Rebel Cities: Paris, London and New York in the Age of Revolution

In the 18th and 19th centuries, London, Paris, and New York were hubs of political power, commerce, and culture, where people from all walks of life came together. Rebel Cities examines the debate about the nature of these cities, whether they were places of enlightenment or vice. Drawing on letters, travelogues, and eye-witness accounts, the book vividly portrays the sights, sounds, and smells of these cities during their revolutionary periods, showcasing the full range of human emotions experienced by all parts of society.

\n Format: Paperback / softback
\n Length: 464 pages
\n Publication date: 03 October 2019
\n Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group
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In the eighteenth century, London, Paris, and New York emerged as bustling hubs where political power, commerce, wealth, art, and intellectual life converged. These cities, situated within the vast Atlantic world, teemed with activity as ships propelled by nothing more than wind, currents, and human strength traversed the sea, carrying a multitude of goods, ideas, and people. Among these diverse inhabitants were aristocrats adorned in finery, lawyers with their powdered wigs, rough-handed craftworkers, quill-wielding bluestockings, and resilient fishwives. However, these cities were not immune to the presence of dangerous criminals, corrupt politicians, and slaves.

Rebel Cities delves into the intense debate surrounding the nature of cities during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Were they enlightened havens of progress and civilization, or dark dens of vice, degeneracy, and disorder? As urban expansion and revolution swept across Europe and North America, revolutionary burghers of these extraordinary cities poured their hearts and minds into understanding, controlling, and mastering the urban realm.

Through the vivid portrayal of sights, sounds, and smells, Mike Rapport brings these cities to life, skillfully intertwining their history with the politics of revolution. When New Yorkers and Parisians witnessed their revolutions, when their cities clashed in war, and when Londoners engaged in political protests, they experienced the full spectrum of human emotions—from exhilaration to despair. By examining the characteristics of the cities through their inhabitants, architecture, topography, and the events that shaped them, this magnificent book evokes the experiences of all segments of society during one of the most transformative periods in history.

\n Weight: 368g\n
Dimension: 193 x 178 x 31 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9780349123530\n \n