Paris, Capital of Modernity

David Harvey's historical work on 19th century Paris is universally regarded as brilliant. As much as Benjamin and Marx, he has demonstrated the absolute centrality of capital in creating the modern city — its class relations, culture, urban form, and social life. Yet until now, this work has been squirreled away in various collections, journals, and one long out-of-print book.

In Paris, Capital of Modernity, Harvey brings together all of this material, along with some new essays, to present a sweeping account of the city in a remarkably turbulent era, framed by two failed revolutions. His key concern is how a new form of finance capitalism combined with a new type of planning vision to produce the prototypical modern city.