Grand avenues : the story of the French visionary who designed Washington, D.C Scott W. Berg

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Berg, Scott W.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

L'Enfant, Pierre Charles, 1754-1825.

L'Enfant, Pierre Charles.

City planners--France--Biography.

City planners.

City planning--Washington (D.C.)--History--18th century.

City planning.

Physical Description:

xii, 336 p. : ill., maps ; 25 cm.

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

New York : Pantheon Books, c2007.

Summary:

The story of Pierre Charles L'Enfant and the creation of Washington D.C.--from the seeds of his inspiration to the fulfillment of his extraordinary vision. L'Enfant's story is one of consuming passion, high emotion, artistic genius, and human frailty. As a young man he left his home in Paris to volunteer in the army of the American colonies, where he served under George Washington. It was Washington himself who, in 1791, entrusted L'Enfant with the planning of the nation's capital--and reluctantly allowed him to be dismissed from the project eleven months later. The plan was published under another name, and for the remainder of his life L'Enfant fought for recognition. But he would not live to see that day, and a century would pass before L'Enfant would be given credit for his brilliant design. Berg recounts his evocative tale with the narrative verve of a novel.--From publisher description.

Contents:

A note on L'Enfant's English

A pedestal waiting for a superstructure

An infinity of small moments

A powerful friend among the princes of the earth

The remembrance of my former services

In every respect advantageously situated

A plan wholly new

The wheel to give motion to the machine

The whole leveled and thrown to the ground

Measures of the most immediate moment

An implicit conformity to his will

The disappointment of absolute dues

Getting the go by

A share in the undertaking

The assurance of things hoped for.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (p. [303]-311) and index.

ISBN:

0375422803

9780375422805

OCLC:

70267127