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Robert Laffont
EAN : 9782221248720
Shaping : BROCHE
Pages : 504
Size : 135 x 200 mm
The true story of Gustave Eiffel

Release date : 15/04/2021
Everyone knows about the Eiffel Tower, but most people don’t know anything about Gustave Eiffel, the man who created it. This biographical novel tells the true story of this architect of extreme structures by revealing the unusual twists and turns of his life.
Gustave Eiffel saw both glorious heights and infernal depths. The whole world praised his construction of the famous tower that bears his name, centerpiece of the Universal Exposition in Paris in 1889. Then just two years later, the French vilified him for his involvement in the Panama scandal because he... Gustave Eiffel saw both glorious heights and infernal depths. The whole world praised his construction of the famous tower that bears his name, centerpiece of the Universal Exposition in Paris in 1889. Then just two years later, the French vilified him for his involvement in the Panama scandal because he made a lot of money planning the canal’s construction while the minor shareholders lost everything. His first biographers made him out to be a disagreeable businessman, downplaying his genius and perpetual stream of innovations. He had to spend twenty years fighting for his Tower not to be demolished, as it was originally planned to be. At the age of 70, he was a precursor to meteorological research and at 80 he was a pioneer in aviation. This giant constructed monumental structures all over the world, from Saigon’s Central Post Office and the Western Railway Station in Budapest to the Statue of Liberty in New York City. He was also a social leader ahead of his time, capable of diving into a river to save a drowning worker. This book reveals the central role Eiffel played at the turn of the twentieth century in making France a great industrial nation. He became a widower at just 45 years old and worshipped his daughter Claire, but he also never forgot his childhood sweetheart, Adrienne Bourgès, with whom he reconnected late in life. His private life fostered his creativity and audacity in his industrial exploits, which are still essential parts of France’s image today
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EAN : 9782221248720
Shaping : BROCHE
Pages : 504
Size : 135 x 200 mm
Robert Laffont