L’Arc de Triomphe de l’Etoile dans l’Art et l’Histoire (in French)

 
From the publishers:
Plans for the redevelopment of the butte de l'Etoile into one of the capital's landmarks were already in existence during Ancien Régime. However, the Arc de l'Etoile construction project was born from Napoleon's desire to build a monument to his own glorious success and, more generally, as part of his transformation of Paris into a “New Rome”. Construction, which began under Napoleon, eventually came to an end in 1836, during Louis-Philippe's reign. Perhaps the greatest monument of the Napoleonic period, the arch, through its architecture and sculpted facade, also reflects art trends of the early 19th century.

This book by Isabelle Rouge-Ducos is the first complete work on the Arc de Triomphe. The author describes the history of its construction, and in doing so highlights the various different plans produced by the architects in charge, designs and drawings by individual artists, and previously unseen photographs of the arch's sculptures. She also explains the important commemorative role that the location has played in the nation's collective psyche, including in such famous events as the Prussian's bivouac in 1815, Victor Hugo's funeral procession, the victory parade in 1918, and the liberation of Paris in 1944.

This work was awarded the Fondation Napoléon Grand Prix History Prize for 2009.