Paris Under Water

New York Times Paperback Row

2011-05-15T16:43:00.001-07:00

Paris Under Water is listed in the May 15, 2011 New York Times Paperback Row section.

The Great Flood of 2011

2011-05-14T18:09:00.001-07:00

Here is my guest column in the Memphis Daily News about the recent flooding on the Mississippi River.

Jackson Wins Day Award

2011-05-02T13:02:00.000-07:00

The Dean’s Award for Outstanding Research and Creative Activity is presented to a member of the faculty who has demonstrated that research and/or creative activity is an integral part of his or her vocation and who has published or performed outstanding works over the previous three years that have gained scholarly recognition or critical acclaim.

The whole story here.

Commercial Appeal article here.

Mention in Rochester Review here.

H-France Review

2011-02-14T12:33:00.000-08:00

Paris Under Water received a very nice review on H-France, the very important listserv for scholars of French history, culture, literature, etc. Read a pdf of Julian Wright's review here.

Envisioning Disaster in the 1910 Paris Flood

2011-02-02T09:18:00.000-08:00

My article on the photographs of the 1910 Paris flood has been published in the March 2011 issue of Journal of Urban History.

Abstract: This article uncovers the visual narratives embedded within the photography of the 1910 Paris flood. Images offered Parisians multiple ways to understand and construe the significance of the flood and provided interpretive frameworks to decide the meaning of this event. Investigating three interlocking narratives of ruin, beauty, and fraternité, the article shows how photographs of Paris under water allowed residents to make sense of the destruction but also to imagine the city’s reconstruction. The article concludes with a discussion of the role of visual culture in recovering from urban disasters.

Video of the Seine in Flood, December 2010

2010-12-31T17:16:00.000-08:00

Here is some video from TF1 of the Seine's current high water.

The Seine Is Rising Again

2010-12-28T08:31:00.000-08:00

The Seine is currently (late December 2010) several feet above its normal level thanks to the unusual amount of snowfall that France, and all of Europe, has received this winter. As we approach the 101st anniversary of the great flood of 1910, some in Paris are wondering whether an enormous flood could overwhelm the city once again.

Here is an article from the English-language desk of France 24 which quotes me on the history of the 1910 flood and the possibilities for another event like it today.

Here are some photos of the current high water from Liberation.

Rain Taxi Interview

2010-12-04T17:46:00.001-08:00

Here is my interview with Rain Taxi Review of Books.

History Today Review

2010-08-29T18:11:00.000-07:00

Andrew Hussey, author of Paris: The Secret History, gives a nice review of Paris Under Water in History Today here.

Good Reads

2010-08-29T18:10:00.001-07:00

Some nice reviews on Good Reads here.

Vanderbilt Magazine

2010-08-23T09:30:00.001-07:00

A nice mention in Vanderbilt Magazine here.

New Books in History

2010-08-13T11:08:00.000-07:00

Here is my interview with Marshall Poe, host of the New Books in History podcast. Thanks to Marshall for a great conversation and for a wonderful website that highlights new research.

Jackson on WUMR's "Counterpoint"

2010-07-19T19:19:00.001-07:00

Here is my interview on "Counterpoint," a program hosted by my friend at the University of Memphis, Jonathan Judaken and broadcast on WUMR. I talk about Paris Under Water as well as my first book, Making Jazz French.

Asbury Park Press

2010-06-28T09:30:00.000-07:00

The Asbury Park Press in New Jersey has a nice review of Paris Under Water here.

Galignani Window Display

2010-06-16T12:35:00.000-07:00

Paris Under Water in a beautiful window display at Galignani in Paris. Galignani is the oldest English bookstore on the European continent, and a wonderful place to shop. I always try to stop by when I'm in town.

The Daily Beast

2010-06-09T08:03:00.000-07:00

The Daily Beast picked up the TLS review of Paris Under Water here.

Review in Times Literary Supplement

2010-06-04T19:33:00.001-07:00

The TLS review of Paris Under Water here.

Review in New York Journal of Books

2010-05-17T07:38:00.001-07:00

A nice review in the New York Journal of Books here.

On the Nashville Floods

2010-05-17T07:37:00.001-07:00

I published an op-ed piece in the Nashville Tennessean about the recent flooding there and how it compares with Paris.

A Nice Mention from Kepler's

2010-04-24T20:27:00.000-07:00

Kepler's, an independent bookstore in Menlo Park, CA, has a nice staff review of Paris Under Water here.

April in Paris

2010-04-19T14:46:00.000-07:00

Paris Under Water is part of Amazon.com's "April in Paris" promotion.

BBC Program on Paris Flood

2010-04-16T09:39:00.000-07:00

BBC4's "Costing the Earth" will air next week featuring an interview with me about "Paris Under Water" and my research on the flood. More here.

