Amazing People of Paris: Inspirational Stories

151 Pages·2011·12.66 MB·English

by  Charles Margerison

AMAZING PEOPLE OF
PARIS
I N S P I R A T I O N A L S T O R I E S
DR. CHARLES MARGERISON
The Amazing People Club®
Amazing People of Paris
Published by Viewpoint Resources Ltd
Trading as The Amazing People Club Ltd
Viewpoint Resources Ltd
10 Grange Road, West Kirby, Wirral, Merseyside, England C48 4HA
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Web: www.amazingpeopleclub.com
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted
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written permission of the copyright holder.
This publication is provided subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent,
sold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent, in writing, in any form of binding
other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition, including this condition, being
imposed on the subsequent publisher.
Disclaimer
BioView® and the Amazing People Club® are registered trademarks.
The published materials, under these marks, represent the views of the author.
A BioView® story is a scripted virtual interview based on research about a person’s life and times. As in any
story, the words indicate only an interpretation of what the individuals mentioned in the BioViews® could
have said. While the interpretations are based on available research, they do not purport to represent the
actual views of the people mentioned. The interpretations are made in good faith, recognizing that other
interpretations could be made. The inverted commas used in the BioViews® give an indication of possible
dialogue in the context of the story. The author and publisher disclaim any responsibility from action that
readers take on the BioViews® for educational or other purposes. Any use of the BioView® materials is the
responsibility of the reader and should be supported by their independent research.
We recognize there are different conventions on the spelling of words in what we shall call British English and
American English. Within our titles, we have chosen to adopt the spelling style the featured individuals would
have used to ensure the BioViews are as authentic as possible.
ISBN: 978-1-921752-37-7
Design by Varjak Design www.varjak.com.au
®
Contents
The Author 1
Introduction 2
Paris Landmark Map 3
Parisii – Tribal Leader 7
Julius Caesar – Roman Leader 8
Saint Denis – Priest 9
Saint Genevieve – Nun 10
Clovis – King of the Francs 11
Charles Martel – Military Leader 12
Charlemagne – King of the Franks 14
Hugh Capet – King of France 15
Maurice de Sully – Bishop of Paris 16
Robert de Sorbon – Founder of the Sorbonne College 17
Etienne Marcel – First Mayor of Paris 18
Claude Sanson – Public Servant 19
Francois I – King of France 20
Christian Blanc – Huguenot Refugee 22
Jacques Deloitte – Businessman 23
Cardinal Duc de Richelieu – Cardinal and First Minister 24
André le Notre – Gardener and Architect 25
Louis XIV – King of France 27
Voltaire – Writer 29
Michel Turgot – Master of Merchants 31
Louis XVI – King of France 32
Jean-Sylvain Bailly – Mayor of Paris 34
Yvette Bouvier – Mother of the Revolution 36
Gaston Dupres – Convict 37
Madame Lavoisier – Chemist and Editor 39
Joseph Montgolfier – Aviator 42
Napoléon Bonaparte – First Emperor of France 45
Louis Braille – Inventor 47
Louis Napoleon Bonaparte – President and Emperor of France 49
Baron Georges Eugène Haussmann – Civic Planner and Director 50
Amazing People of Paris
Marie LaChapelle – Obstetrician 52
Eugène Belgrand – Civil Engineer 54
Louise Michel – Leader of the Paris Commune 55
Claude Monet – Artist 57
Charles Garnier – Architect 59
Victor Hugo – Politician and Writer 61
Gustave Eiffel – Design Engineer and Developer 63
Pierre de Coubertin – Founder of International Olympic Committee 65
Henri Toulouse-Lautrec – Artist 67
Jacques Prévert – Writer 69
Eugène Hénard – City Architect 71
Georges Clemenceau – Political Leader 72
Pierre Brossolette – Resistance Fighter 74
Edith Piaf – Entertainer 76
Jacqueline Auriol - Aviatrix 79
Coco Chanel – Business Entrepreneur 80
Maurice Chevalier - Entertainer 83
Simone de Beauvoir – Writer 84
Claire Dupont – Tourist 86
Contributions to Paris 88
Timeline of Events 117
Population of Paris 122
Annual Celebrations in Paris 128
Quotes and Sayings 132
Index 139
Amazing People Club Team 144
© Dr Charles J Margerison - The Amazing People Club
Amazing People of Paris Amazing People of Paris
The Author
Dr Charles Margerison is a Chartered Psychologist,
a member of the Royal Institution and the Royal
Society of Literature. He is Chairman of Viewpoint
Resources Ltd, a publishing organization and the
founder of the Amazing People Club. Previously,
he was Professor of Management at the University
of Cranfield, UK and also at the University of
Queensland, Australia. He is the co-founder of Team
Management Systems and the Chairman of Bell
Hughes Music Group.
The author of more than ten books on management
issues, he has also written an innovative continuing professional development
system, called The Communication and Problem Solving Resource. This
provides the educational support resources for the use of the Amazing People
Series in schools and colleges.
The Amazing People Club Series commenced when Dr Margerison wondered
what people like William Shakespeare, Marie Curie, Abraham Lincoln, and
other great achievers would have said if he had interviewed them about their
life and work. Therefore, he decided to research the known facts about their
lives and write up what he thought they would say. In particular, he focussed
on the psychological issues associated with their personalities and how they
used their time and talents well in order to achieve. The stories give us an
insight into their motivation and relationships with other people.
This unique range of stories is presented via a new concept called
BioViews® that combines a biography with a virtual interview. The stories
are an interpretation of the lives of amazing people, as in a theatre play. Each
one is presented as if the person is talking to you personally. Every line of a
BioView® has a meaning that provides a fact or an interpretation, or raises a
question. There are no full stops, as in traditional writing, except at the end.
The intention is to create the flow of conversation as in an interview.
BioViews® offer new and interesting ways of understanding major
contributions to our world by amazing people. The stories are inspirational
and we hope they can help you achieve your ambitions in your own journey
through life.
© Dr Charles J Margerison - The Amazing People Club © Dr Charles J Margerison - The Amazing People Club
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Amazing People of Paris
Introduction
The Amazing People of Paris provides an insight into the lives of famous
people who made major contributions to the City of Light. This book tells
some of their inspirational stories.
How did Paris develop in the early days? Some of the people like St Denis
are still remembered today as their names are featured as place names or on
monuments. Of course, some names are remembered more than others, such
as the Kings and military rulers. But who was Gaston Dupres and what part
did he play in the development of Paris? Indeed, why were certain people,
like Voltaire and Victor Hugo, sent into exile?
This book reflects the stories of some of the amazing characters who have
shaped both Paris and France. They have all left a legacy and their mark on
the country. Rather than present a traditional history, I have travelled through
time to ‘interview’ those who made great contributions.
You can read their exploits in a series of stories called BioViews®. These are
biographical interviews based on the known facts. Each one of them provides
an inspirational account of how people overcame problems and took their
opportunities to develop their country and culture.
What we see in Paris and France today is the legacy of great contributions
made by many people. Therefore, I have chosen amazing people from
different walks of life. You will meet the people from the early times as
well as more recent contributors. You will meet scientists, writers, builders,
entrepreneurs, priests, politicians, revolutionaries, kings, mistresses and those
who developed major ideas and plans for modern France.
I trust that these stories will help you in your visits to Paris.
Dr Charles Margerison
© Dr Charles J Margerison - The Amazing People Club
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Amazing People of Paris Amazing People of Paris
Paris Landmarks
© Dr Charles J Margerison - The Amazing People Club © Dr Charles J Margerison - The Amazing People Club
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Amazing People of Paris
Paris Landmarks
The city of Paris is divided into 20 arrondissements (districts).
The 20 districts form a clockwise spiral which begins in the middle of the
city, with the first arrondissement starting on the Right Bank of the Seine
River. Following is a list of the districts and places where you can walk in
the footsteps of the Amazing People of Paris:
Note: The ‘R’ stands for Right Bank and ‘L’ stands for Left Bank.
Arrondissements
1stR ‘Louvre’ - King Francois I, King Louis XVI and Andre Le Notre.
The heart of Paris includes the Louvre Museum and the Tuileries Gardens.
2ndR ‘Bourse’ - The Central Business District includes the Paris Stock
Exchange and the National Library.
3rdR ‘Temple’ - Marie-Anne Lavoisier and Michel Turgot
One of the oldest historical areas of Paris known as le Marais (the Marshes)
includes Musée Carnavalet, Temple Fortress and Conservatoire des Arts et
Métiers.
4thR ‘Hotel-de-Ville’ - Joan of Arc, Jean-Sylvain Bailly, Victor Hugo, Etienne
Marcel and Parisii.
This district is also known as le Marais (the Marshes) and includes Ile St
Louis and the Île de la Cité (the islands), Notre-Dame Cathedral, Hotel de
Ville, Place des Vosges and Place des Pyramides (on Rue de Rivoli).
5thL ‘Panthéon’ – Victor Hugo and Voltaire.
This is the Latin Quarter and includes The Panthéon and La Sorbonne
University.
6thL ‘Luxembourg’ – Saint Genevieve
This is the area of St Germain which includes the Luxembourg Gardens.
7thL ‘Palais-Bourbon’ – Louis Braille, Napoleon Bonaparte and Gustave
Eiffel.
© Dr Charles J Margerison - The Amazing People Club
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Amazing People of Paris Amazing People of Paris
An up-market area and home of the Eiffel Tower and Les Invalides.
8thR ‘Elysée’ – Napoleon Bonaparte, Julius Caesar, Eugene Henard and King
Louis XVI.
A picturesque area of Paris which includes the Champs Elysées, the Place de
la Madeleine, Arc de Triomphe, the Place de la Concorde and the Charles de
Gaulle Etoile (traffic circle).
9thR ‘Opera’ – Charles Garnier, Baron Georges-Eugene Haussmann, Edith
Piaf and Henri Toulouse-Lautrec.
The Pigalle district, being the ‘Red Light’ district of Paris includes the
famous Moulin Rouge, Galeries Lafayette and Paris Opera (Opéra Garnier).
10thR‘ Enclos-St-Laurent’ - The home of two of Paris’ main train stations –
Gare du Nord (station of the North) and Gare de l’Est (station of the East).
11thR ‘Popincourt’ – Mainly a residential district which includes the Place de
la Bastille, the New Opera House and the New Jewish Quarter.
12thR ‘ Reuilly’ – Simone de Beauvoir
Mostly a residential district which includes the Opéra Bastille and the
Gare de Lyon station. It is also where the Passerelle Simone-de-Beauvoir
footbridge crosses the Seine River which ends in the 13th district.
13thL ‘Gobelins’ – Simone de Beauvoir
This is Paris’ Chinatown district which includes the Simone-de-Beauvoir
footbridge, and the Bibliothéque Nationale de France.
14thL ‘Observatoire’ – Jacques Prévert
This is a residential district which includes Montparnasse and the Cité
Universitaire.
15thL ‘Vaugirard’ – Louis Pasteur
This is an outer area of Paris which includes the Pasteur Institute and
Montparnasse Tower.
16th R ‘Passy’ – Georges Clemenceau and Eugene Henard
One of Paris’ up-market areas which includes the Georges Clemenceau
© Dr Charles J Margerison - The Amazing People Club © Dr Charles J Margerison - The Amazing People Club
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