Book Reviews: 30-Second Paris, Edited by John Flower

After boiling down Napoleon’s action-packed reign to 50 bite-size entries, the head- spinning 30-Second book series tackles the elusive City of Light. Divvied up in 300-word quick-fire chapters, for an optimum reading speed of, you guessed it, 30 seconds, the comprehensive volume invites readers on a whirlwind tour of the capital, lifting the veil on its quintessential quartiers, colourful residents, iconic monuments, top museums and squares.

It even clears up a few mysteries, starting with the origin of its ‘City of Light’ sobriquet. No spoilers, sorry. Midway between travelogue and little black book with three-second(!) historical anecdotes thrown in for the truly time-pressed, it is the chapter and verse on the capital’s must-visit haunts and unmissable sights. While 30 seconds may be a tad optimistic for non speed-readers, it’s one zippy A to Z of the French capital…

30-Second Paris, The 50 key elements that shaped the city, each explained in half a minute. Edited by John Flower, List price £14.99, Published by Ivy Press

From France Today magazine