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62nd out of 565 books
—
840 voters
Eiffel's Tower: And the World's Fair Where Buffalo Bill Beguiled Paris, the Artists Quarreled, and Thomas Edison Became a Count
by
Jill Jonnes
The story of the world-famous monument and the extraordinary world's fair that introduced it
Since it opened in May 1889, the Eiffel Tower has been an iconic image of modern times-as much a beacon of technological progress as an enduring symbol of Paris and French culture. But as engineer Gustave Eiffel built the now-famous landmark to be the spectacular centerpiece of the...more
Since it opened in May 1889, the Eiffel Tower has been an iconic image of modern times-as much a beacon of technological progress as an enduring symbol of Paris and French culture. But as engineer Gustave Eiffel built the now-famous landmark to be the spectacular centerpiece of the...more
Hardcover, 368 pages
Published
April 30th 2009
by Viking Adult
(first published 2009)
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The subject matter (the 1889 Exposition in Paris) and cover of this book seem designed to invite comparison with Erik Larsen's The Devil in the White City. This book is similar in that it weaves together a number of stories of various historical figures whose paths crossed in Paris on this particular summer (Eiffel and the challenge of constructing the tower, Gauguin, Whistler, Buffalo Bill, Annie Oakley, Thomas Edison, etc.), but the structure is somewhat less determined by the subjects themsel...more
Another non-fiction book that reads like a novel - only you feel smarter when you have finished. The setting is the 1889 World's Fair to be held in Paris. A contest was introduced to bring a "grand monument" to the site that all would remember! Along with the story of Eiffel's design being chosen and then the multiple obstacles (money, elevators, completion dates, etc) there are multiple characters that play supporting roles including Annie Oakley, Thomas Edison, Paul Gaugin, Whistler and more!...more
Jan 12, 2010
Susanna
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
people interested in the 19th century
Recommended to Susanna by:
Scott Henderson
I actually liked this one better than Devil in the White City.
I liked the part of Devil in the White City that was about the fair more than the part about the serial killer. And this one is almost entirely about the Exposition Universelle of 1889.
A large part of Eiffel's Tower (actually, a very large part, thinking about it) sets the time and place for us. And it was a very interesting time and place. Coverage I would describe as not superficial and the writing I found fairly engaging.
I would re...more
I liked the part of Devil in the White City that was about the fair more than the part about the serial killer. And this one is almost entirely about the Exposition Universelle of 1889.
A large part of Eiffel's Tower (actually, a very large part, thinking about it) sets the time and place for us. And it was a very interesting time and place. Coverage I would describe as not superficial and the writing I found fairly engaging.
I would re...more
2 likes · like · see review
A fun and interesting book, about the Paris World's Fair, the great steel tower at its heart, and the encounter of brash, confident America with sophisticated, equally confident France on the centennial anniversary of the Revolution.
I enjoyed it a lot -- but I did find it lacking in places. In particular, for a book named for Eiffel's Tower, there is surprisingly little about the actual design of the tower. We hear about how the workers worked and Eiffel's battles with Otis Elevator, but we don'...more
I enjoyed it a lot -- but I did find it lacking in places. In particular, for a book named for Eiffel's Tower, there is surprisingly little about the actual design of the tower. We hear about how the workers worked and Eiffel's battles with Otis Elevator, but we don'...more
An excellent history of the story of the 1889 Paris Exposition Universelle, told by narrating the separate histories of Gustav Eiffel; Paul Gauguin and Vincent Van Gogh; Thomas Edison; James Gordon Bennett (publisher of the NY Herald and what would become the International Herald-Tribune); and both Buffalo Bill Cody and Annie Oakley. The history of all would be effected by the fair -- with Edison, Eiffel and Cody's Wild West Show being major hits. Edison and William Cody would again be major fix...more
Gustave Eiffel is most remembered today for the iconic iron lattice tower he built as the gateway to the 1889 World’s Fair. Eiffel, of course, also built the interior framework of the Statue of Liberty. You probably know this, but not much else about the turn of the century engineering genius who designed complex structures (bridges, monuments, lighthouses) all around the world.
