(#1) "Paris Under Water: How the City of Light Survived the Great Flood of 1910" by Jeffrey H. Jackson (2010)

I am a big fan of Paris, and the Eiffel Tower in particular.  I thought it was magical the first time I saw it, and have been in love ever since.  I, however, did not marry it like some woman did a couple years ago.  Really.  Look it up.  Anyway, I've been to Paris three times -- in 1994, 1995 and 1997.  It's practically criminal that I haven't been there in so long!  But it really seems like only yesterday.

Knowing of my love for Paris, my husband got me this book for Christmas.  Actually, he probably got it less because I'm a fan and more because of the city's potential destruction by the flood.  You see, he's not a big fan.  But he's never been there so what does he know?  That's right, nothing.

For all my fandom of Paris, however, I had never heard of this flood, which occurred in January 1910.  It appears that Jackson first learned of it during a sewer tour in Paris.  Yes, you can take a tour of the sewer.  I was aware of that tour the times I was there, but never went on it.  It is now at the top of my list of things to do the next time I'm there (second to going to the Eiffel Tower, of course).

Me at the Eiffel Tower -- 1995

I really enjoyed this book.  Having been to Paris I knew many of the landmarks and places mentioned in the book.  There was a lot of interesting information presented.  For instance, the Parisians measured the flood by how high the waters came up on a statue (the Zouave) located on one of the bridges over the Seine.  The statue still exists today, although other statues that were on the bridge were removed when the bridge was subsequently rebuilt.  But the Zouave was put back in its place due to its significance with this flood.  It's another thing I'll have to look for on my next trip to Paris.

It was interesting that the flooding was only caused in part by the Seine overflowing its banks, which of course was significant.  But it was also caused by the water seeping up from underground as it rushed into the then-modern and ingenious sewer system (hence the sewer tours) and the newly constructed metro lines.  That portion of the flooding maybe caused more destruction from the sewer waste going into basements of buildings.

Another interesting thing was how the people reacted to the flooding.  As much as possible, life went on as normal during the flood.  People moved around the flooded areas using "passerelles" which were pathways built above the water by placing boards over ladders and saw horses and the like.  Also, people flocked to the river to watch the spectacle of people's belongings rushing down the river.  But citizens also really came to each others' aid by donating money, necessities and lodging to the victims.  It really pulled the people of Paris together, which may have helped them when they had to pull together again a few years later during World War I.

The only thing I would have changed in this book would be to add more pictures.  The one or two pictures added at the beginning of each chapter really enhanced the text.  In fact, the text often referred to them.  But the book didn't have, like most books do, a center section or two with pictures.  I would have liked that.  At any rate, I would highly recommend this book to any Francophile.

Rating:  4.5 stars out of 5.