The Once Upon a Time World: The Dark and Sparkling Story of the French Riviera

Using the same format as he did in St. Petersburg, Paris-based author Miles chronologically surveys the French Riviera in this second volume of what he calls an informal trilogy about “phenomenal places created by strangers.” The snowy Alps to the north juxtaposed with the warm Mediterranean of the southeast coast of France formed a secluded paradise, also known as the Côte d’Azur, with a temperate and supposedly healing climate. In 1835, Lord Brougham built a villa in Cannes, and wealthy Englishmen, Russians, and Americans were drawn to the coastline and its diversions: alcohol, casinos, horse and car racing, and film festivals. Nearly 400 pages, this book includes stories about the area’s residents and famous celebrity guests—Queen Victoria, Pablo Picasso, F. Scott Fitzgerald, James Baldwin, and Grace Kelly, Princess of Monaco, to name a few—which sometimes reads like an extended society gossip column. Some readers may feel overwhelmed by the details, but many will find there’s much to learn.