Eiffel had originally planned to build his tower in Barcelona. When his design for the 1888 Universal Exposition was re...more
Eiffel had originally planned to build his tower in Barcelona. When his design for the 1888 Universal Exposition was re...more
This lively and entertaining book is obviously extensively researched. Using newspaper articles, interviews, letters, and so forth, the author lets the reader see events unfold as those who lived at the time saw them.
The book covers the details of the building of the Eiffel Tower as well as the doings of famous people who attended the 1889 Paris World's Fair. The book has nice photos illustrating the building of the tower, showing famous people who attended the world's fair, and scenes from the...more
The book covers the details of the building of the Eiffel Tower as well as the doings of famous people who attended the 1889 Paris World's Fair. The book has nice photos illustrating the building of the tower, showing famous people who attended the world's fair, and scenes from the...more
Jill Jonnes looks at the various people who created the most splash with the 1889 World's Fair in Paris. Some of the main individuals she writes about you may have heard of--Edison, Eiffel, Buffalo Bill Cody, Annie Oakley, Van Gogh, Whistler and on and on. Like Erik Larson's history of the 1893 fair [Devil in the White City, but without a serial killer], the book bounces from one character to the next as Jonnes weaves them into the larger narrative. I like the build-up, the planning and the crea...more
This book is a history of the 1889 Paris World's Fair. The title together with the long subtitle can pretty well serve as the review of the book since it names many of the persons covered by the book. In its coverage of the French art scene are such names as Van Gogh, Gauguin, Whistler and Bonheur. Also covered are Annie Oakley (sharp shooter), and James Gordon Bennett, Jr (publisher New York Herald). The central focus of the book is Gustave Eiffel's design and construction of the now famous Par...more
I wanted to like this book. I really, really did. It's about the Eiffel Tower, afterall, and I LOVE the Eiffel Tower. Sadly, I can't finish this book (although I'm giving myself credit for finishing it because it feels like I've been reading it for an eternity).
The author's writing style is very jarring. She jumps from topic to topic without warning, leaving the reader thinking, "Wait a minute...we were just talking about the Eiffel Tower and now we are talking about Annie Oakley. Where was the...more
The author's writing style is very jarring. She jumps from topic to topic without warning, leaving the reader thinking, "Wait a minute...we were just talking about the Eiffel Tower and now we are talking about Annie Oakley. Where was the...more
I learned a bit about the construction of Eiffel’s Tower – how much time, talent and money it took as well as it was built only for the World’s Fair in 1889. It was interesting to read that most Parisians weren’t thrilled about the tower going up but over time, the attraction became too much for people to stay away, the comments were, “It’s beautiful,” “It’s like nothing we’ve seen before.” And rather taking the tower down once the contract was up; engineers were already planning on building ta...more
This is the story of the amazing American contribution to the 1889 World's Fair. Americans were the most wonderful, ingenious, wealthy people at the time. The American Otis elevators were a key feature of the Eiffel Tower. Buffalo Bill and Annie Oakley, American icons and the greatest entertainers of the time feature prominently, as do American newspaper magnates, the American genius Thomas Edison and numerous other American personalities. The 4th of July was a magnificent celebration at the Wor...more
Mocked at its birth the Eiffel Tower has been the landmark most symbolic of France throughout the world for 120 years.
It has provided a romantic setting in numerous Hollywood films including Lubitsch’s sparkling NINOTCHKA with Melvyn Douglas and Greta Garbo as two lovers who “meet cute” and race to the top where love awaits; in thrillers like Charles Laughton and Franchot Tone in the Simenon story THE MAN ON THE EIFFEL TOWER and hysterically as gold melted down and recast as miniature towers tha...more
I was a little disappointed with the percentage of the book that is actually about the Eiffel Tower. There was a lot about Buffalo Bill and the Wild West Show and other side topics. The book alludes to the difficulty of the politics of the tower, the actual engineering of the tower, and the building/construction of the tower. The design of the elevators seemed like a side mention. The life of the tower since the World's Fair, too, could have been expanded. In short, I would have liked more about...more
I thought this was going to be more interesting than it actually was. Having read "The Devil in the White City," maybe I was expecting more from a tale about a legendary World's Fair. Paris may not have had a serial killer, but it had drama and celebrity, no doubt. However, this telling of the events surrounding the World's Fair in Paris was a little dry.
