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Making Monte Carlo: A History of Speculation and Spectacle
A rollicking narrative history of Monte Carlo, capturing its nineteenth-century rise as the world’s first modern casino-resort and its Jazz Age heyday as infamous playground of the rich.
Monte Carlo has long been known as a dazzling playground for the rich and famous. Less well known are the shrewd and often ruthless strategies that went into creating such a potent symbol of luxury and cosmopolitan glamour. As historian Mark Braude reveals in his entertaining and informative Making Monte Carlo , the world’s first modern casino-resort started as an unlikely prospect—with the legalization of gambling in tiny Monaco in 1855—and eventually emerged as the most glamorous gambling destination of the Victorian era. The resort declined in the wake of WWI, and was reinvented, again, to suit the styles and desires of the new Jazz Age tastemakers, such as F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, Gerald and Sarah Murphy, and Coco Chanel.
Along the way, we encounter a colorful cast of characters, including the fast-talking Francois Blanc (a professional gambler, stock market manipulator, and founder of Monte Carlo); Basil Zaharoff (notorious munitions dealer and possible secret owner of the casino in the 1920s); Elsa Maxwell (a brash society figure and Hollywood maven, hired as the casino’s publicist); Réné Léon (a visionary Jewish businessman, who revitalized the resort after WWI); Jean Cocteau, Pablo Picasso, and other satellite members of Serge Diaghilev’s Ballet Russes dance company; as well as Cole Porter, Ernest Hemingway and other American expats who ‘colonized’ the Riviera in the 1920s.
A rollercoaster history of how a small, rural town grew into the prosperous resort epicenter of the late nineteenth century and rose again to greatness out of the ashes of WWI, Making Monte Carlo is a classic rags-to-riches tale set in the most scenic of European settings.
Monte Carlo has long been known as a dazzling playground for the rich and famous. Less well known are the shrewd and often ruthless strategies that went into creating such a potent symbol of luxury and cosmopolitan glamour. As historian Mark Braude reveals in his entertaining and informative Making Monte Carlo , the world’s first modern casino-resort started as an unlikely prospect—with the legalization of gambling in tiny Monaco in 1855—and eventually emerged as the most glamorous gambling destination of the Victorian era. The resort declined in the wake of WWI, and was reinvented, again, to suit the styles and desires of the new Jazz Age tastemakers, such as F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, Gerald and Sarah Murphy, and Coco Chanel.
Along the way, we encounter a colorful cast of characters, including the fast-talking Francois Blanc (a professional gambler, stock market manipulator, and founder of Monte Carlo); Basil Zaharoff (notorious munitions dealer and possible secret owner of the casino in the 1920s); Elsa Maxwell (a brash society figure and Hollywood maven, hired as the casino’s publicist); Réné Léon (a visionary Jewish businessman, who revitalized the resort after WWI); Jean Cocteau, Pablo Picasso, and other satellite members of Serge Diaghilev’s Ballet Russes dance company; as well as Cole Porter, Ernest Hemingway and other American expats who ‘colonized’ the Riviera in the 1920s.
A rollercoaster history of how a small, rural town grew into the prosperous resort epicenter of the late nineteenth century and rose again to greatness out of the ashes of WWI, Making Monte Carlo is a classic rags-to-riches tale set in the most scenic of European settings.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published April 12, 2016
11 people are currently reading
378 people want to read
About the author
Mark Braude
5 books31 followersMARK BRAUDE is a cultural historian and the author of KIKI MAN RAY: ART, LOVE, AND RIVALRY IN 1920S PARIS (W.W. Norton, Summer 2022), THE INVISIBLE EMPEROR: NAPOLEON ON ELBA FROM EXILE TO ESCAPE (Penguin Press, 2018), and MAKING MONTE CARLO: A HISTORY OF SPECULATION AND SPECTACLE (Simon & Schuster, 2016). His books have been translated into several languages.
