Nairn's Paris

‘About one third of this book is discovery, in the sense that I came upon the sites by accident or by following a topographical hunch. There must be many more, and all you need for the search is the ability to turn off the main road, switch on your antennae and respond. Good luck.’ Ian NairnOut of print for 50 years until it was republished by Notting Hill Editions in 2017, this is a unique guidebook from the late, great architectural writer, Ian Nairn. Illustrated with the author's own black and white photographs of the city, Nairn gives his readers an idiosyncratic and unpretentious portrait of the 'collective masterpiece' that is Paris. Nairn encourages the reader to find their own Paris beneath the glossy surface and demonstrates his eye for detail – whether it is architectural stonework on an archway, shadows cast by a railing, or an empty chair in a Paris park. More than a guidebook, this is an inimitable journey of discovery in finding the hidden delights of the city, in the first hardback edition ever published.