As King Francois I once said, "Paris is not a city, it's a world." Long after the swarming crowd has deserted it, after the hum and buzz of traffic has subsided, Paris still resonates with a discreet life of its own. Working before sunrise and after sundown, photographer Jean-Michel Berts has created these dream-like black-and-white images, including Montmartre and the banks of the Seine. Following the Grands Boulevards and the footprints of Baudelaire, Brassa•, and Huysmans, the deserted streets of Paris take on a poetic, ethereal quality. Featuring beautiful text by the French novelist Pierre Assouline, this book is a moving homage to the city of lights. Each print is given ample breathing space in this volume, whose opulent trim size befits the spectacular quality of the shots.

A photographer since age sixteen, Jean-Michel Berts has acquired an outstanding international reputation by showcasing his work at Art Brussel's Fair, London, Saint-Tropez, Berlin, and Hambourg. He has also done successful advertising campains for luxury brands such as Lancome, Dior, and Cacharel.

A writer and journalist, Pierre Assouline has published some twenty books. Editor-in-chief of Lire magazine for twenty years, he is now a columnist for Le Monde 2 and Le Nouvel Observateur.