Mark was a 2020 visiting fellow at the American Library in Paris and was named a 2017 NEH Public Scholar. He is the recipient of grants from the Robert B. Silvers Foundation, the Canada Council for the Arts, the de Groot Foundation, and others. He has been a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University’s Center for Spatial and Textual Analysis (CESTA) and a lecturer in Stanford’s departments of Art History, French, and History.
Mark was born in Vancouver and went to college at the University of British Columbia. He received an MA from NYU’s Institute of French Studies and a PhD in History and Visual Studies from USC. He has written for The Globe and Mail, The Los Angeles Times, The New Republic, and others. He lives in Vancouver with his wife and their two daughters.
Mark was a 2020 visiting fellow at the American Library in Paris and was named a 2017 NEH Public Scholar. He is the recipient of grants from the Robert B. Silvers Foundation, the Canada Council for the Arts, the de Groot Foundation, and others. He has been a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University’s Center for Spatial and Textual Analysis (CESTA) and a lecturer in Stanford’s departments of Art History, French, and History.
Mark was born in Vancouver and went to college at the University of British Columbia. He received an MA from NYU’s Institute of French Studies and a PhD in History and Visual Studies from USC. He has written for The Globe and Mail, The Los Angeles Times, The New Republic, and others. He lives in Vancouver with his wife and their two daughters.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
April 28, 2016
I was a bit disappointed when I finished Mark Braude's book, "Making Monte Carlo: A History of Speculation and Spectacle". The book I had enjoyed reading ended in the 1930's. Then I looked at the title again, and realised why the book ended when it did. Monte Carlo, part of Monaco, really had been the product of speculation, wild ideas, and sometimes shady operators. Was the time period Braude wrote about the end of the speculative era? Did things calm down after the 1930's?
Mark Braude has written a snappy, fun book about the creation of Monte Carlo. He begins by examining the German spas which were set up in the early 1800's to provide a place to both "take the waters"...and have a little fun on dry land. That fun often included gambling and the spa towns attracted plenty of high rollers - both royal and just wealthy. The spa and casino of Bad Homburg, located in Hesse, had been started up by twin brothers, Louis and Francois Blanc. Francois was lured away to Monaco in the early 1860's to revive a not-so-thriving casino. Francois Blanc worked his magic, turning around the poky casino and livening the place up with a flashy hotel and other entertainment. But the money-making casino was still the major draw to those seeking fun in the south of France.
Monte Carlo and its allure was made even more reachable by increased train service to the rocky area just east of Nice. The train service and other attractions were made known by a directed publicity campaign. Some smart minds were behind the advertising, and Monte Carlo became "the" place to see and be seen. Braude ends his book with the "Circuit de Monaco" road race, run through the streets of Monaco.
Mark Braude does an excellent job of looking at the people who created the myth and the reality of Monte Carlo. The book is a fun read. So, why am I giving it four stars instead of five? Because, if ever a work of non-fiction needed illustrations, this is the book. There are three maps of the area I found, but I looked through the entire Kindle version and could find no pictures of either the people behind the development of Monte Carlo, or of the place itself. Maybe photographs will be added to future editions. They are sorely needed.
Mark Braude has written a snappy, fun book about the creation of Monte Carlo. He begins by examining the German spas which were set up in the early 1800's to provide a place to both "take the waters"...and have a little fun on dry land. That fun often included gambling and the spa towns attracted plenty of high rollers - both royal and just wealthy. The spa and casino of Bad Homburg, located in Hesse, had been started up by twin brothers, Louis and Francois Blanc. Francois was lured away to Monaco in the early 1860's to revive a not-so-thriving casino. Francois Blanc worked his magic, turning around the poky casino and livening the place up with a flashy hotel and other entertainment. But the money-making casino was still the major draw to those seeking fun in the south of France.