The book focuses on several notorious personalities and events associated with the fair, including Eiffel and the controversy surrounding his b...more
The book focuses on several notorious personalities and events associated with the fair, including Eiffel and the controversy surrounding his b...more
I struggled on what to give this book, because I didn't match the complexity that was "Devil in the White City". Indeed "Eiffel's Tower" makes mention of "Devil" a few times in its pages and would make an excellent prequal to it being that its exposition is only 4 years before the Colombian Exposition in Chicago, which in many ways tried to trump it. I did enjoy the book, immensely, however, warranting 4 stars.
"Eiffel's Tower" surrounds the 1889 Exposition Univeselle and the characters that fou...more
"Eiffel's Tower" surrounds the 1889 Exposition Univeselle and the characters that fou...more
Very fascinating book and mostly well written. I do not like that she started out about a year before the fair and then jumped back to when Eiffel was trying to get the job. It did not add to my interest in the book at all, in fact I somewhat wanted to quit reading the book. Plus the author jumped around on few different, though those other times were more understandable as it was catching us up with each of the main people being featured.
It was sad how Eiffel was treated over the Panama canal d...more
It was sad how Eiffel was treated over the Panama canal d...more
What a wonderful book on Paris in 1889 when Eiffel built his tower (to the chagrin of many people and many lawsuits from people who thoght it would fall down on their apartments - it was to be 1000 fett tall! Merci.).
But it's also about all the Americans who came to call in Paris that year. Europe (England, Germany, Spain, et all) had declined invitations to exhibit at this fair. This 100th anniversary of the French Revolution was just to much for the nobles of the European countries to celebrat...more
But it's also about all the Americans who came to call in Paris that year. Europe (England, Germany, Spain, et all) had declined invitations to exhibit at this fair. This 100th anniversary of the French Revolution was just to much for the nobles of the European countries to celebrat...more
The 1889 World’s Fair in Paris: Eiffel, against huge opposition, builds his iconic tower. Van Gogh, Gaugin, and Whistler compete for attention in a growing international art market. Buffalo Bill Cody’s Wild West Show brings buffalos and Indians and sharp-shooter Annie Oakley to France and is hugely popular. Thomas Edison visits the fair and deals with 19th century paparazzi. I really enjoyed this view of the shift towards modernity that was occurring at the end of the 19th century, nowhere bette...more
Interesting story of the 1890 World's Fair in Paris. It was really four separate biographies that were weakly tied together - World's fair, Eiffel, Bill Cody and Annie Oakley, Vincent Van Gogh and Paul Gaugin, and Thomas Edison. The best story to me was Eiffel - railroad engineer who was designing bridgers in the French Colonies. He made a lot of money with his company. He proposes this massive tower (three times larger than anything previously built). Since he is not an architect, he faces a lo...more
1 like · like · see review
A colorful history of Paris' Eiffel Tower and the 1889 World's Fair of which it was the centerpiece. The book is very much in the vein of Erik Larson's Devil In the White City, telling the parallel stories of Gustave Eiffel, Thomas Edison, Buffalo Bill Cody, American ambassador Whitelaw Reid, and a host of other fair organizers, attendees, and contemporaries. The only person who seemed unduly focused-upon was Joseph Gordon Bennett, publisher of the New York's Herald as well as a sister newspaper...more
If this book doesn't make you want to visit Paris, nothing will! This book was very well researched and felt like an enjoyable history lesson. I guess if you don't like history, that won't appeal to you. I do, so it did. The book follows many prominent people from the late 1800's who visited the world's fair the year the Eiffel Tower was completed. I found every aspect of this book interesting and even though there was no active plot and the narrative jumped from person to person, I was constant...more
I read this because I absolutely loved Devil in the White City and this book seemed to be compared to it. It's not really fair to do so though. Devil in the White City evaluated Chicago at the end of the nineteenth century, juxtaposing the glitz AND problems of the World's fair with the crime and immoral behavior of the city. It alternated between each story, giving you just enough of the historical background, without drowning you, and just enough of the salacious story of the mass murderer. Yo...more
If you like historical fiction, this one is rather interesting. I did learn a lot, which to me besides pure enjoyment) is a good reason to read historical fiction.
