Eiffel's Tower

Since it opened in May 1889, the Eiffel Tower has

been an iconic image of modern times—as 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 World’s Fair, he stirred

up a storm of vitriol from Parisian tastemakers, lawsuits,

and predictions of certain structural calamity.

In Eiffel’s Tower, Jill Jonnes, critically acclaimed

author of Conquering Gotham, presents a compelling

account of the tower’s 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 personalities—Buffalo Bill, Annie

Oakley, Gauguin, Whistler, and Edison—traveled to

Paris and the Exposition Universelle to mingle and

make their mark.

Like The Devil in the White City, Brunelleschi’s

Dome, and David McCullough’s accounts of the building

of the Panama Canal and the Brooklyn Bridge,

Eiffel’s Tower combines technological and social history

and biography to create a richly textured portrayal of

an age of aspiration, dreams, and progress.