The Road from the Past: Traveling through History in France (Paperback)

~ (Author) "I had originally come to Orange by accident..." (more)
Key Phrases: Middle Ages, Hundred Years War, Joan of Arc (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Caro mixes history with first-hand travel writing in her jounary from the Roman ruins of Provence to Napoleon's Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Using this guide correctly, one can methodically visit numerous facets of French civilization and not miss a popular site. The formula is simple. Divide the country into regions-Provence, Langueduc, Dordogne, Loire Valley, Ile de France. Select the best relic examples from each period, add some royal history, and move chronologically. All periods are easily visible-Roman ruins, early Christian sculpture, active medieval cliffside monasteries and walled cities, English and French chateaus from the Hundred Years' War, baronial manors, Renaissance art, gardens, palaces, and the grandeur of Louis XIV. The tour stops just short of the 19th century. Unlike most guidebooks, this book makes no formal recommendations on accommodations and restaurants, and no hours of attractions are stated. Describing the evolution of France through the eyes of a foreign tourist makes this guidebook equally attractive to history buffs, tourists, and armchair travelers. An interesting perspective on traveling.
Ann E. Cohen, Rochester P.L., N.Y.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Harvest Books (April 25, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0156003635
• ISBN-13: 978-0156003636
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #193,713 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #94 in

  Books > Travel > Europe > Ireland

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely the BEST book on historical travel in France, February 27, 2000

By	Sofie Rose "sofierose" (California) - See all my reviews

Whether you've visited France, dream of visiting France, or simply feel like indulging in a little armchair travel, this book will delight you. Ms. Caro travels through history and takes her reader along with her. Her love for her subject is evident, and her wonderful writing style and talent for bringing history alive make this book a joy to read. Over the past decade I've read many travel books, but I can say without hesitation this is my favorite.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must-Read for Travellers Who Love History, July 27, 2001

By A Customer

If you plan any kind of extensive visit of France to see its many historical treasures, you must read this book before setting off. Caro recommends a tour that is chronological, thus allowing you to appreciate how this marvellous country really developed. From the Roman ruins through the Medieval period to the chateaux of the Loire, Versailles and finally into Paris, this will give you spectacular, thoughtful background to help you organize a truly meaningful tour. Unfortunately Caro does not cover the country's pre-historic sites of interest, such as the alignments of Carnac in Brittany (which predate Stonehenge), so you'll have to content yourself with just the 2000 years she does discuss. Simply put: An outstanding contribution to travel literature, one that I wish I could find for other destinations!

28 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Ina's summer vacation, May 17, 2004

By	PKBNYC "taki183" (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews

Preciously and annoyingly written ("[t]hat first visit to the Dordogne region was permeated with a magic I still remember as though it were yesterday"; "I can't explain what happens to the quality of light in the Loire Valley between Amboise and Blois"), Caro goes on for pages at a time reciting her trite reactions to French buildings and locales. Using Amazon's "search" function, you will see dozens of references to "Bob," "restaurant," "car," and "waiter," for example. There are more references to French waiters (stereotypically negative) than there are to bastides, for example.

Life is too short to read about someone else's mundane driving errors, or poorly described meals in order to make it to what is a quick and eclectic discussion of French history, seemingly ordered by a pre-set tourist itinerary. There's no real need to read about Bob and Ina's rushed meal at a fancy restaurant in Carcassonne in order to make the two o'clock castle tour. Once you get through that, however, you get to read about the tour guide, "dressed like a reject from the hippie movement of the sixties" in "a rumpled T-shirt and dungarees, [whose] blond hair was coiffured in oily shoulder-length curls--a style [Ina] is not particularly fond of in men."

This seems to be a "how-I-spent-my-summer-and-deducted-it-all" travelogue more than a serious effort at providing a travelers' history. We get someone else's tour reviews, bad lunches, good lunches, missed exits, oversleeping. If you are looking for Ina's history, with some observations about France tucked in, this may be for you.