July 14th is recognized in France as Bastille Day, a national holiday that marks the storming of the Bastille prison and the beginning of the French Revolution. Readers on this side of the Atlantic can celebrate the occasion by learning more about the Eiffel Tower, the architectural masterpiece that was built to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Bastille Day.

Although it serves as an iconic backdrop of Paris today, the tower was the object of international disdain by architects when it was built for the 1889 World’s Fair. Jill Jonnes’ Eiffel’s Tower retells the triumphant story of Gustave Eiffel, the engineer behind the tower that eventually became a beloved national symbol.