Paris Sewers And Sewermen

Library Journal

Reid (history, Univ. of North Carolina) literally visualizes ``history from the bottom up'' in this study. He traces the development of waste disposal in Paris from the days of cesspools and street disposal in the 18th century to the evolution of a comprehensive and efficient sewer system in the late 19th century. He also brings in politics and literature in his analysis, seeing a relationship between the sewers and political rebellion and examining the symbolic role sewers played in Victor Hugo's Les Miserables . Reid recounts the changing status of Paris sewermen from a shunned profession to a respected, ``blue collar'' occupational status with a livable wage and benefits, and a strong trade union. While interesting, this book has limited appeal, given the narrow scope of the topic and the rather densely written text, in which Reid assumes the reader's familiarity with the French language and the various historical figures. -- Norman Lederer, Stevens State Sch. of Technology, Lancaster, Pa.

Booknews

Reid (history, U. of NC Chapel Hill) emphasizes the human story of sewers--politics, sanitation, labor. The engineering of Parisian sewers occupies some 85 pages (lacking a single map). Good book. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)