Book Reviews: How to Read Paris, by Chris Rogers

Highly recommended. Subtitled, A Crash Course in Parisian Architecture, this is a sac-sized treat for those flâneurs who would like to delve a little deeper into the French capital’s most singular corners (or, indeed, cornices) while enjoying its myriad delights.

Chris Rogers spent 12 years exploring Paris to delineate its architectural mores, and those visitors who always marvelled at the city’s breathtaking mix of styles will find much to savour herein. Arranged in sections (Middle Ages & Renaissance, Neoclassicism, The Beaux Arts, etc.) with location maps, lists of notable architects and their Parisian buildings, and a handy index, this book delivers much more than its compact size, line illustrations and uncluttered design first suggests.

Rogers is adept at describing architectural styles and the wider – political or social – reasons behind them, and this book will certainly enrich your next visit to the City of Light.

How to Read Paris: A Crash Course in Parisian Architecture, by Chris Rogers. List price £9.99. Published by Ivy Press. 

From France Today magazine