In July 1947, fresh out of college and long before he would win the Pulitzer Prize and become known as one of America's finest historians, Stanley ...
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reviews
Jan 23, 2011
Roniq
rated it: 
Loving this book so far!!! Notes from Times coorespondent, Stanley Karnow while living in Paris.
A slice of life and time that takes me right back to being in this beautiful city. Funny and well written. Not a fast read but a book to be read slowly and savored if you are at all interested in France or French culture/life. One of those books where you find yourself taking notes while reading, full of great references to other artists/topics/books/. Throughly enjoyable....
Just finished More...
A slice of life and time that takes me right back to being in this beautiful city. Funny and well written. Not a fast read but a book to be read slowly and savored if you are at all interested in France or French culture/life. One of those books where you find yourself taking notes while reading, full of great references to other artists/topics/books/. Throughly enjoyable....
Just finished More...
Jan 28, 2011
Kelly
rated it: 
I wanted to live inside this book for the great majority of my junior year in high school. Have you ever heard celebrities or celebrity commentators obnoxiously talk about how someone is "channeling" someone else in their attire? Basically I tried to channel this book- the personalities and atmosphere conveyed were so overwhelming I couldn't not be sucked into it. My phase of Francophilia started because of this book, I went to Paris to study abroad probably, ultimately, because of thi
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Aug 15, 2011
Anna
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"James Gordon Bennett, the publisher of the Paris Herald Tribune, once handed a flower girl five hundred francs for a bunch of violets..."
Really enjoyed most of this book--it didn't just stay within the confines of the fifties but reminisced on the literary vibrance of the 1920s (with cameos by Ernest Hemingway, Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein, etc), the scandals of the Belle Epoque, and the gory Revolution (including a brief history of the guillotine, of course). My only co More...
Really enjoyed most of this book--it didn't just stay within the confines of the fifties but reminisced on the literary vibrance of the 1920s (with cameos by Ernest Hemingway, Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein, etc), the scandals of the Belle Epoque, and the gory Revolution (including a brief history of the guillotine, of course). My only co More...
Mar 06, 2011
Bennet
rated it:
Like the blurb says: "A beautiful and bygone era comes to life again in this exquisite chronicle of postwar Paris, elegantly penned by an award-winning American journalist who was there."
Exquisite and elegant in the same sentence. Sounds like something I'd dash off. Karnow has a knack for nimbly navigating incredibly dense historical and literary territory,like a big man who's light on his feet and, whadaya know, can dance. This is a delightful explore and a rare chance to More...
Exquisite and elegant in the same sentence. Sounds like something I'd dash off. Karnow has a knack for nimbly navigating incredibly dense historical and literary territory,like a big man who's light on his feet and, whadaya know, can dance. This is a delightful explore and a rare chance to More...
Apr 04, 2010
Ellen
rated it: 
As a Francophile, I loved the early chapters in this book when the author is actually talking about living in Paris post WWII. But later bits got boring with encyclopedic cataloging of French politics and politcians. The last few chapters don't even talk about Paris. If you're interested in a contemporaneous view of France's Algerian revolt, those chapters cover it.
Dec 27, 2008
Noel
rated it:
This book was wonderful, a must for anyone who wishes to have more than a superficial knowledge of Paris and the city's history. Karnow was a young correspondent for Time Magazine after WW2. he recalls here the city and the events that flowed through it during Eisenhower-era America. He has a skilled eye of a reporter and a very deft way with description of people and places, and a sly sense of humor......On a personal level, I remember Paris in the '60s (and the decade since) and greatly apprec
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Apr 15, 2008
Annie
rated it:
This is a book of short histories of very interesting historical figures who were in Paris or made thier way through the city during the 1950s..people such as Pol Pot. It is a wonderful way to read about the history of France just after WW2, when there was so much life and energy breathed back into Europe and told from the perspective of a foreign correspondent for Times. I highly recommend this.
Dec 16, 2009
Kylos
rated it:
i have an affinity for france. i have relatives there and i studied there for 7 months one year.
this book is a great look at the culture, the history, the food, the attitude and the entity that is france. from one guy's point of view.
this book is a great look at the culture, the history, the food, the attitude and the entity that is france. from one guy's point of view.
Jun 26, 2007
Paulina
rated it:
A collection of short essays (ala New Yorker) during the time Karnow was working in Paris. The book is fantastic! Covers a wide range of topics.
Jul 24, 2011
I've gotten a little bored with this. I might come back to it when I have more time for leisure reading and not just metro reading.
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