Dawn of the Belle Epoque - by Mary McAuliffe (Paperback)

About the Book

Paris in 1871 was a shambles following military defeat, siege, and a bloody uprising, and the question loomed, could this extraordinary city even survive? By 1900, the Belle Epoque was in full flower, but the decades between were marked by tension and conflict, as the new chal...

Book Synopsis

Paris in 1871 was a shambles following military defeat, siege, and a bloody uprising, and the question loomed, could this extraordinary city even survive? By 1900, the Belle Epoque was in full flower, but the decades between were marked by tension and conflict, as the new challenged the old in everything from politics to art, literature, music, science, and engineering. With the addition of an evocative new preface, Mary McAuliffe takes the reader back to these perilous years following the abrupt collapse of the Second Empire and France's uncertain venture into the Third Republic--examining this era through the eyes of Monet, Zola, Debussy, Eiffel, Marie Curie, and others as they struggled with the forces of tradition. Through rich illustrations and vivid narrative, McAuliffe brings this vibrant and seminal era to life.

Review Quotes

[In her] splendid . . . work, Dawn of the Belle Epoque, Mary McAuliffe strikingly evoked the three flourishing decades of culture that followed France's humiliation by Germany and the never-to-be-forgotten crowning, in 1871, of a German emperor at Versailles.

About the Author

Mary McAuliffe received a Ph.D. in history from the University of Maryland and has taught at several universities and lectured at the Smithsonian Institution. For many years she was a regular contributor to Paris Notes. She has traveled extensively in France and is the author of Paris Discovered: Explorations in the City of Light. She lives in New York City with her husband. Click here to visit her photo blog on Facebook for insights on French history and culture.