Monte Carlo and its allure was made even more reachable by increased train service to the rocky area just east of Nice. The train service and other attractions were made known by a directed publicity campaign. Some smart minds were behind the advertising, and Monte Carlo became "the" place to see and be seen. Braude ends his book with the "Circuit de Monaco" road race, run through the streets of Monaco.
Mark Braude does an excellent job of looking at the people who created the myth and the reality of Monte Carlo. The book is a fun read. So, why am I giving it four stars instead of five? Because, if ever a work of non-fiction needed illustrations, this is the book. There are three maps of the area I found, but I looked through the entire Kindle version and could find no pictures of either the people behind the development of Monte Carlo, or of the place itself. Maybe photographs will be added to future editions. They are sorely needed.
July 6, 2016
It turns out that the story of Monte Carlo is damn fascinating. Or Mark Braude is a damn fine writer. Or both.
His intriguing history of how Monte Carlo became the world's first super-casino and playground for the wealthy makes for fascinating reading. But this isn't light pop-history; Braude's account is an extensively researched and thoughtful work of history. This is a historian in command of both his subject matter and his prose. Indeed, there's a full cast of the rich and famous, but the real star of the story is Monte Carlo itself. I was enthralled by its financial history -- and the rogues, gamblers, and shrewd businessmen who built it essentially from scratch after gambling was legalized in 1855.
I knew very little about Monte Carlo before reading this book, other than stray mentions in books and viewings in films and television. And now I know much more . . . and had fun along the way.
(Thanks to Simon & Schuster for an advance copy via a giveaway. Receiving a free copy did not affect the content of my review.)
His intriguing history of how Monte Carlo became the world's first super-casino and playground for the wealthy makes for fascinating reading. But this isn't light pop-history; Braude's account is an extensively researched and thoughtful work of history. This is a historian in command of both his subject matter and his prose. Indeed, there's a full cast of the rich and famous, but the real star of the story is Monte Carlo itself. I was enthralled by its financial history -- and the rogues, gamblers, and shrewd businessmen who built it essentially from scratch after gambling was legalized in 1855.
I knew very little about Monte Carlo before reading this book, other than stray mentions in books and viewings in films and television. And now I know much more . . . and had fun along the way.
(Thanks to Simon & Schuster for an advance copy via a giveaway. Receiving a free copy did not affect the content of my review.)
May 30, 2016
This entertaining and absorbing book started off as a doctoral dissertation which perhaps explains why it comes to such an abrupt end – it would have been helpful to have at least a page or two outlining Monte Carlo’s fortunes since the 1930s. Nevertheless, it’s a fascinating and very readable account of the development of the city from its inception in the 1860s and of the people who made its development possible. How one small village became a place that epitomises wealth and glamour makes for some riveting reading. Well-researched and written in a lively accessible style, the author keeps the reader’s attention with anecdotes of all the “names” that have visited and whets the appetite to make a pilgrimage there oneself. A good fun read.
February 18, 2018
Book pays a great deal of attention to the early-early years of Monaco and the 1800s, hence the title “Making”of Monaco. It finally captured my interest w the advent of the 1920s. But I hope he does another focusing on the Monaco we grew up on, under the present-day Grimaldis. My only comment concerns the Murphys, whom he calls nihilistic. They were not and had their share of abrasions w Fitzgerald and others, and much if their life was filled w worry over their son’s tragicallly poor health, hardly carefree and selfless. Overall though, the book is informative and engaging.
September 5, 2020
Great historical context behind the creation of Monte Carlo, and the casino’s relationship with Monaco/France. Political tensions, coupled with growing international travel, paved the way for the unique formation of the “resort destination” industry. Las Vegas and Macau certainly used this story as their playbook decades later.
My only complaint is that the book ended abruptly in the 1930’s just after the first Monaco Grand Prix. The story behind modern Monte Carlo would be equally as fascinating.
My only complaint is that the book ended abruptly in the 1930’s just after the first Monaco Grand Prix. The story behind modern Monte Carlo would be equally as fascinating.
