A Walk Through Paris: A Radical Exploration

By Eric Hazan and David Fernbach

A walker’s guide to Paris, taking us through its past, present and possible futures

Eric Hazan, author of the acclaimed Invention of Paris, takes the reader on a walk from Ivry to Saint-Denis, roughly following the meridian that divides Paris into east and west, and passing such familiar landmarks as the Luxembourg Gardens, the Pompidou Centre, the Gare du Nord and Montmartre, as well as forgotten alleyways and arcades. Weaving historical anecdotes, geographical observations, and literary references, Hazan’s walk guides us through an unknown Paris. With the aid of maps, he delineates the most fascinating and forgotten parts of the city’s past and present.

Planning and modernization have accelerated the erasure of its revolutionary history, yet through walking and observation, Hazan shows how we can regain our knowledge of the city of Robespierre, the Commune, Sartre, and the May ’68 uprising.

Drawing on his own life story, as surgeon, publisher and social critic, Hazan vividly illustrates the interplay and concord between a city and the personality it forms.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Mar 27, 2018
• ISBN: 9781786632616

Eric Hazan

Eric Hazan is the founder of the publisher La Fabrique and the author of several books, including Notes on the Occupation and the highly acclaimed The Invention of Paris. He has lived in Paris, France, all his life.

Reviews for A Walk Through Paris

[vpfluke · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a very descriptive tour through Paris, by a resident, who is a also a surgeon and publisher. You feel that you are walking with him as he feeds you all sort of observations and tidbits in the neighborhoods and train stations of Paris. I think perhaps the drawings, maps, and photos were by the author.