David McCullough covers the quest for a greater education or career of many well-known and some lesser-known Americans in Paris. Some returned for good, others made the voyage numerous times, a few stayed, but all were changed forever. The challenges they faced were not just personal in nature but were the severe trials of a metropolitan center in Europe with wars, revolutions, and diseases on one side of the balance and world fairs, inventions, and monumental accomplishments in science, medicine and the arts on the other side. A fascinating read, from the first to the last page.
-Hanno
