The Beggars of Paris by Louis Paulian ~ Full Audiobook [history]

The Beggars of Paris by Louis Paulian audiobook. Genre: history In The Beggars of Paris, Louis Paulian turns a hard, clear eye on a side of the city most polite society prefers not to see: begging as an organized trade. Writing from firsthand investigation, Paulian explains how he was drawn into the question of mendicity and then follows his inquiry into the streets, doorways, and church porches where appeals for alms are staged. He distinguishes the truly destitute from the practiced impostor, showing how convincing costumes, rehearsed stories, and carefully chosen locations can turn pity into steady income. With a reporter's attention to detail, he maps the working life of the professional beggar, from the roaming 'active service' to the fixed posts of the 'sedentary service,' and sketches the recurring 'mendicant types' the public is trained to recognize - and misread. The book's central tension is practical as much as moral: how can ordinary people help suffering without financing exploitation? Paulian critiques charitable societies and proposes concrete reforms, including replacing coins with tickets, organizing aid through work, and reshaping the role of police and poor-law administration. Part social anatomy, part policy argument, this is a provocative study of compassion, deception, and responsibility in modern city life. For ad-free listening try our premium subscription Chapters (Approximate) (00:00:00) Chapter 00 (00:01:39) Chapter 01 (00:50:04) Chapter 02 (01:20:27) Chapter 03 (02:16:33) Chapter 04 (03:04:21) Chapter 05 (04:08:29) Chapter 06 (05:01:40) Chapter 07 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices