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    Eiffel's Tower: The Thrilling Story Behind Paris's Beloved Monument and the Extraordinary World's Fair That Introduced It
    Eiffel's Tower: The Thrilling Story Behind Paris's Beloved Monument and the Extraordinary World's Fair That Introduced It
    Eiffel's Tower: The Thrilling Story Behind Paris's Beloved Monument and the Extraordinary World's Fair That Introduced It
    Audiobook13 hours

    Eiffel's Tower: The Thrilling Story Behind Paris's Beloved Monument and the Extraordinary World's Fair That Introduced It

    Written by Jill Jonnes

    Narrated by Paul Hecht

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Reminiscent of Erik Larson's The Devil in the White City, this fascinating account from acclaimed author Jill Jonnes recaptures the 1889 Paris World's Fair. Casting vehement criticism aside, Gustave Eiffel built his tower to be the fair's centerpiece. Perched at the top all summer, he hosted a string of dignitaries.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateJul 3, 2009
    ISBN9781440718298
    Eiffel's Tower: The Thrilling Story Behind Paris's Beloved Monument and the Extraordinary World's Fair That Introduced It

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    Reviews for Eiffel's Tower

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    • 5/5
      Jill Jonnes new book Eiffel’s Tower is not just a biography of Gustave Eiffel, or the incredible tale of the building of one of the world’s most magnificent architectural wonders, it is so much more. The setting is 1899 Paris, it is the time for creating the magic for the new World’s Fair.Jonnes begins her story in 1897 by informing the reader of Eiffel’s dream and plan, to use the tower as the centerpiece of the upcoming fair two years hence. This is an absorbing story of how one man fought against many people who were opposed to the building of the tower, and how he persevered to win the prestigious slot to use his dream tower to be the showcase of the future Paris World’s Fair. Revealing to us the engineering feat of what it took to design and pull off this ingenious iron marvel, the book is simply fascinating. I learned a lot of how the Eiffel Tower was constructed and of the many talents and physical demands of the men who strived to make Eiffel’s dream come true. Interesting too, are the little biographical tidbits that the author intersperses around the long lived years of Gustave’s life, and of his many other astounding achievements. Eiffel had his hand in other major engineering projects around the world that readers will certainly recognize, never realizing he had been involved with their development.As the Eiffel tower slowly soars skyward, the author begins to pull together various stories of the menagerie of famous and prominent people, that will be exhibiting and entertaining the many millions of tourists who will flood Paris with their enthusiasm to see the newest wonders of the world. Alternating between Eiffel’s daily setbacks and conquests involving the erection of the tower, are delightful snippets of enchanting characters such as Buffalo Bill Cody, Annie Oakley, Thomas Edison, Charles Otis of Otis Elevator fame, struggling French Impressionist painters such as Vincent Van Gogh, Paul Gauguin and American artist James Whistler. Jonnes paints an evocative panoramic picture of what it was like to bring the World Fair’s exhibits to fruition. The Biographical sketches of Annie Oakley and Thomas Edison were to me very captivating as we learn many more interesting facts about each of their lives and talents that I doubt most people are aware of. I thought the author did a sensational job of developing the story of Paris’ Victorian year of extravagance, giving the reader a fun and informative book of mechanical marvels, innovative scientists, inventors and engineers, and outlandish artists and prominent celebrities that at the time, dazzled every household around the globe. Eiffel’s Tower was an engaging and delightful read that will be enjoyed by all lovers of history, Victorian era fans, World’s fair enthusiasts and especially by all engineers and inventors. To view Paul Gauguin’s Tahiti Paintings, to see Edison’s new phonograph, to listen to the blood curdling hoop and holler of the American red Indians of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show, and to hear the daily newsboys hawking “Read All About It”, as news of the fair and tower progress, had me feeling I was right there in Paris taking it all in. I Walked the faux streets of Cairo, boarded the trolley train, swayed to the music as Javanese dancers mesmerized the crowds, then ended the day by boarding an elevator 1000 feet up in the air to the top of Gustave Eiffel’s electric lit crowing glory. Reading this book was a memorable experience that allowed me to feel I had stepped back in time.
    • 4/5
      A very good book. My initial take was useless, because I expected the pictures to take up more of the book, and I resented the author's discussion of painters and writers who were famous. She does a good job in setting up the story of the tower'sconstruction and the World fair of 1889, but a terrible one of saying why the tower has lasted so long and why i should go.The writers, painters and inventors that the author describes often have nothing to do with the tower.
    • 3/5
      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 American Indians in full traditional garb from Buffalo Bill's Wild West show watching Scotts in their kilts doing the Caber toss.

