“In this fascinating work, Pappas brings to life how the fairs transformed the city’s architecture, culture, and daily life.”

– Bonjour Paris

“In this fascinating work, Pappas brings to life how the fairs transformed the city’s architecture, culture, and daily life.”

– Bonjour Paris

“...The original bistro chair was developed in 1859 by the German-Austrian cabinetmaker Michael Thonet (pronounced like bonnet), who discovered how to bend strong wood into graceful shapes using hot steam. His No. 14 chair first captured the world’s attention at the Paris Exposition of 1867. Its iconic status is one of the topics explored in “Nobody Sits Like the French,” Charles Pappas’s sprightly yet authoritative history of the seven universal expositions held in Paris between 1855 and 1937. The No. 14 chair is emblematic of the book’s broader survey of how the expositions fostered innovations at both micro and macro levels. What began as everyday items—cafe seats, Louis Vuitton trunks and Roquefort cheese—would become enduring classics, fit to stand alongside engineering marvels like the Eiffel Tower and the Grand Palais…”

– The Wall Street Journal

"...makes the case that international expositions matter, by tracing their effect on a European capital that really went all-in on them: Paris hosted major expos in 1855, 1867, 1878, 1889, 1900, 1925 and 1937."

– Bloomberg CityLab

"This exploration of Paris “through its World Expos” (the city managed seven between 1855 and 1937) is the story of what those colossal festivals of modernity gave to the world, from Louis Vuitton trunks to the Ei!el Tower (the world’s most valuable monument, “with an estimated worth of $600bn”) and “a working sewer system” – giant stone balls propelled by the pressure of stoppered sewage to declog pipes."

– Strong Words Magazine

"Pappas’s witty, conversational style pulls readers along unexpected avenues...This entertaining gem should be slipped into the suitcase of any traveler headed for Paris."

– Publishers Weekly