World
- By: Robert K. Massie
- Narrated by: Frederick Davidson
- Length: 43 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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This superbly told story brings to life one of the most remarkable rulers––and men––in all of history and conveys the drama of his life and world. The Russia of Peter's birth was very different from the Russia his energy, genius, and ruthlessness shaped. Crowned co-Tsar as a child of ten, after witnessing bloody uprisings in the streets of Moscow, he would grow up propelled by an unquenchable curiosity, everywhere looking, asking, tinkering, and learning, fired by Western ideas.
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Narrater ruins everything
- By BrendaLouQuilts on 12-30-11
By: Robert K. Massie
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The Algerian War lasted from 1954 to 1962. It caused the fall of six French governments, led to the collapse of the Fourth Republic, and came close to provoking a civil war on French soil. More than a million Muslim Algerians died in the conflict, and as many European settlers were driven into exile. From the perspective of half a century, it looks less like the last colonial war than the first postmodern one.
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Pretentious Reader of Far Right Propaganda
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The Discovery of France
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Enlightening
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The Most Beautiful Walk in the World
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Thrust into the unlikely role of professional "literary walking tour" guide, an expat writer provides the most irresistibly witty and revealing tour of Paris in years. In this enchanting memoir, acclaimed author and long-time Paris resident John Baxter remembers his yearlong experience of giving "literary walking tours" through the city. Baxter sets off with unsuspecting tourists in tow on the trail of Paris' legendary artists and writers of the past.
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puts me to sleep, not in a good way
- By Placeholder on 04-07-18
By: John Baxter
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French History
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- By: Captivating History
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If you want to discover the captivating history of France, then get this audiobook. It includes three books: History of France, Charlemagne, and Notre-Dame de Paris.
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Recommend for young readers
- By Used to be happy customer on 03-19-24
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The Only Street in Paris
- Life on the Rue Des Martyrs
- By: Elaine Sciolino
- Narrated by: Elaine Sciolino
- Length: 8 hrs
- Unabridged
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Elaine Sciolino, the former Paris bureau chief of The New York Times, invites us on a tour of her favorite Parisian street, offering an homage to street life and the pleasures of Parisian living. While many cities suffer from the leveling effects of globalization, the rue des Martyrs maintains its distinct allure. On this street, the patron saint of France was beheaded and the Jesuits took their first vows.
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Not just for Paris lovers.
- By Anna on 01-18-16
By: Elaine Sciolino
What listeners say about Seven Ages of Paris
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Jeremiah
- 06-05-23
Good history of Paris
I enjoyed this book and thought the history very interesting but sometimes things were said in French and not translated and that I didn’t like so I give it four stars
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- John
- 04-22-24
Not Alistair Horne’s Best Book
Despite what the French author of the introduction might claim, this is not Alistair Horne’s best book. If anything, it’s his most uneven.
The origins of Paris are passed over lightly – due perhaps to lack of verifiable facts. The Middle Ages are then skimmed over too, a treatment made even more annoying by Horne’s tone of voice. He seems to write as if everyone was just holding their breath, waiting for the Renaissance to happen. Or perhaps he’s just not altogether at home with his material.
Certainly, the book takes off once we reach the French Revolution and Napoleonic era – not surprising, seeing as that’s where Horne’s expertise begins. Then, through the Terror, Austerlitz, Waterloo, 1830, 1848, the debacle of 1870, the Commune, the near debacles of 1914 and 1917, the greater debacles of 1940 and 1969, Horne is at his very best. Nevertheless, it makes for a somewhat lopsided book. Halfway through, you realize you’ve covered more than a millennium – and the second half only covers the next 200-some odd years.
Derek Perkins turns in his usual polished, perfectly paced performance. When reading books of history or opinion, he always manages to sound as thoughtful as the author he’s reading.
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- AnnieShawn Bailey
- 01-29-23
Excellent
Endlessly interesting. Well written. Looking forward to my next trip to Paris even more now.
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- George
- 07-25-22
Enjoyable entry into the history of Paris
Very enjoyable history of Paris and a brief primer on the history of France. Well read. as a non-French speaker there were many short phrases that were not translated which diminished the effect, but overall a good listen that moves quickly
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- barbara Turner
- 06-26-23
fascinating across the ages
Maybe too much detail in some areas but enjoyed the focus on the arts in addition to kings emperors presidents and wars / sieges
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- Travis
- 04-12-23
Well researched
Thorough research throughout the different time periods, illuminated aspects of the different periods I hadn’t thought of. Could do without so much detail into the sexual aspects, was more than enough to get the point across and lingered too long, not as appropriate for all audiences.
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- R. Braud
- 11-27-22
If you aren’t in love with Paris now, you will be when you finish this wonderful book!
Finally a good book about the history of Paris (and France).
The narrator was very good and brought this story to life.
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- Meagan L.
- 06-26-19
Superb!
Engaging history of Paris through the ages, told with just enough anecdotes and tidbits to be fascinating even for the most learned of French history enthusiasts. The focus is more on the people who shaped Paris, their personalities, relationships, strengths, flaws, and motivations, rather than a droll list of dates and events. The reader has a great voice that is at once relaxing and engaging. I LOVED this audio book and was bummed when it was over.
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12 people found this helpful
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- M. Maire
- 09-29-24
A Perfect History of France as Seen Through The Patriarchy
Very little mention of the contributions of women and manages to be both condescending and misogynistic to the ones he does mention. For example, he introduces Gertrude Stein as "Frumpy Gertrude Stein" and sums up her place in the social and intellectual scene by relaying a disparaging piece of gossip. He depicts Anaïs Nin's life and writing as nothing but outrageously erotic. After describing the importance of Sartre, he introduces the Feminist writer, intellectual and icon Simone de Beauvoir as "Jean-Paul Sartre's lover." Horrible.
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- Joe Hus
- 01-11-23
Would not recommend
Too much of the book was in French. It was misogynistic in places. It skipped from topic to topic without a good flow
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