Bloody History of Paris

'He who contemplates the depths of Paris is seized with vertigo. Nothing is more fantastic. Nothing is more tragic. Nothing is more sublime.' - Victor Hugo

Think of Paris and you might picture romantic images of elegant boulevards, bohemian artists and cafe society. Those aren't wrong, but the story of Paris is also a tale of riots and revolution, plagues and squalor, sieges, occupations and religious persecution.

Ranging from ancient Gallic city conquered by the Romans to the 2015 terrorist attacks, Bloody History of Paris is a lively account of the political, military, social and cultural life of the capital. At times the largest city in Europe, Paris has been sacked by the Vikings, besieged by the Prussians and occupied by the Nazis; it has nurtured the artistic heights of Toulouse-Lautrec, Modigliani and Edith Piaf, but also witnessed their self-destructive lives.