PARIS

A British historian summarizes the history of one of the world’s great cities.

In the latest installment of the publisher’s Short History series, prolific author Black offers a quick rundown of the major political and cultural events that have made Paris one of the most visited and romanticized cities. He covers a lot of ground, from the city’s earliest days, when Caesar’s deputy defeated the Parisii in 52 B.C. and put the city under Roman control; to medieval times, when Charlemagne was crowned in 768 but “spent most of his life on campaign, notably against the Saxons”; to the Wars of Religion in the 16th century, the building of Versailles in the 17th, the “great flourishing of creativity” by authors and musicians in the 1920s, and the massive projects—high-speed train service, the Louvre’s pyramid entrance—begun under François Mitterrand in the late 20th century. Black’s volume, while clearly erudite, is pretty much a list of major historical events, construction projects, and so on, with little or no elaboration. The one exception is the more in-depth chapter on the French Revolution. Readers seeking an executive summary of Parisian history—punctuated by wonderful old maps and inserts on lighter topics, including the Montgolfier brothers’ pioneering flight in a hot-air balloon and the growth of fast-food chains that showed “not all Parisians are unwilling to spend their money on ultra-processed burgers and fried chicken”—may find it useful and entertaining. The author also offers some memorable oddities, such as the story of Saint Denis, first bishop of Paris. Around 250 A.D., “during the persecution of Christians,” Emperor Decius “allegedly” had him beheaded at Montmartre: “It was said that he picked up his decapitated head and walked for some distance, preaching as he went.”

A well-informed but too-terse portrait of Paris’ colorful history.