Alvey, it's called 'Paris In Turmoil' (when was it in any other condition?), by Eric Hazan.  It's partly about the destruction of the more working class areas of the city.  I'd certainly recommend Richard Cobb for a photographic record, taken around areas like Belleville (parts of which, I read recently, have become 'gentrified').  I was warned to keep away from Stalingrad.  Of course I went directly there and the most sinister thing that happened was, a little black guy asked me for the price of a cup of coffee. 
I love Paris, too.  But I've made only three visits, the last in 2012.  I stayed in Montmartre during the first two visits, in the Latin Quarter on the third.
I play a little game with myself: Paris or Rome?
You and TRS could join in.
I've yet to come up with an answer.
I like the French.

Hawick Argyle cotton sweater.  Preppie?

Yes: probably Rome.  Although I used to love the coffee (and food) at a modest Vietnamese place opposite Gare Du Nord.

Oh, Alvey, you must go to Rome.  TRS and I will arrange to take you.  Leave Mrs. Singer behind for a week or two.  TRS speaks Italian and knows where to get the very best coffee and pizza.
I wish my wife was fluent in French.
Her father coming from Liverpool, she struggles with basic English.

Best area we found is near the huge railway station.  Tourists are advised to steer clear because of pickpockets etc.  The most obvious menace we encountered were 'entertainers' in the restaurant we wandered into on the first evening, jabbering, strumming guitars and stamping their feet while I was getting to grips with the locally-produced veal in a rich tomato sauce.

Robbie -I'd be interested to hear what you think of the Truss T's, I bought 4 coloured T's from Gap for the beach  a couple of weeks and was quite pleased with them for what I paid ,(around a tenner each), but I saw the Truss T's after I'd bought the Gap ones and thought they might be better, I liked the colours that were on offer, the Gap t's are packed away now until the next beachy holiday, my day-to-day t's for dog walking, gardening etc are Ivy regulation white, grey, navy ,hah, As an aside, after a tip off by Alvey that Uniqlo had a collaboration with Reyn Spooner, I've been pondering on buying the red & blue batik style print open collar shirts, at £24 (full price) all cotton, they seem a bargain and I'll probably regret it if they sell out before I stop dithering, however, there are only so many days a year you can wear this open collar style shirt, yesterday was one and I sported a flowery number,

The Uniqlo t shirts I have are of the waffle type. I think they have stopped doing the short sleeved ones and only offer a long sleeved version now.

I have been told, in no uncertain terms, by Mrs. AFS, that I must curb my spending.  The pale yellow CoxMoore Shetland I had my eye on has been crossed off the list.
At least until the end of the month.

Just received Truss T shirts from Markkt 
I wouldn't recommend them. The positive is that both have a good neck and are thin enough to wear under a shirt. The label says Heavy Weight but they ain't. The grey one is marketed as cotton but it has 15% rayon.
I ordered large but they fit more like a medium. They were ,£20 each and are worth about £5. Maybe I expect too much from a t shirt but these don't cut it. The search continues

I'm calling a halt to buying for the foreseeable future. 
I've taken several bags of clothing to the Breast Cancer charity shop up the valley.  It doesn't appear to be shifting. 
I'm a little jaded by my recent 'conspicuous consumption'.

Stax- Ive had a few GAP t shirts in the past and they were good. The outlet shop in Lakeside used to be on my 'places to visit' when I was shopping over that way. Unfortunately they closed their retail outlets. I'm old school and like to browse, when out and about, but that is becoming increasingly futile

Anyone interested in buying a Bara Harrington should look on the Market site. Green or black , all sizes at knockdown prices

Tim - When you buy from JS do they deduct the UK VAT ?, If not they should, their prices obviously include UK VAT and as they are ' exporting' to you in the EU it should be VAT free,(so you pay EU VAT on arrival),  after a lifetime in the forwarding/logistics business I know about this stuff ! Were you pleased with the RS x Uniqlo ? I have the blue batik print, haven't worn it yet, I felt it needed a wash to soften the collar, a couple of weeks ago I had a Gitman ' Zephyr' blue oxford arrive, it's a lightweight oxford ( pinpoint ?), it'll need a lot of ironing but I'm pleased with it, probably wear it tonight when my Wife & I take our neighbour out for dinner to celebrate her 90th birthday, she wanted to go for dinner not lunch !