Black Montmartre in the Jazz Age is a colorful history of the period by an author who demonstrates an impressive knowledge of Montmartre and a real engagement with his subject. -- David Looseley * author of Popular Music in Contemporary France: Authenticity, Politics, and Debate and Édith Piaf: A Cultural History * Rather than a standard history, Black Montmartre in the Jazz Age reads more like an engaging, old-fashioned gossip column in places, laced liberally with pertinent quotes and humorous anecdotes. The reader is given the feeling of being led on a historical tour along the streets of Paris's Montmartre quarter and inside the various clubs and other performance venues of that period, often complete with descriptions of their décor and provenance. -- Allison Blakely * author of Blacks in the Dutch World: The Evolution of Racial Imagery in a Modern Society * Tomlinson's new history of Black Montmartre brings a new perspective to the 1920s through a high-octane tour through one of Paris's most famous neighborhoods. He captures the efforts of musicians, dancers, and club owners to make a space of freedom but also reveals how their utopian hopes became complicated by racism, violence, and the cost of doing business. He also busts some long-repeated myths about the experience of Black performers to tell a more nuanced story. Intertwining jazz, dance, and pop culture, Tomlinson's vivacious storytelling highlights the promise and the limits for African Americans in the City of Light. -- Jeffrey H. Jackson * author of Paper Bullets and Making Jazz French *