Commercial Appeal

2010-04-15T17:28:00.000-07:00

A very nice article in the Memphis Commercial Appeal on Paris Under Water.

France Magazine

2010-04-14T19:31:00.001-07:00

France Magazine discusses the flood of 1910 and Paris Under Water in its Spring 2010 issue.

More Great Visits

2010-04-12T19:50:00.001-07:00

I had wonderful trips to UNC-Chapel Hill and Bates College where I received warm welcomes and had very receptive audiences. Many thanks to Robert Edgecombe and Marcus Bruce among others who made these trips possible.

Great Visits

2010-04-02T19:28:00.000-07:00

I had a great visit to New Orleans where I met such wonderful people at Octavia Books, the Historic New Orleans Collection, and the Alliance Francaise Gala. Thanks to Alexandra Stafford of Alliance Francaise New Orleans for bringing me to town and arranging everything.

Chapel Hill, NC was also a wonderful experience with a great audience at UNC. Thanks to the Department of City and Regional Planning for making it possible.

Winnipeg Free Press

2010-03-15T09:33:00.000-07:00

A nice review in the Winnipeg Free Press.

New Photos of the 1910 Flood

2010-03-03T08:26:00.001-08:00

These never-before seen images of the 1910 flood were shared with me by Judy Hime-Everschor and Jennifer Rosenfeld-Bass who discovered them in their family photo collection (click to enlarge). The photos show their relative who immigrated to Paris from Russia and became a house painter when he eventually moved to the US. The location is somewhere on the rue de la Roquette, a heavily flooded area near the Bastille. These images depict some of the many wooden walkways (or passerelles) which people used to get around the city during the worst of the flood. They also demonstrate the way in which time seemed to stop for many people in Paris during the flood. Here, we see men in their neighborhood, but they can do nothing until the water recedes. (Photos courtesy of Judy Hime-Everschor Collection; reproduced here with permission).

Seattle Post-Intelligencer

2010-03-01T18:56:00.001-08:00

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer did a lengthy piece about the flood on their blog.

Financial Times

2010-03-01T18:10:00.000-08:00

The Financial Times did a brief review Paris Under Water here.

From the New Orleans Times-Picayune

2010-03-01T14:57:00.000-08:00

100-YEAR FLOOD: Jeffrey Jackson, author of "Paris Under Water: How the City of Light Survived the Great Flood of 1910" (Palgrave Macmillan, $27), will discuss that disaster's many similarities to Hurricane Katrina at an Alliance Francaise program March 27 at 6:30 p.m. at Arnaud's Restaurant. Two of those commonalities: In 1910, the overflowing Seine forced multitudes of people into small boats to rescue their fellow citizens, and the French government thought it had secure dams and levees. The book carries an imprimatur from erstwile New Orleans historian Doug Brinkley (now at Rice University in Houston), author of "The Great Deluge": "With the national debate roaring on about whether post-Katrina New Orleans should be rebuilt, 'Paris Under Water' offers the definitive answer of yes." Jackson will sign copies March 26 at 6:30 p.m. at Octavia Books, and present a Powerpoint program March 27 at noon at the Historic New Orleans Collection.

Read the original post here.

April in Paris

2010-02-24T15:11:00.000-08:00

Paris Under Water will be featured as part of Amazon's "April in Paris" promotion during the entire month of April.

Folha de S. Paulo Interview

2010-02-23T15:32:00.000-08:00

A transcript of my interview with the Brazilian newspaper Folha de Sao Paulo.

Upcoming Events in New Orleans

2010-02-23T13:59:00.001-08:00

Friday, March 26, booksigning at Octavia Books. More here.

Saturday, March 27, 12:00 PM (noon), talk and booksigning at The Historic New Orleans Collection. More here.

Saturday, March 27, talk at Alliance Francaise Gala. More here.

The Longest Chapter

2010-02-21T12:33:00.000-08:00

A nice mention of the book on The Longest Chapter.

New York Times Editor's Choice

2010-02-16T11:17:00.001-08:00

Paris Under Water is a New York Times Editor's Choice.

WYPL Book Talk

2010-02-16T09:33:00.000-08:00

Jeff's interview for WYPL's "Book Talk" will be broadcast on Saturday, February 20, 2010. The podcast is available here.

Recovering From Disaster

2010-02-11T19:30:00.000-08:00

See more videos from Rhodes College @ http://www.youtube.com/user/rhodescollege

Institute for French Studies

2010-02-04T05:52:00.000-08:00

The talk at the Institute for French Studies/La Maison Francaise at NYU was extremely well-attended and filled with an enthusiastic audience. I had a wonderful time there, and I want to thank the folks at the IFS for hosting the event. The IFS is often called "the most French place in the United States," and I think that's probably right!

Idlewild Books Signing

2010-02-03T07:06:00.001-08:00

Thanks to everyone who came to the signing at Idlewild Books last night. I had a great time, got to see some old friends, and we had a nice conversation about Paris Under Water. Thanks to the folks at Idlewild for hosting me. They have a wonderful store!
(photo by Michelle Fitzgerald)

WNYC's Leonard Lopate Show

2010-02-02T12:59:00.000-08:00

Jeff appeared on the "Leonard Lopate Show" on WNYC radio to discuss Paris Under Water. You can listen to the interview here.

Minneapolis Star-Tribune

2010-02-02T12:56:00.000-08:00

A very nice review of Paris Under Water in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune says: "This riveting account of the great flood of 1910 and the city's benevolent response is fascinating and inspiring."

New York Times and Washington Post Reviews of Paris Under Water

2010-01-30T00:02:00.000-08:00

Paris Under Water has received a wonderful review in the New York Times by Caroline Weber. To read it, click here. Also, Jonathan Yardley wrote a very nice review of the book in the Washington Post. Click here to read it. Part of the Times review is reprinted in the Shanghai Daily here.

Commemorating the Flood of 1910 in Paris

2010-01-29T15:03:00.000-08:00

(1) Jeff with Emmanuel Laurentin of France Culture radio, host of the panel discussion at the Bibliotheque Historique de la Ville de Paris (photo by Shira Malkin). (2) The commemorative exposition outside L'Hotel de Ville. (3) At the entrance to the historical exposition at the BHVP (photo by Shira Malkin). (4) The wonderful window display for Paris Under Water at W.H. Smith Booksellers on the Rue de Rivoli in Paris.

Bestseller List

2010-01-29T07:06:00.000-08:00

Paris Under Water is a bestseller at Davis-Kidd Booksellers in Nashville.

What A Difference 100 Years Makes

2010-01-28T14:42:00.000-08:00

100 years later -- January 28, 1910 and January 28, 2010. Today marks the precise 100th anniversary of the maximum height of the Seine during the 1910 flood.

American University of Paris

2010-01-28T14:33:00.000-08:00

I was warmly received at the American University of Paris by a nice crowd with great questions and comments. My great thanks to Steve Sawyer who organized the talk and made things run so smoothly -- and for taking me to a wonderful dinner at La Poule au Pot! (photo by Catherine Clark)

Book Page's Thoughts on Paris Under Water

2010-01-28T05:47:00.000-08:00

A nice discussion on the blog for Book Page here.

A Great Time at UCL

2010-01-28T00:17:00.000-08:00

My talk at UCL was very well-attended, and I received such a warm reception from everyone there. The questions were insightful and thought-provoking, and I enjoyed meeting so many wonderful people. Thanks to my friend Jann Matlock at UCL for organizing the event and making me feel so welcome. On to Paris...

Harvard Book Store

2010-01-26T12:21:00.000-08:00

The Harvard Book store is featuring Paris Under Water on its website and in mailings. I've always loved this wonderful store in Harvard Square.

Wonders and Marvels

2010-01-25T08:03:00.001-08:00

My guest post on Wonders and Marvels about the rescue of patients from the Boucicaut Hospital in Paris during the 1910 flood.

What If Paris Flooded Today?

2010-01-25T08:01:00.001-08:00

French television station TF1 has a report on the 1910 flood and what might happen if another flood occurred today. More here.

Book Signing at Davis-Kidd in Memphis

2010-01-24T19:00:00.000-08:00

photo by Ginger Wilder

Signing at Davis-Kidd in Nashville

2010-01-23T19:57:00.001-08:00

photo by Linda Binkley

London Review of Books

2010-01-22T10:30:00.001-08:00

See the article in the London Review of Books about Paris Under Water and the Paris flood exhibition.

Nashville City Paper

2010-01-20T08:14:00.000-08:00

Article in the Nashville City Paper about Paris Under Water.

Virtual Exposition on the 1910 Flood in Paris

2010-01-20T08:11:00.000-08:00

For more dramatic of the 1910 flood, see the virtual exposition organized by the city of Paris. Click here.

BBC 4 Interview

2010-01-18T11:04:00.000-08:00

Jeff will be interviewed on BBC Radio 4. The interview will air in April. More info to come.

2 Articles on Paris Under Water

2010-01-14T19:29:00.000-08:00

Here are two wonderful articles on Paris Under Water in:

Chapter 16, the website from Humanities Tennessee

and

The Memphis Flyer

Article/Interview in The Guardian

2010-01-07T14:52:00.000-08:00

Paris floods: 100 years on, spotlight finally falls on event that plunged city into darkness

Lizzy Davies

To access the article directly, click here. To access the pictures, click here.

The summer had been wet, the winter even wetter, and bedraggled Parisians entered 1910 beneath an ominously heavy sky of gunmetal grey. At least, they thought, scurrying around the burgeoning Métro network of the self-anointed capital of modernity, it couldn't get any worse. They were wrong. It got worse than they could have ever imagined.

The latter half of January brought torrential downpours and, already swollen, the river Seine burst its banks. Streets were inundated. Homes were under water. Paris had seen in the century showcasing man's loftiest achievements and technological advances at the Universal Exhibition, but just 10 years later the city was brought to her knees by an old foe, Mother Nature.

Tomorrow, a century later, an exhibition at the Historical Library of Paris (BHVP) is taking people back in time to the month when the City of Light was plunged into darkness.

More than 200 documents, including photographs, postcards, maps and newspapers, are on show as part of an unprecedented attempt to chart the progress of the Great Flood.

The stark images show some of the city's best-known areas submerged and its bewildered inhabitants making their way down the boulevards in rowing boats. An interactive database allows visitors to make a virtual tour of some 300 streets that were flooded.

One piece of early film footage shows parts of the Champs Elysées with just the treetops visible.

One witness at the time described the scene: "Crowds had gathered on the embankments, admiring the headlong rush of the silent yellow river that carried with it logs and barrels, broken furniture, the carcasses of animals, and perhaps sometimes a corpse, all racing madly to the sea; they had watched cranes, great piles of stones, and the roofs of sheds emerge momentarily from the flooded wharves and then vanish in the swirl of the rising water."

An episode as dramatic as it was brief, the flood receded in the collective memory of Parisians as the horrors of the first world war unfolded.

But historians believe it deserves to be remembered. With 20,000 buildings wrecked within days and 200,000 people made homeless, the deluge brought devastation to the city on a scale not seen for centuries.

According to measurements taken at the Quai de la Tournelle, the Seine reached 8.5 metres, the highest seen since 1658. Of Paris's 20 arrondissements, 12 were flooded. The total cost of the damage was estimated at 400m francs d'or – a sum the BHVP reckons is roughly equivalent in today's money to over €1bn (£900m).

For many wealthy residents and outside observers, the arrival of the waters had a novelty value; commentators joked that Paris had temporarily been transformed into Venice. Photographers descended, artists set up where they could and curious bystanders idled away afternoons watching life in the city turned upside-down.

The more sensationalist spoke of escaped crocodiles floating free. In an account for the Petit Journal, the poet Guillaume Apollinaire wrote: "On Avenue Montaigne people organised pleasure tours by boat. For two sous, you pass by the smartest hotels and photographers will take your picture as a flood victim for the sum of 50 centimes."

But there was, of course, crisis amid the strangely carnivalesque atmosphere – and, in scenes presaging those 95 years later in New Orleans, it was the poor who were hit the hardest. Some towns in the immediate suburbs simply had no infrastructure to contain the water.

In the face of disaster, however, Paris squared up. Emergency services, police and charities swung into action and residents began building wooden walkways above the water. They reached the highest floors by stepladder. MPs sailed to work by boat and worked feverishly by gaslight until the flood waters receded.

As donations poured in from France and beyond, signs of solidarity emerged. Jeffrey Jackson, a US historian and author of Paris Under Water, an account of the flood published this month, believes the disaster marked a key moment in the population's ability to come together which contrasted starkly with the divisions several years before amid the tensions of the Dreyfus affair.

They could not have known it, but for Parisians it was a "dress rehearsal" for the unity needed in the first world war, he said. The response, however, was not enough for some, most prominently the leftwing hero Jean Jaurès, who chastised the state in the newspaper L'Humanité: "A society whose citizens are thus at the mercy of the elements is like a house without a roof," he wrote. "In every disaster there is a lesson."

Despite his criticisms, the political fallout was limited; Aristide Briand, the prime minister, was re-elected four months later. He was lucky: although there was considerable damage to infrastructure, human casualties were minimal and there was no mass outbreak of disease. Official records noted only one death by drowning, though historians believe the figure was higher.

If Jaurès was right, the lesson of the Great Flood is as applicable now as it was then, according to Jackson, who started researching his book around the time hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans. "The lesson is that we can't necessarily rely on technology, on urban infrastructure," he said.

"Take the sewers [in Paris]. People had celebrated them … as the height of modernity. When those technological solutions to the problems had gone, the only thing they were left with was human solutions. The city was able to soldier on because of those strong ties."

2009-12-13T14:52:00.000-08:00

History Book Club

2009-11-17T20:09:00.000-08:00

Paris Under Water is a History Book Club Selection.

There is an untouched quality to Paris, a sense that one of the most beautiful cities in the world could only have gotten that way by avoiding the many disasters (both natural and man-made) that have helped shape other great metropolises. But, of course, Paris has seen its share of catastrophes, and one of the most dramatic happened in the early years of the 20th century. In Paris Under Water, historian Jeffrey H. Jackson tells the story of the flood of January 1910, when the Seine suddenly and unexpectedly rose nearly 20 feet above its normal level. He examines how Parisians reacted at the time, why the flood has largely been forgotten and the lessons it holds for a world where global warming promises more such calamities. Paris sits in a basin that was regularly inundated. But by the late 19th century, authorities were confident that advances in engineering had left Paris largely immune to major flooding. Much of this confidence came from the rigorous modernization the city undertook in the 1850s and '60s under Georges-Eugène Haussmann. In addition to leveling whole neighborhoods and replacing them with beautiful Beaux Arts buildings and wide boulevards, Haussmann undertook a vast expansion and modernization of the city’s sewer system. He also created a Hydrometric Service that was tasked with predicting the level of the Seine. The Hydrometric Service designed mathematical models based on prior flood data, and made recommendations about the construction of the quay walls on the banks of the Seine. Not all of these recommendations were followed by later engineers. Haussmann’s redesign of Paris did more than modernize the city—it also pushed out some of the poorest inhabitants and much of the manufacturing. These people and factories relocated to the edges of the city and the suburbs (les banlieues), where they benefited less from the new urban infrastructure. The social friction engendered by this change would play itself out during the flood in ways that are only too familiar to us today, as the least advantaged lost everything under the water. Jackson vividly depicts the flood bringing out the best and worst in the people of Paris. Many Parisians banded together to help their neighbors and preserve their property. But there was also looting, bureaucratic bumbling and riots. In some ways, though, the flood of 1910 gave the French a chance to practice disaster management skills they would need a scant four years later, when World War I broke out and brought calamity to their doorstep. Jeffrey H. Jackson is to be praised for his exemplary research and historical insight. Paris Under Water sheds light on a historic episode that deserves to be remembered.

Talk at University College London

2009-11-17T14:21:00.000-08:00

More information about my talk at University College London on January 28, 2010 here.

Praise from Library Journal

2009-11-16T06:31:00.001-08:00

In an engrossing narrative, Jackson (history & environmental studies, Rhodes Coll., Memphis) presents the epic story of an obscure event in French history: the great flood of Paris about 100 years ago. Using archival sources and postcards from the time, Jackson describes the physical ravages of the Seine's raging waters, but, more important, he places the disaster within a political, cultural, and social context that both scholars and general readers will understand. A city that had for decades been riddled by political, social, and religious divisions was somehow able to pull together during and after the crisis to regroup and rebuild. Jackson's narrative is enriched by some final musings on contemporary problems affecting French society, as he uses the experience of the flood to ponder ways in which urban residents might reconnect to one another. VERDICT Jackson's efforts to view the flood multidimensionally, writing in a fashion that will especially interest those who remember the personal and political impact of Hurricane Katrina, recommend his book for specialists as well as readers of popular history.

Praise from Publisher's Weekly

2009-11-09T10:17:00.000-08:00

Paris Under Water: How the City of Light Survived the Great Flood of 1910 Jeffrey H. Jackson. Palgrave Macmillan, $27 (272p) ISBN 978-0-230-61706-3

As the primary conduit for goods and people, the Seine helped turn Paris into a thriving commercial center. But the river also brought destruction and death through periodic winter flooding. Important efforts were made in the 19th century to regulate the river, but a key proposal to raise the level of the quay walls was botched. By the second week of 1910, water from rising rivers washed through and wreaked havoc on villages upriver from Paris. By January 22, Parisians were forced out of homes; the river and the warehouse district of Bercy was particularly devastated and with it the city’s precious wine supply. Water from the Seine was carried by the Métro into other areas on the right bank, but Parisians rallied. They established wooden walkways while soldiers rescued people from the water and prevented looting without occupying the city. Enlivened by period photographs of a flooded Paris, this is a capable, well-researched history of a modern city’s battle with nature, but Rhodes College history professor Jackson’s attempts to make connections with recent events like Katrina or the suburban Paris riots are tepid.

Praise from Cool Books

2009-10-28T21:06:00.000-07:00

Mystery Girl posted some nice thoughts on her Cool Books blog about Paris Under Water here.

Palgrave Macmillan's Website

2009-10-28T19:35:00.000-07:00

Visit the Paris Under Water page on Palgrave's website here.

Praise from Kirkus Reviews

2009-10-26T08:49:00.000-07:00

The flood precipitated an outpouring of relief and general cooperation by the inhabitants, and the fairly predictable and successful outcome—the city quickly got back on its feet in a few months—robs the elegant narrative of any shattering denouement. The city's reaction to the flood, however, functioned as a "dress rehearsal" for World War I, and Jackson wisely keeps this in mind as he threads the elements of gravitas throughout his tale. The rising water levels of the three major rivers around Paris—the Marne, Yonne and Seine—began to converge on Paris by mid-January, due perhaps to unusual warming, elevated levels of rainfall and deforestation. The outlying suburbs were submerged by Jan. 24. People began to measure the terrifying progress of the Seine by its height on the statues of the bridges. Due largely to the dictates of the tireless, dedicated prefecture of police, Louis Lepine, the military activated relief efforts, rescuing people on requisitioned boats, piling sandbags along the quays, constructing passerelles ("a complicated system of wooden walkways and footbridges"), housing victims in schools and churches and remaining vigilant for looting. Charitable organizations took charge, especially the Red Cross, and U.S. President Taft, head of the American Red Cross, offered aid. Jackson adds an effective human-interest touch by extracting entries from diaries and letters by eyewitnesses, such as American writer Helen Davenport Gibbons and French poet Guillaume Apollinaire. Thanks to the Parisian solidarity across class lines, the city did not have to resort to martial law, and disease remained at bay. The author includes the post-flood debate about nature vs. science, and finds useful comparison in recent crises such as Hurricane Katrina.

A spirited look at the Parisian move into "Systeme D"—crisis mode.

More Praise for Paris Under Water

2009-09-22T06:43:00.000-07:00

Paris Under Water: How the City of Light Survived the Great Flood of 1910, penned by Jeffrey H. Jackson, Associate Professor of History at Rhodes College, is a fascinating account of a natural disaster that befell Paris when the Seine overflowed its banks in January of that year. Combining exhaustive archival research and such primary sources as the diary of the city’s chief of police, the book creates a compelling image of what at the time was viewed as an epochal event in one of the world’s great cities. It shows, in compelling fashion and with shades of Hurricane Katrina, how a city that has been often riven by divisions managed to come together to face a body blow from nature and how the City of Light managed to shine once again. -- Michael Deibert, author of Notes from the Last Testament: The Struggle for Haiti (Seven Stories Press)

http://michaeldeibert.blogspot.com/2009/09/book-for-autumn.html

Praise for Paris Under Water:

2009-09-02T14:35:00.000-07:00

“It’s hard to imagine a more thoroughly researched history of the Paris, France, flood of 1910. With the national debate roaring on whether post-Katrina New Orleans should be rebuilt, Paris Under Water offers the definitive answer of yes. A truly first-rate book.”--Douglas Brinkley, author of The Great Deluge

“Before New Orleans, there was Paris. The Great Paris Flood of 1910, which paralyzed the world’s most modern city and caused over a billion euros (by today’s standards) worth of damage, provides a fascinating study of physical and social devastation and human survival. Modernization itself contributed to Paris’s destruction. But, as Jackson concludes, in the end Paris survived the flood because it was a functioning human community, not because it was a modern metropolis. Any student of history or lover of Paris will want to read this book.”--Sarah Smith, author of The Knowledge of Water

“Set against the backdrop of the world’s most beautiful city, the Seine itself is at the center of the story from its role in making Paris a modern city to the day in 1910 when Parisians stood on its banks and watched it climb several feet a day, carrying debris from flooded towns in the countryside. Through Jackson’s deft storytelling and first-hand accounts, we see the terror of watching a disaster slowly, methodically drown a city and a community’s fight to survive it.”--Molly Caldwell Crosby, author of An American Plague

“Jeffrey Jackson’s meticulous account of the great Paris flood is harrowing history told in gripping detail but also a stark warning as waters rise everywhere.”--Mort Rosenblum, author of Secret Life of the Seine and Chocolate

“[A] riveting account of a natural catastrophe that struck Paris in 1910. Going far beyond the boundaries of environmental or urban history, it draws on an exceptionally wide array of sources to offer the reader a meticulous, yet rich and personal, reconstruction of what the great flood felt like to contemporaries, what it revealed about social tensions and solidarities, and what it signified on a broader historical scale. Jackson has succeeded masterfully in telling a fascinating story in a way that any reader will find utterly irresistible, while applying insightful and erudite scholarly analysis in a way that sheds light on a great city’s social, economic, and cultural life. A tour de force of scholarship and brilliantly creative craftsmanship.”--Michael D. Bess, author of Choices Under Fire

“Fascinating work, important story, beautifully told. Jackson tells us about a little-known flood of a well-known city, Paris. He weaves seamlessly together the political and cultural significance of the flood, all while engaging the reader with stories about what the flood meant for everyday life. A fine achievement.”--Lee Clarke, author of Worst Cases

“[Jackson’s] gripping account of the 1910 flood recounts the highs and the lows of what happened when water “shorted out” the city of light. [It] will open the door to reconsiderations of the interaction of technology and the environment in ways that are vitally relevant today.”--Vanessa R. Schwartz, author of It’s So French

Public spirit revives great cities

2009-08-28T19:42:00.000-07:00

by Jeffrey H. Jackson and Robert E. Edgecombe, Guest columnists, The Times-Picayune

Nearly 100 years ago, after a catastrophic flood of the Seine in January 1910, residents of Paris faced a dilemma similar to that in New Orleans after the levee breaks of Hurricane Katrina. As we try to learn Katrina's lessons about how cities live and die, the story of another great metropolis is both familiar and inspiring.

Following weeks of torrential rainfall, the waters of the Seine swelled to levels not seen in 250 years. The river bubbled up into buildings filling homes and businesses for weeks. When the electricity shorted out, the City of Light became dark and cold, and frightened Parisians crowded into emergency shelters. Few could escape the broken city since railroad tracks sat under feet of water.

France's prime minister and president toured the ruins, bringing comfort to victims. Their presence argued that government was hard at work for the people. The president even tasted the soup at one shelter, much to everyone's delight.

But more importantly, Parisians organized themselves. Residents rallied to help one another rebuild, despite political and economic divisions. People rowed boats through the streets saving others and built miles of temporary wooden walkways. Parisians received much from their government, but got more from one another.

In extreme moments, when we cannot rely on urban infrastructures, we can only turn to one another, as Parisians did in 1910. New Orleans has done the same thing in the past four years, as neighbors helped each other and grassroots organizations sprang up to nurture returning communities. But there is still much to do.

How can New Orleans make its social ties stronger? It should ensure that New Orleans becomes the place it deserves to be begins by embracing the fact that the city is no longer -- and no longer should be -- the "country's most insular city." Citizens must welcome the shifts in culture, economy, politics and possibility that come with changing demographics.

Planners, public officials, business leaders and citizens must preserve the unique character of neighborhoods while making them more resilient to economic and physical decline. This involves carefully selected investments in historic business corridors and "clustering" redevelopment.

And a city like New Orleans deserves public spaces -- like those in Paris -- that are second to none. In neighborhood parks, along the Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain, and on residential boulevards, the Crescent City has more potential for a high-quality public sphere than almost any city in the country. As the post-Katrina maintenance of City Park has demonstrated, citizens will do their part by using these spaces as points of pride, celebration, and building community.

A century ago, Parisians demonstrated that a city's public spirit counts for a lot in challenging times. The question for New Orleans remains how to continue putting theirs to work. From the story of Paris's flood comes the simple but enduring reminder that rebuilding a city can be done with a powerful collective will from the grassroots -- and impossible without it.

. . . . . . .

Jeffrey H. Jackson is associate professor of history and director of the environmental studies program at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tenn. He is the author of "Paris Under Water: How The City of Light Survived the Great Flood of 1910." Robert E. Edgecombe, a native New Orleanian, worked as an urban planning consultant for GCR and Associates during Katrina recovery from 2006-08 and is currently a graduate student in the department of urban and regional planning at University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.

http://blog.nola.com/guesteditorials/2009/08/public_spirit_revives_great_ci.html

More Praise for Paris Under Water

2009-08-21T20:42:00.000-07:00

"Fascinating work, important story, beautifully told. Jackson tells us about a little-known flood of a well-known city, Paris. He weaves seamlessly together the political and cultural significance of the flood, all while engaging the reader with stories about what the flood meant for everyday life. A fine achievement." --Lee Clarke, author of Worst Cases: Terror and Catastrophe in the Popular Imagination

Jackson on PBS

2009-08-03T18:23:00.001-07:00

Rhodes history professor Jeff Jackson will be one of several scholars interviewed for a new documentary on PBS titled “Harlem in Montmartre: A Paris Jazz Story” which will air nationally on August 26, 2009 at 8:00 Eastern/7:00 Central on most PBS stations (check local listings).

“Harlem in Montmartre” tells the story of the jazz age in Paris between the first and second World Wars, exploring an often neglected era in African-American cultural history. After the peace treaty was signed at Versailles, many black Americans remained in Europe rather than return to the brutal segregation and racism of America. Over the next two decades, they created an expatriate community of musicians, entertainers and entrepreneurs, primarily congregating in Paris′s hilly Montmartre neighborhood. Some achieved enduring fame, while others have faded into history. Inspired by the book by William A. Shack and using research from Jackson’s book Making Jazz French, along with rare archival material from both France and America, this documentary features footage of such key figures as James Reese Europe, Josephine Baker, Sidney Bechet, Bricktop, Eugene Bullard, Django Reinhardt, and many more. It also recreates the music from that period with wonderful performances by jazz musicians today.