August 14, 2019
My main issue with this otherwise fine & fascinating history (one about a place I've been intensely curious about for years) is that it stops at 1930...but why? What about the rest of the 20th century? What about Grace Kelly? Everything up to the 1930s made for a fascinating read...but the story shuts down at the great wall of WWII. I wanted so much more...why stop there?!?
July 28, 2017
This is history that reads like a novel, goes into sufficient depth, and still leaves the reader thirsting for more. Highly recommend for those looking for an uncommon adventure story and an amazing cast of historical characters.
August 27, 2017
This was a good book although it ended really abruptly. It does not cover the period of Monte Carlo from 1930 to the present which was a disappointment. I would have liked to have known how it survived the war. It dragged in places as well.
May 6, 2019
This ended just as I was getting interested. I'd like to know more about modern life in everyday Monte Carlo.
February 10, 2024
A well-written book on an interesting place.
February 10, 2025
Bardzo interesująca pozycja. Szkoda, że kończy się sporo przed II wojną światową.
April 2, 2016
I received this as an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. What a fantastic, fun read. Full review to come.
+++++++++
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I received this as an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Normally as I read I make multiple notes with the aid of Goodreads. I update my progress constantly to keep track of thoughts and ideas I have as I go, in order to match them up to the page or percent I was on at the time. When looking back at my log of reading for this one, there is one single, solitary note at 60%:
"Elsa Maxwell is fascinating."
Seriously, that is all I wrote the entire time I was reading this one (which took me all of four days total because it was a fantastic, fun read that I did not want to put down).
And it is true. I had never heard of Elsa Maxwell before this, but the pages devoted to her and her relationship with Monte Carlo, as well as her life in general, made for a great read.
I have little interest in gambling in itself, but a special place in my heart for the glitz and glamour of the 1920s - the decade following WWI which saw Monte Carlo rise again as the destination for the rich and famous in Europe.
This is just as much a biography of sorts of Francois Blanc, the founder of Monte Carlo, as it is of the resort-casino itself. I have very little knowledge of the place as it is now - as I am neither rich nor famous - but as you might know if you have been reading my reviews for a while, I love history and am always looking for a good story. I found his life story to be a very interesting one, starting in his younger years with a variety of stock market scams, to his first successful casino ventures, to what can be considered his crowning achievement in turning Monte Carlo from a sleepy, small town into what we know it as today.
Aside from Blanc, there are numerous other names you will recognize - notably of course F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda, Picasso, and Hemingway. There will also be some you may be unfamiliar with, as I was. Worth mentioning a second time is Elsa Maxwell, who is best described as a party-planner to the stars so to speak. She was famous for the outrageous soirees she held and brought her magic touch to Monte Carlo to help revive the resort and bring it back to the forefront of society again.
Overall, this was a great read that I really enjoyed. It was a fast-paced read with a writing style that flowed well. Definitely recommended!
+++++++++
http://allthebookblognamesaretaken.bl...
www.facebook.com/AllTheBookBlogNamesA...
www.twitter.com/SarahsBookNook
I received this as an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Normally as I read I make multiple notes with the aid of Goodreads. I update my progress constantly to keep track of thoughts and ideas I have as I go, in order to match them up to the page or percent I was on at the time. When looking back at my log of reading for this one, there is one single, solitary note at 60%:
"Elsa Maxwell is fascinating."
Seriously, that is all I wrote the entire time I was reading this one (which took me all of four days total because it was a fantastic, fun read that I did not want to put down).
And it is true. I had never heard of Elsa Maxwell before this, but the pages devoted to her and her relationship with Monte Carlo, as well as her life in general, made for a great read.
I have little interest in gambling in itself, but a special place in my heart for the glitz and glamour of the 1920s - the decade following WWI which saw Monte Carlo rise again as the destination for the rich and famous in Europe.
