Metropolitain: An Ode to the Paris Metro

Metropolitain: An Ode to the Paris Metro is an English history of the Metro for the general reader, written by Andrew Martin, who has been described as the laureate of railways. The book is filled with cultural references and is as stylish as the Metro itself. It takes the reader on a constant tour of Paris, both underground and over, and explains why Last Tango in Paris is a great Metro film and what the Metro chase scene in Le Samourai says about Parisian culture. The book is timely due to the impending Paris Olympics.

Format: Hardback
Length: 256 pages
Publication date: 10 August 2023
Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group

An utterly enjoyable voyage under Paris
- THE OLDIE
Delightful and diverting...
Martin is the most unpretentious and companionable of guides; the book is great fun
- LITERARY REVIEW
An eclectic blend of engineering and travelogue, urban planning and anecdote... a sincere love letter
- THE ECONOMIST
Andrew Martin has been described as the laureate of railways, having written many books with railway themes. But Andrew has always been obsessed with the Paris Metro, hence Metropolitain: An Ode to the Paris Metro, the first English history of the Metro for the general reader.
Metropolitain is as stylish as the Metro itself and laced with cultural references. Andrew explains why Last Tango in Paris is a great Metro film, and what the Metro chase scene in the classic thriller, Le Samourai, says about Parisian culture. He describes how he came to appreciate the beauty of Guimard's sinuous green Metro entrances when he bought a lily of the valley and observed it flowering on his desk. We meet Andrew's half-English, half-French friend, Julian, who runs a society dedicated to Metro history. He tells Andrew, A Metro station is like the wine cellar of a chateau, which is a very nice thing to be reminded of.
The book takes the reader on a constant tour of Paris, both underground and over. But Paris, and the Metro, is changing, undergoing a huge expansion. This, and the imminence of the Paris Olympics, make this a timely title.

Weight: 318g
Dimension: 137 x 206 x 25 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781472157881