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Grand Avenues: The Story of Pierre Charles L'Enfant, the French Visionary Who Designed Washington, D.C. (Vintage) | 
 enlarge | Author: Scott W. Berg
Publisher: Vintage
Category: Book
List Price: $15.95
Buy New: $5.89
You Save: $10.06 (63%)
New (29) Used (10) from $4.98
Avg. Customer Rating:  1 reviews
Sales Rank: 267833
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 352
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 7.9 x 5.4 x 0.8
ISBN: 1400076226
Dewey Decimal Number: 711.4092
EAN: 9781400076222
ASIN: 1400076226
Publication Date: February 12, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Book is Brand New! MINT!!
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Product Description
In 1791, shortly after the United States won its independence, George Washington personally asked Pierre Charles L’Enfant—a young French artisan turned American revolutionary soldier who gained many friends among the Founding Fathers—to design the new nation's capital. L’Enfant approached this task with unparalleled vigor and passion; however, his imperious and unyielding nature also made him many powerful enemies. After eleven months, Washington reluctantly dismissed L’Enfant from the project. Subsequently, the plan for the city was published under another name, and L’Enfant died long before it was rightfully attributed to him.
Filled with incredible characters and passionate human drama, Scott W. Berg’s deft narrative account of this little-explored story in American history is a tribute to the genius of Pierre Charles L'Enfant and the enduring city that is his legacy.
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| Customer Reviews:
wonderful book on a lost subject July 18, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
i loved this book--i had the good fortune to find it in the national gallery bookstore while in washington DC and read most of it before i left the city. it is a fascinating story that has been explicated in extreme detail by berg. l'enfant was incredible--a big dreamer with the connections to get much (but not all) done. my only complaint, and it is a petty one, is that the book is overwritten. berg has much to say and a vast vocabulary in which to say it, but too often he uses 40 words when 10 will do. it made the journey a bit taxing; a bit of editing and trimming would easily make this a 5 star book. very interesting tale--if you have the time and inclination to learn about the origins of washington DC and about late 18th century history, definitely read this book.
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