This is just as much a biography of sorts of Francois Blanc, the founder of Monte Carlo, as it is of the resort-casino itself. I have very little knowledge of the place as it is now - as I am neither rich nor famous - but as you might know if you have been reading my reviews for a while, I love history and am always looking for a good story. I found his life story to be a very interesting one, starting in his younger years with a variety of stock market scams, to his first successful casino ventures, to what can be considered his crowning achievement in turning Monte Carlo from a sleepy, small town into what we know it as today.
Aside from Blanc, there are numerous other names you will recognize - notably of course F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda, Picasso, and Hemingway. There will also be some you may be unfamiliar with, as I was. Worth mentioning a second time is Elsa Maxwell, who is best described as a party-planner to the stars so to speak. She was famous for the outrageous soirees she held and brought her magic touch to Monte Carlo to help revive the resort and bring it back to the forefront of society again.
Overall, this was a great read that I really enjoyed. It was a fast-paced read with a writing style that flowed well. Definitely recommended!
February 23, 2017
An interesting read. The facts were well-documented, but the narrative flows easily. O learned lots about Monte Carlo and about the whole trend behind the luxury casinos and spa resorts in general. Thanks to Goodreads for the opportunity to read this.
January 28, 2016
This review is based on receiving an advance copy of Making Monte Carlo (MMC).
What a treat! I do enjoy the concise style of writing at which the author excels. I feel like I got to the crux of the various Monte Carlo stories without having to wade through excessive and marginal-value detail, and yet came away with a depth of new knowledge.
For someone who has enjoyed and admired the culture of the south of France, and who has been fascinated by the characters in the Belle Epoque, MMC has rendered a valuable service, by superbly describing the driving forces prevalent during this extraordinary era.
MMC is highly recommended for anyone interested:
- in visiting Provence and the south of France
- in Belle Epoque history
- in resort marketing.
What a treat! I do enjoy the concise style of writing at which the author excels. I feel like I got to the crux of the various Monte Carlo stories without having to wade through excessive and marginal-value detail, and yet came away with a depth of new knowledge.
For someone who has enjoyed and admired the culture of the south of France, and who has been fascinated by the characters in the Belle Epoque, MMC has rendered a valuable service, by superbly describing the driving forces prevalent during this extraordinary era.
MMC is highly recommended for anyone interested:
- in visiting Provence and the south of France
- in Belle Epoque history
- in resort marketing.
May 4, 2016
This is a Goodreads First Reads review.
The Making of Monte Carlo is more accurately the Making of the Monte Carlo casino with the first part of the story following the Blanc brothers from their gambling pursuits to the creation of the casino to help ease Monaco’s financial troubles. Then it follows a trend that is universal in tourist areas, the locals vs the interlopers, in this case the Monegasque vs the French. The final part is the establishment of Monte Carlo as Europe’s premier resort, from WWI, which it operated as a neutral area, to the jazz age, which hopefully means that there will be another book that takes it to present day.
The Making of Monte Carlo is more accurately the Making of the Monte Carlo casino with the first part of the story following the Blanc brothers from their gambling pursuits to the creation of the casino to help ease Monaco’s financial troubles. Then it follows a trend that is universal in tourist areas, the locals vs the interlopers, in this case the Monegasque vs the French. The final part is the establishment of Monte Carlo as Europe’s premier resort, from WWI, which it operated as a neutral area, to the jazz age, which hopefully means that there will be another book that takes it to present day.
April 26, 2016
I really recommend this book by Mark Braude. It was a great, fun and easy read. I didn't know very much about Monaco or Monte Carlo before this book and Braude makes it both educational and fun. The book covers a long period starting before Monte Carlo existed through the 1930s and includes a broad historical overview along with lots of fun appearances by celebrities and historical figured like Marx, Dostoyevsky, Charles Schwab and many more. If you are interested in Monaco or Monte Carlo, you'll love this book.
