Eiffel's Tower for Young People

“On a January afternoon in 1888, Annie Oakley was toasting muffins and making tea in her apartment in New York City when a reporter visited.”

Annie Oakley? In a book about the Eiffel Tower?

Yes, it turns out, this book about the construction of the Eiffel Tower doesn't have only the expected characters of the designer and engineer Gustave Eiffel; also making unexpected appearances are such diverse personalities as Thomas Edison, Buffalo Bill Cody, the strident artist James McNeill Whistler, Vincent and Theo Van Gogh, the Prince of Wales, the Shah of Persia, and Paul Gauguin. It's a wonderful ride of a story, taking us through the process of trying to get backing for the Eiffel Tower as centerpiece of the 1889 World's Fair in Paris, through the construction process, and through the World's Fair itself.

Jill Jonnes is an esteemed historian, but don't let that put you off this book; it is actually one of the book's strengths that it has been well-researched. She's a great writer, too. I liked this book so much that I plan to find the original book for adults from which this book was made, Eiffel's Tower.