Description
Book SynopsisA sweeping social and environmental history, The Riviera, Exposed illuminates the profound changes to the physical space that we know as the quintessential European tourist destination. Stephen L. Harp uncovers the behind-the-scenes impact of tourism following World War II, both on the environment and on the people living and working on the Riviera, particularly North African laborers, who not only did much of the literal rebuilding of the Riviera but also suffered in that process.
Outside of Paris, the Riviera has been the most visited region in France, depending almost exclusively on tourism as its economic lifeline. Until recently, we knew a great deal about the tourists but much less about the social and environmental impacts of their activities or about the life stories of the North African workers upon whom the Riviera''s prosperity rests. The technologies embedded in roads, airports, hotels, water lines, sewers, beaches, and marinas all requi
Trade Review
This engrossing environmental and social history of the French Riviera invites us to critically interrogate the profound interplay between environmental destruction and social inequality more generally, and will surely give readers much to ponder when they plan their next vacation.
* Journal of Social History *
In six sharply written and lively chapters, Stephen Harp renders visible what the tourism industry demands remain invisible: laborers and environmental degradation.
* Journal of Tourism History *
Specialists will learn much from Harp's innovative research and eclectic use of sources[.]
* Choice *
Table of ContentsIntroduction: The Hidden Riviera
1. Building Hotels and Housing for the Rich and the Rest
2. Reconstructing the Riviera, Sleeping in Squats and Shantytowns
3. Providing Potable Water and WCs
4. Fattening Up Beaches and Polluting the Mediterranean
5. Erecting an Airport and Living with Jet Planes
6. Remaking Roads and Disciplining Drivers
Epilogue: The More Things Change
