Tonight we're gonna party like it's 1899...

July 7, 2007 11:15 AM

I'm looking for books (in English) about Paris in 1899 for a research project. General cultural history is fine, as is a slightly broader period (1890-1910), but I'm looking for more than just a section in a larger French history book. Ideally, I'd find something like Margaret MacMillan's Paris 1919, but for 1899. I'm having difficulty finding something this specific via Google/Amazon/the library, as there are thousands of listings for "Paris", so I'm hoping you'll recommend books you've enjoyed or found useful.
posted by judith to Media & Arts (9 answers total)

Off the top of my head, the only thing that I can think of is Barbara Tuchman's The Proud Tower, an overview of Britain, the U.S., France and Germany from the turn of the century through WWI. As I recall, the France sections focus mainly on the Dreyfus Affair, but there may be some useful kernels to be gleaned.
posted by Bromius at 11:42 AM on July 7, 2007

Its focus is more mid-19th century Paris and it's certainly not a standard history, by any means, but Walter Benajmin's Arcades Project might yield some gems for you.
posted by scody at 11:57 AM on July 7, 2007

Zola.
I read The Ladies' Paradise (1883) for a 19th century European history class, and a few others since. Fiction, but very good at showing daily life during the period.
posted by Methylviolet at 12:01 PM on July 7, 2007

Response by poster: Yeah, I'm a big fan of Benjamin & have a copy of the Arcades Project on my desk. I've also got a number of other "cultural history of modernity" type stuff, but am looking more specifically for a sense of what actually took place in Paris in that short period right around the turn of the century.
posted by judith at 12:02 PM on July 7, 2007

The Banquet Years by Roger Shattuck deals with the period 1885-1914.
posted by Ironmouth at 12:33 PM on July 7, 2007

I'd also suggest the volumes on France by Theodore Zeldin.
posted by Ironmouth at 12:48 PM on July 7, 2007

Les Lieux de mémoire, Pierre Nora - magisterial - bound to have something of interest! I believe the whole thing is translated into English now.
posted by citron at 5:32 PM on July 7, 2007

I can suggest France, Fin de Siècle
posted by TheRaven at 6:34 PM on July 7, 2007

I second The Banquet Years for a cultural history of the nascent avant-garde during that time period. It may be too focused for what you want, though.
posted by Falconetti at 6:59 PM on July 7, 2007