Short Synopsis
From the bestselling author of The Most Beautiful Walk in the World comes this first book in an exciting new series of narrative "biographies" of Paris's great neighborhoods, beginning with Saint-Germain-des-Prés—the city's "rebel quarter," for centuries a center of artistic, intellectual, and revolutionary activity and home to some of Paris's most iconic cafes and shops.

Full Synopsis
For many years, Saint-Germain-des-Prés has been a stronghold of sans culottes, a refuge to artists, a paradise for bohemians. It's where Marat printed L'Ami du Peuple and Thomas Paine wrote The Rights of Man. Napoleon, Hemingway, and Sartre have all called it home. Descartes is buried there. Now bestselling author and Paris expert John Baxter takes listeners on a narrative tour of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, which is also where Baxter makes his home.

Tucked along the shores of the Left Bank, Saint-Germain-des-Prés embodies so much of what makes Paris special. Its cobblestone streets and ancient facades survive to this day, spared from modernization thanks to a quirk in their construction. Traditionally cheap rents attracted outsiders and political dissidents from the days of Robespierre to the student revolts of the 1960s. And its intellectual pedigree boasts such luminaries as Pablo Picasso, Arthur Rimbaud, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Simone de Beauvoir, Gertrude Stein, and Albert Camus.

Part-history, part-guidebook, Saint-Germain-des-Prés is a fresh look at one of the City of Light's most iconic quarters, and a delight for new tourists and Paris veterans alike.

"John Baxter's travel guide to one of the 'Great Parisian Neighborhoods' is as much history as Guide book and actor and voice artist Graham Halstead's perfect reading matches Baxter's wonder, insight and eloquence. His French is of course also impeccable." ---Sound Commentary Starred Review

"Another delightful salute to Paris. . . . Whether you’re planning your first trip to Paris or absolutely have to stop in Paris on your way anywhere, this book, in addition to the author’s previous guides, is essential." ---Kirkus Starred Review

“John Baxter and his incredible knowledge made me feel like I was walking through history.” ---Maria Bello, author of Whatever… Love is Love

“As only a long-term resident can, John Baxter offers the reader improbable connections that surprise, amuse, and magically cohere into the story of a Paris quartier like no other.” ---Thad Carhart, author of The Piano Shop on the Left Bank

Sound Commentary Review

Kirkus Review