December 20, 2016
“Making Monte Carlo” provides an entertaining and informative look at the development of Monte Carlo from the mid 1800’s up until the 1930’s. Although Monte Carlo has a reputation for glamour, wealth, decadence, and beautiful people, Mark Baude goes behind the scenes to reveal the history of this popular and luxurious gambling resort and the famous, shrewd, and odd-ball characters that both created and visited this glittering and alluring haven. A fun and fascinating read.
Thank you to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.
Thank you to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.
December 22, 2015
As a lover of history, but not necessarily of history books, I really enjoyed Making Monte Carlo. It was a fun and fascinating read — breezy and lively, full of interesting characters and vivid tales about the rise of Monte Carlo and casino culture. It has a bit of everything: glamour, politics, history, drama, and no shortage of business lessons. One need not be a card sharp or even a casino-goer to appreciate.
June 1, 2016
I received this book as the winner of a Goodreads give-away. Normally, I only read books in digital form, but it was nice to read a hard copy book again. I enjoyed reading this book and appreciated the history of Monte Carlo and Monaco; however, I was hoping that the author would have included history up to the modern day. Either way, I thought this book was a very solid first book from the author.
May 13, 2016
This book began as a thesis (or student paper) and blossomed from there. I enjoyed reading about the beginnings of Monte Carlo, and that is just what this book is. It takes the history of Monte Carlo from its beginning to 1930 and the race, then goes no further. I would have liked to have read more about the more current Grimaldis, however the book is a good source of information on the foundation of the resort and casino.
I received this book free from Goodreads First Reads.
I received this book free from Goodreads First Reads.
December 14, 2015
I received an advanced copy of this book and really enjoyed it. I usually prefer novels, but got hooked instantly. Making Monte Carlo is as exciting as any work of fiction, and the author does a fantastic job of painting a vivid picture of Monaco, the South of France, and the cast of characters that shaped the rise of this once sleepy town.
January 25, 2016
Advance review copy. Highly readable. Novelistic. Makes you think about contemporary luxury branding and the tourism industry. Best of all was the second half, which covered the 1920s and had all that Jazz Age glamour. I couldn't get enough of picturing the freewheeling Riviera lifestyle he described. Should be a movie/tv show! Pretty confident this will be a bestseller.
July 25, 2016
Fun and fascinating history of Monte Carlo. I felt that it ended a bit abruptly and could have used a little more "wrapping up" or connecting the story to further developments (What happened during WWII, for example? Has the boom of low-cost carriers and everyman tourism had any effect?), but I enjoyed the book and found it to be a quick read.
May 4, 2016
A wonderful historical book full of history, culture, and drama! You can't make this stuff up! The author paints a vivid picture of Monaco and the characters who built it. Extremely readable and very entertaining while really educational - no shortage of lessons. Very fun and a good read.
June 1, 2016
Enjoyable read about the history of the Monte Carlo casino, along with background on the players who created it and anecdotes aplenty about many who lost dreams of easy fortune there in Monaco. A little thin for a history book, at just over 200 pages, but plenty of interesting stories presented in an easy reading style. I'd rate this book at 3.5 stars, if possible.
May 23, 2016
This book gives the history of Monte Carlo. I found it interesting to read the list of famous people that regularly went to Monte Carlo. It would have been interesting to have the book go closer to the present but I guess that will be for another book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 16, 2017
I received this book from Goodreads First Reads in exchange for an honest review...
An exciting and fun read, very enjoyable. I do wish Braude invested more time in describing/explaining/writing about the actual place instead of random people. Regardless, this is an overall decently good book.
An exciting and fun read, very enjoyable. I do wish Braude invested more time in describing/explaining/writing about the actual place instead of random people. Regardless, this is an overall decently good book.
August 5, 2016
A fun book.
Modest but enjoyable.
And very interesting
Modest but enjoyable.
And very interesting
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews