Paris 1919

Six Months That Changed the World

By: Margaret MacMillan

Narrated by: Suzanne Toren

Length: 25 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

Winner of the Samuel Johnson Prize, renowned historian Margaret MacMillan's best-selling Paris 1919 is the story of six remarkable months that changed the world. At the close of WWI, between January and July of 1919, delegates from around the world converged on Paris under the auspices of peace. New countries were created, old empires were dissolved, and for six months, Paris was the center of the world. Bringing to vivid life the individuals who participated in the great Peace Conference, including Woodrow Wilson, Winston Churchill, Lawrence of Arabia, and Ho Chi Minh, Paris 1919 is a landmark work of narrative history.

©2002 Margaret MacMillan

Critic reviews

"This book is a treasure." (Booklist)
"MacMillan's lucid prose brings her participants to colorful and quotable life, and the grand sweep of her narrative encompasses all the continents the peacemakers vainly carved up." (Publishers Weekly)

audible kids? no way

The intro that this is for audible kids was a shocker. I was an avid reader as a kid, but this book is way too tedious for a child, it would have caused me to jump out a window. However, as an adult, it is a very good and thorough history lesson. I learned more though about that period in American history (and indeed world history) than I ever knew before. Just when I thought the world leaders actually knew what they were doing, you find out that they were basically winging it.

The key to understand the conflicts in today's wourld

If you want to understand today's problems in many parts of the wourld, then you have to know the details of the Versailles-treathy, and this book is very well written and perfect in that role.

Paris 1919

This was a thorough a retelling of what happened at the peace conference; incredibly detailed and readable at the same time. The book is organized into the various geographic areas so that one can follow the thread of each of the participants. Everything you want to know about the treaty of Versailles. This was the roots of some modern day problems.

Had no idea the impact of the Treaty of Versailles

Very detailed and entertaining as well. Helped me get a handle on the interconnectedness of nations and states.

good history, organized by region

gets confusing if your mind is conditioned to linear temporal history. still worth a listen.

Good book worth it

Overall very detailed account of history that seemed well researched….Author clearly knows the subject matter… The last 15 minutes we’re not that good

Lots and Lots of Chapters

Too much detail . . . everything you'd like to know about the Treaty of Versailles embedded within page after page of details and sidelights, dragging on and on, making those six months referred to in the title seem a long unnecessary voyage of tedium. I jumped ship after Chapter 18. Tell MacMillan to hire an editor and come back later.

Best book I've read in the past 2 or 3 years

Where does Paris 1919 rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

#1

What did you like best about this story?

The author did a really good job of organizing the story and information.

What does Suzanne Toren bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

She was able to convey incredulity, sarcasm etc with her intonation.

Any additional comments?

The narrator did an astounding job. Really really superb

A boring subject made vivid.

Probably can't get a clearer description of what went on with this free-for-all involving so many countries.

Shaping the "Modern World"

If you are at all interested in how the current world crises began then this is a "no miss" book. I was truly amazed to learn that the dissolution of the Ottoman empire really set the tone and spawned so many of these issues that are now endangering our lives and the lives of our children and grandchildren. Could not stop listening