The story of the world-famous monument and the extraordinary worldβs fair that introduced it
Since it opened in May 1889, the Eiffel Tower has been an iconic image of modern timesβas much a beacon of technological progress as an enduring symbol of Paris and French culture. But as engineer Gustave Eiffel built the now-famous landmark to be the spectacular centerpiece of the 1889 Worldβs Fair, he stirred up a storm of vitriol from Parisian tastemakers, lawsuits, and predictions of certain structural calamity.
In Eiffelβs Tower, Jill Jonnes, critically acclaimed author of Conquering Gotham, presents a compelling account of the towerβs creation and a superb portrait of Belle Epoque France. As Eiffel held court that summer atop his one-thousand-foot tower, a remarkable host of artists and personalitiesβBuffalo Bill, Annie Oakley, Gauguin, Whistler, and Edisonβtraveled to Paris and the Exposition Universelle to mingle and make their mark.
Like The Devil in the White City, Brunelleschiβs Dome, and David McCulloughβs accounts of the building of the Panama Canal and the Brooklyn Bridge, Eiffelβs Tower combines technological and social history and biography to create a richly textured portrayal of an age of aspiration, dreams, and progress.
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