      Well told and fairly interesting.
    • 4/5
      There is only one true Eiffel Tower. There may be copies in China or Las Vegas, but the Tower only has its sense of power and sheer gravitas amidst the Parisian landscape. While it is not viewable from every window in Paris (contrary to its depiction in movies), it is an iconic and uniquely noticeable landmark. Originally conceived and drafted in 1884 by Maurice Koechlin and Emile Nouguier—engineers under the employ of Gustave Eiffel—, it received the go-ahead for construction in 1887 to be ready for the 1889 Exposition Universelle. Jill Jonnes Eiffel’s Tower is quite an illuminating look into the history of, reaction to, and culture surrounding France’s steel pyramid.Sadly, the construction of the Tower is hardly dramatic. Each piece was painstakingly measured and assembled in a factory, then carted out to the work site for placement. Eiffel and his team of engineers thought of many things to get ahead of possible problems: there were hydraulic jacks in each of the “feet” to help re-align them in case the joining levels were off-center and stringent safety protocols meant that only one person died during its construction. What makes for more fun reading is the social landscape during the lead up to and culmination of the Exposition. Annie Oakley, Thomas Edison, Vincent van Gogh, and even the future Csar Nicholas II of Russia attended the fair, each bringing an interesting perspective to this global event. Thankfully, their stories help to spice up the rather tidy and bland history of the tower itself. All in all, it was a fun read that ends just when it needs to.
    • 5/5
      An excellent "narrative" nonfiction read. The book covers not only the planning, controversy and building of the tower, but includes the other events of the 1889 World's Fair as well. The only reason it didn't garner a full 5 star rating is that some of the sections that "drifted" from the tower narrative seemed to go on a little long. Since they were interspersed (for the most part) throughout the building of the tower itself, I found myself wanting to get back to the construction/elevator engineering/lawsuits and "see" the tower built. While I think these side stories were added to break up the monotony of a single topic, but in the end, I think the author may have bitten off just a tad too much to cover in one book - clearly the story of Buffalo Bill's show with Annie Oakley could become a book on its own (that narrative took up a LOT of space). But overall, still a great read
    • 4/5
      Eiffel's Tower is centered around the construction of the Eiffel Tower for the 1889 Exposition Universalle held in Paris and the subsequent people and events that took part in the Expsotion. Buffalo Bill, Annie Oakley, Thomas Edison, Vincent Van Gogh, Paul Gaugain, James McNeill Whistler, and publisher James Gordon Bennett of The New York Herald are featured most prominently in the book.Very well written, entertaining and informative. If you enjoy reading about the 19th century you will want to check this out.
    • 4/5
      Jill Jonnes' new book is Eiffel's Tower: And the World's Fair Where Buffalo Bill Beguiled Paris, the Artists Quarreled, and Thomas Edison Became a Count (Viking, 2009). It tackles each of those elements in alternating and intersecting narratives, not breaking significant new scholarly ground but telling a fascinating story about the 1889 Paris World's Fair and its characters. One of those characters was Eiffel's Tower, the iconic behemoth now instantly recognizable to us as the very symbol of Paris. Its design, construction, use and fate are the framework of Jonnes' book, but I liked the way she was able to weave in the human characters of the fair (from Annie Oakley to the Shah of Persia to James Gordon Bennett, Jr.), documenting their interactions with the Tower and with each other.Perhaps the most enlightening sections of the book for me where those in which Jonnes highlighted the great challenges which accompanied the construction of the Tower, from the debate over its design (many thought it hideous) to the technological difficulties involved (including how to create functioning elevators) and to the businesses it would house (numerous restaurants, plus a satellite office of Le Figaro which published a special edition De la Tour during the Fair).Quite a pleasant read, well enhanced with many photographs (interspersed throughout the book rather than plunked in a center section) and with reasonable source notes, even if these are not indicated in the text as they should be.