David Lawday was born in London and educated in Sussex and at Oxford. For many years he was the correspondent of The Economist in Paris where he lives with his French wife. His previous books include Napoleon’s Master: A Life of Prince Talleyrand; Danton, Giant of the French Revolution; and The France Alphabet: For the Discerning Traveller.
In the sweltering Indian summer of 1870, a young Englishman is sent to Paris as Prussian invaders advance on the French capital with the largest siege army ever assembled. The City of Light is cut off from the outside world, the population trapped behind its tall ramparts. As the siege continues for...