Finally my book, ‘Aix-en-Provence The Inside Story’ is available.
I’ve been working on it for months, pulling together research from all my visits, from books, from websites and from interviews. I embarked on it because there is so little in English on the history of this fascinating town. Guide books are very big on facades and columns but tell us little about the people who lived in the buildings. I wanted to find out more, especially about the lives of women who rarely figure in the history books.
Once the protective power of its Roman founders had dissipated, medieval Aix endured centuries of physical attacks, political upheavals and devastation from disease. What were the social conditions during these times? How did the townspeople earn money and feed their families? In trying to find out, I have uncovered some fascinating detail, but also run into dead-ends.
During the so-called Golden Age, aristocratic Parlementarians and rich lawyers built Baroque-influenced town-houses and brought in Italian artists to decorate them. The book looks where possible behind the doors at the families and also some of the artists working in the town. Such a life-style of course depended on an impoverished working and agricultural class who were about to be unleashed….
The French Revolution had a dramatic effect on Aix. I had little idea of its impact until I started to research it. What with aristocrats running for the borders and the unlucky few swinging from the trees in the cours Mirabeau, plus revolutionaries pillaging the churches and the Hotel de Ville, it must have been traumatic for families trying to survive during these years.
Devastated Aix lost its status as capital to Marseille and spent the 19th century recovering and rebuilding. But local bright spirits like Mignet and Thiers were in Paris helping their native city and Cézanne and Zola explored the Provencal countryside and dreamed of fame. We probably know plenty about them – but the book also introduces Mesdames Cézanne and Zola, long-suffering ladies both, but interesting in their different ways.
Twentieth century Aix was hit brutally by two world wars which, in the way of most conflict, was not of its making. And then, as it had done through the centuries, the town had to pick itself up and rebuild its population, its economy, its morale. What a story!
I found it fascinating to research and write, and hope readers will find it fascinating too.
From a practical point of view, no French publishers were interested in printing anything in English (I assume – emails ignored). So I have gone down the print-on-demand route and kept to black and white to keep the price down. Perhaps now it is in print, it will find a publisher and we can get a glorious colour version. That would be wonderful!
Until then, ‘Aix-en-Provence The Inside Story’ is available at www.lulu.com and is priced at £9.99 or just under 13€, +p&p. (Once in the website, hit Buy or Acheter and put ‘Aix’ in the search box).
aixcentric 
Congratulations! Is it available at Book in Bar? I’m going there tomorrow… If not, I’ll buy it on your web site. Terrific!
Hi – I had planned to take it to Book In Bar and also the Musee Granet who were so helpful with photo-permissions…but all the local marketing will have to take place later. I am currently in Henley with 2 very poorly parents. Missing Aix and the sun!
Oh, I’m so excited. It’s about time. I too am fascinated with the city and have been trying to plow through history books in French. Not so easy at my level. I’ve gone to the site to buy but thought I’d ask, before I do, if it’s available as an ebook for my kindle? If not, I’ll continue the purchase. Congratulations and I can’t wait to read about our lovely city.
Hello. The book is full of photos so can’t be ‘kindled’. I do hope you enjoy it!
So excited to read about your book. I hadn’t realized that you were working on one, but I had thought for some time now that I wanted to find a book such as this. I will purchase it right away. (I am not clear as to whether I can have it shipped to me here in Canada, but I will try). Congratulations!
Thank you! I’m sure it can be sent to Canada. There is nothing similar available in English and I thought local publishers might be interested, it being the European Year of Culture (!) … but the self-publishing route is a good new option and maybe it will get taken up and published in full colour. I can dream…..
Well done! I’m sure that this will be read and enjoyed by many of us.
Thank you for the kind comment. I hope everyone enjoys it – I certainly found it fascinating to research the story.
Excellent news and love that you’ve made an effort to add a bit of female history!
It was actually difficult to figure out what the women were doing because of course their lives, in the main, didn’t get recorded. But I did find out a bit about life in the convents (lots in Aix) and also found that a young lady from Aix went to Paris, had an affair with Flaubert, and inspired Madame Bovary!!
Congratulations, Lynne, of course I will buy it, can’t wait to read it and to learn about all this inside information about ‘our’ city we think we know so well …
Good work, time to relax now 🙂
Marion Huizing
Thank you Marion – I hope you enjoy it!
Congratulations I admire your tenacity in the face of French beaurocracy.
I look forward to reading it,
Congratulations! What a great initiative.
Congratulations – great initiative!
Hi, where can i buy this book in Aix-en-Provence?
At Book in Bar, our super English Language book shop in rue Joseph Cabassol.