This tells the story behind the planning and building of the Eiffel Tower. It was a highlight of the World fair (exposition) held in Paris. As the title suggests, though, the World's Fair was also the gathering place for artists, inventors, and the Buffalo Bill Wild West Show. There is a lot of back stories to all of the above, some m...more
This tells the story behind the planning and building of the Eiffel Tower. It was a highlight of the World fair (exposition) held in Paris. As the title suggests, though, the World's Fair was also the gathering place for artists, inventors, and the Buffalo Bill Wild West Show. There is a lot of back stories to all of the above, some m...more
I tried really hard to get into this book, but I think historical non-fiction is just not my genre. Some of the early details about the building of the Eiffel Tower were cool... especially learning about how the popular opinion was so negative throughout the construction. I loved how much Eiffel believed in his project, and how in the end, he created a beloved icon.
The book is also really comparable to the "Devil in the White City," and does a great job of describing the excitement around the W...more
The book is also really comparable to the "Devil in the White City," and does a great job of describing the excitement around the W...more
The author loves words like "ineluctably", "inimitable", and "vertiginous" (who doesn't?). An excellent job of telling the story of the people that made the World's fair the tremendous event that it was. And entwined with that story is the story of the building of Eiffel's tower. I learned a lot about the tower. It was pretty unpopular in the idea stages and on expected it to become the symbol of France to the world.
One of the interesting parts that made me laugh was envisioning stands full of...more
One of the interesting parts that made me laugh was envisioning stands full of...more
Aug 25, 2011
Meghan
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Architecture buffs, Francophiles, fans of Eric Larson
Recommended to Meghan by:
LG library
Who knew the Eiffel Tower had such a storied history? Gustave Eiffel's struggle to bring forth his vision now known as the Eiffel Tower is reminiscent of Rand's The Fountainhead. He faced ridicule, doubt, and potential financial ruin to maintain his one clear vision of what best represented newly liberated, democratic France and her future in the 1890 World's Fair in Paris.
Surprisingly, for a story set in France about the French World's Fair, the story actually represented mainly American figure...more
Surprisingly, for a story set in France about the French World's Fair, the story actually represented mainly American figure...more
Required reading for anyone who has been to Paris, is planning to go to Paris or is interested in Paris. Built for the 1889 World’s Fair, the Eiffel tower has long held the world’s attention and imagination. Jonnes tells the story of the tower’s creation and the controversy it created. As well, she weaves in interesting accounts of famous personalities associated with Paris and the World’s Fair, including: Buffalo Bill, Annie Oakley, Whistler, Edison and Van Gogh. A fascinating piece of social h...more
Comparisons to Erik Larson's book "Devil in the White City"
about the Chicago World's Fair are inevitable. To my mind,
"Eiffel's Tower" is much more readable and entertaining,
without being any less didactive. Jonnes does an excellent
job weaving together the threads of science and industry,
art and society, politics and popular culture in Belle Epoque
Paris by following select historical personages and their
associations with the Fair. "Vive Guillaume Buffalo!"
about the Chicago World's Fair are inevitable. To my mind,
"Eiffel's Tower" is much more readable and entertaining,
without being any less didactive. Jonnes does an excellent
job weaving together the threads of science and industry,
art and society, politics and popular culture in Belle Epoque
Paris by following select historical personages and their
associations with the Fair. "Vive Guillaume Buffalo!"
Interesting story, and does give some fascinating detail about Gustave Eiffel and the tower's construction. BUT! If you are looking for a book solely about the Eiffel Tower, this is not that book. It is more an account of the World's Fair for which the tower was built, and the culture of the time. So if you want to know about the Buffalo Bill and Annie Oakley and Thomas Edison and Van Gogh and all kinds of other interesting people of the time, as well as the Tower and its genesis, this is a grea...more
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Sep 26, 2010 10:24pm