Pre-Order Paris Under Water

2009-07-28T16:01:00.000-07:00

You can now pre-order Paris Under Water on Amazon. Here's what reviewers are already saying:

"It’s hard to imagine a more thoroughly researched history of the Paris, France, flood of 1910 than PARIS UNDER WATER by Jeffrey H. Jackson. With the national debate roaring on whether post-Katrina New Orleans should be rebuilt, PARIS UNDER WATER offers the definitive answer of yes. A truly first-rate book." --Douglas Brinkley, author of The Great Deluge:Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans, and the Gulf Coast

"PARIS UNDER WATER is a riveting account of a natural catastrophe that struck Paris in 1910. Going far beyond the boundaries of environmental or urban history, it draws on an exceptionally wide array of sources to offer the reader a meticulous, yet rich and personal, reconstruction of what the great flood felt like to contemporaries, what it revealed about social tensions and solidarities, and what it signified on a broader historical scale. Jackson has succeeded masterfully in telling a fascinating story in a way that any reader will find utterly irresistible, while applying insightful and erudite scholarly analysis in a way that sheds light on a great city’s social, economic, and cultural life. A tour de force of scholarship and brilliantly creative craftsmanship." --Michael D. Bess, author of Choices Under Fire:Moral Dimensions of World War II

"Before New Orleans, there was Paris. The Great Paris Flood of 1910, which paralyzed the world’s most modern city and caused over a billion euros (by today’s standards) worth of damage, provides a fascinating study of physical and social devastation and human survival. Jackson blends the vivid details of the flood--exploding sewer covers, disintegrating streets--with the wider historical context, from the Commune of 1871 to World War I, and the psychology of disaster. Modernization itself contributed to Paris’s destruction. But, as Jackson concludes, in the end Paris survived the flood because it was a functioning human community, not because it was a modern metropolis. Any student of history or lover of Paris will want to read this book." --Sarah Smith, The Knowledge of Water, a New York Times Notable Book of the Year

"Narratives of natural disasters often show swift and all-consuming devastation, but PARIS UNDER WATER is a story of waters rising. Set against the backdrop of the world’s most beautiful city, the Seine itself is at the center of the story from its role in making Paris a modern city to the day in 1910 when Parisians stood on its banks and watched it climb several feet a day, carrying debris from flooded towns in the countryside. Through Jackson’s deft storytelling and first-hand accounts, we see the terror of watching a disaster slowly, methodically drown a city and a community’s fight to survive it." --Molly Caldwell Crosby, An American Plague: The Untold Story of Yellow Fever, The Epidemic That Shaped Our History

"Stories about Paris have left us with a rich profile of a city at the vanguard of political action and cultural life. Yet Jeffrey H. Jackson’s new book muddies these familiar waters. His gripping account of the 1910 flood recounts the highs and the lows of what happened when water “shorted out” the city of light. With a knack for the diversity of human response to disaster and the historian’s eye for the telling detail, Jackson draws our attention to how nature interacts with our greatest of human-wrought environments: the metropolis. This book not only is an important tale, worthy of being told but it also will open the door to reconsiderations of the interaction of technology and the environment in ways that are vitally relevant today." --Vanessa R. Schwartz, It’s So French: Hollywood, Paris, and the Making of Cosmopolitan Film Culture

2009-07-17T10:58:00.000-07:00

PUBLICATION DATE: JANUARY 5, 2010.

In the meantime, check out the new website: www.ParisUnderWater.com.

Rome Under Water

2008-12-12T13:12:00.000-08:00

Another great European capital sits under the waters of its river today as the Tiber has overflown its banks flooding Rome. Weeks of bad weather have contributed to the river's rise. Debris is caught underneath the city's bridges. The stone embankments which date from the 19th century are no longer enough to hold back the water.

Just as the city of Paris in 1910, an ancient city has to cope with the ancient challenges of nature.

Photo from New York Times/European Pressphoto Agency

High Water Everywhere

2008-12-03T20:36:00.000-08:00

The water is falling in Venice.

After some of the highest water in over 20 years, the acqua alta ("'high water") in the world's most waterlogged city is beginning to fall.

The water climbs regularly into this city of gondolas, but it has been rising higher in recent times, and there are doubts that the so-called "Moses project" -- a $5.5 billion investment that hopes to part the waters -- will be sufficient to hold back the rising tides. Will global warming make this ancient city indefensible from flooding?

In 1910, Parisians were faced with a similar paradox. They lived in a modern city with what they believed was an infrastructure to save themselves from regular winter flooding. But a "perfect storm" of heavy rainfall, warmer than average temperatures which melted snowfall, and multiple rivers flooding throughout northern France conspired to raise the level of the Seine to heights not seen in over 250 years. After a week of suffering, the water fell and Paris began to clean up.

At the time, some feared that excessive deforestation had contributed to the flooding. That's hard to prove in retrospect, but it suggests that even in 1910, there was a sense that the flood was the result of an imbalance between human needs and the natural environment.

As the waters rise higher in Venice, those same fears once again haunt Europe. But now they are on a much larger, planetary scale. Is Venice the "canary in the coalmine" -- the example of what cities will face in the future if global warming is not brought under control?

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Public spirit revives great cities

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