‘Eiffel’s Tower’ by Jill Jonnes is sporadically engaging

Eiffel’s Tower, Jill Jonnes’ richly detailed account of one of the world’s most famous monuments, wants to be so much like Erik Larson’s transcendent The Devil in the White City. But unlike Larson’s tome about Chicago’s World’s Fair, Jonnes only finds intermittent success with her account of Gustave Eiffel and his wayward journey of bringing the tower to unimaginable heights.

The problem with Jonnes’ 311-page book is that there are too many supporting characters, many of whom have nothing to do with the Eiffel Tower or Paris’ World’s Fair of 1889. Yes, reading about Paul Gauguin is never a bore, neither are the selections on Vincent van Gogh. But these two artistic geniuses had very little to do with the tower. One could even make the case that Annie Oakley and Wild Bill’s large portion of the book feels a bit pushed. Taking a historical snapshot should not result in casting a net far and wide; it comes off as an easy catchall to describe in detail everyone of great importance that lived at the same time.

A biography on Eiffel alone would have been sufficient. He is a fascinating character who faced seemingly insurmountable obstacles when trying to build the world’s tallest structure. His shenanigans in the Suez Canal affair and his late-in-life imprisonment are the things of Shakespearean tragedy. Yet, in Jonnes’ more-than-able hands, Eiffel takes a backseat to the flashier characters of Belle Epoque France. Every artist under the sun is represented, leaving little room for the true man of the hour.

Jonnes is not a bad writer, and she keeps one’s interest. Her vivid style, especially when describing Thomas Edison’s visit to the fair, is beautiful. Her organization and easy-to-read chronology were also helpful. It just would have been put to better use if the editorial scope was focused on the tower and the fair.

Isn’t the Eiffel Tower worth a book by itself?

• Eiffel’s Tower

• By Jill Jonnes

• Penguin, 311 pages (paperback edition)

• Retail price: $16 (paperback edition)

• Bubble score: 2.5 out of 4

• Click here to purchase Eiffel’s Tower by Jill Jonnes