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BOOKS: Best kept secrets

In Out of Paris , by Zahid Sardar, Gibbs Smith Publishers, 264 pages, $62.
Best kept secrets
  • In Out of Paris, by Zahid Sardar, Gibbs Smith Publishers, 264 pages, $62.

Paris has witnessed many revolutions but one of the most beautiful began in 1564 when Henry II's wife Catherine de Medici encouraged the garden designs of the Italian Renaissance to be applied to the gardens at Tuileries Palace, laying the groundwork for the glorious gardens that exist today.

The Palace gardens survived through the opulence of Louis XVI's court and later the austerity of post-French Revolution, but it wasn't until Baron Haussmann began the transformation of the city into 20 gardens all linked together with grand boulevards that the beauty spread throughout Paris.

Author Zahid Sardar and photographer Marion Brenner explore a full range of gardens that extend from the largest historical estate gardens to private rooftop enclaves.

Together they provide a look at both public and private sanctuaries that exist within the city. Styles include classical, Japanese, modern and even a nod to surrealism, along with many variations on those themes.

Sardar provides detailed descriptions of each location that includes their origins and influences, while Brenner's photographs capture the beauty of each one.