The Most Beautiful Walk in the World - by John Baxter (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

Thrust into the unlikely role of professional "literary walking tour" guide, an expat in Paris provides the most irresistibly witty and revealing tour of the city in years.

In this enchanting Paris memoir, acclaimed author and long-time resident John Baxter remembers his yearlong experience of giving "literary walking tours" through the city. Baxter sets off with unsuspecting tourists in tow on the trail of Paris's legendary artists and writers of the past. This love letter to French culture tells the history of Paris through a brilliant cast of characters: the favorite cafés of Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and James Joyce; Pablo Picasso's underground Montmartre haunts; the bustling boulevards of the late-nineteenth-century flâneurs; the secluded "Little Luxembourg" gardens beloved by Gertrude Stein; the alleys where revolutionaries plotted; and finally Baxter's own favorite walk near his home in Saint-Germain-des-Prés.

This is the Paris you can't find in a guidebook, a city best explored on foot, where every cobblestone has a story:

• A Pedestrian in Paris: Learn why the only way to truly experience the city's magic is on foot, leaving the tourists and their maps far behind.
• The Lost Generation's Haunts: Retrace the steps of literary legends, from the favorite cafés of Hemingway and Fitzgerald to the gardens beloved by Gertrude Stein.
• An Expat's Journey: Share in the witty, enchanting, and often hilarious experience of a writer who accidentally becomes a professional tour guide in his adopted city.
• Hidden History: Explore the corners of the city most visitors miss, including Picasso's Montmartre hideouts and the alleys where revolutionaries plotted their next move.

From the Back Cover

Thrust into the unlikely role of professional "literary walking tour" guide, an expat writer provides the most irresistibly witty and revealing tour of Paris in years.

In this enchanting memoir, acclaimed author and long-time Paris resident John Baxter remembers his yearlong experience of giving "literary walking tours" through the city. Baxter sets off with unsuspecting tourists in tow on the trail of Paris's legendary artists and writers of the past. Along the way, he tells the history of Paris through a brilliant cast of characters: the favorite cafés of Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and James Joyce; Pablo Picasso's underground Montmartre haunts; the bustling boulevards of the late-nineteenth-century flâneurs; the secluded "Little Luxembourg" gardens beloved by Gertrude Stein; the alleys where revolutionaries plotted; and finally Baxter's own favorite walk near his home in Saint-Germain-des-Prés.

Review Quotes

"A genial culinary memoir . . . Immoveable Feast is entertaining, often very funny, and surprisingly full of information." - New York Times Book Review

"Fluent, witty and moving, Baxter's prose invites us to savor and enjoy . . . A swift yet sumptuous read." - Los Angeles Times

"A charming insider's guide to literary and artistic Paris...excellent." - Daily Mail (London)

"Baxter has an ear for the pruruent, the offbeat and the absurd. . . . A resounding love of Paris drips from every chapter." - Sydney Morning Herald

"Fabulous . . . the perfect companion for anyone inspired to hop over to France after seeing Midnight in Paris" - NPR.org

"Anyone who loves Paris and loves to walk will feel this book was written just for them. ... Charming." - USA Today

"A splendid memoir ... Reading The Most Beautiful Walk in the World is the next best thing to a Paris vacation." - Boston Globe

"A man with a great appreciation of what makes Paris tick." - Newsday

"A lovely book ... Full of unexpected pleasures ...Parisians claim that walking walking around Paris is an art form in itself, and Baxter proves them right. - Chicago Tribune

"One of the smartest nonfiction titles for summer reading ... Baxter tracks both the city's history and the many celebrated figures who have savored the art of walking in one of the world's most beautiful capitals." - Christian Science Monitor

"We are the beneficiaries of John Baxter's considerable, vivid love for the expatriate life in Paris. ... The Most Beautiful Walk in the World is as close as a reader can get to the feel of a languid spring walk along Baron Haussmann's boulevards." - Los Angeles Times