Paris to the Past: Traveling through French History by Train

I have to be honest and admit that I was skeptical about this book. In part because of some of the reviews I read here on Amazon, but also because Ina Caro's first book, "The Road from the Past" is an all-time favorite of mine, and I could not envision a sequel.Intially, I was not taken with this book. It seemed like a rehash of the ideas presented in "The Road from the Past," and I even did this book the indignity of jumping from chapter to chapter rather than reading it front to back. For that I must apologize -- because when I read Chapter 9, with the marvelous descriptions of Orleans and Joan of Arc, I was hooked. Ina had charmed me again!This is not a guidebook or even a typical travelogue, it is more like a collection of essays on the glories of traveling in France. Ina proves, once again, that the idea of sightseeing chronologically is simply brilliant. As is her writing which reflects her passion for history and a great personal charm as well. She has a gift for bring history alive that inspires me and makes me want to hop on a train to these destinations right now.Properly chastised, I am rereading this book, from beginning to end, and savoring every single word. If you love France, you must read this book.

Not so much a treatise on French history, or even a book to be read through cover to cover, as a strategic guide for the traveler wishing to get the most out of a one or two-week trip to Paris. (Especially for the return visitor already familiar with the monuments and landmarks in the inner arrondissements.)I had previously made a self-planned trip through Provence, driving a rental car from one village to the next, and experienced the terror of having to share narrow mountain roads with fanatically speeding motorcyclists and drivers, and the frustration of negotiating suburban traffic jams to reach the centre ville. By contrast, the trains in France are a joy to ride, and take you directly to stations within walking distance of any number of beautiful and historically important sites. The rail routes all radiate outward from the various station within Paris, making to possible to spend all or part of the day at a cathedral in Picardie or Champagne, and return in time to dine at one of the fabulous Parisian bistros.Ms. Caro's descriptions of her day trips to the various buildings and locations that constitute the individual chapters of this book are chatty and sometimes humorous, but they also do convey valuable historical insights. I suspect most readers will finish each chapter with the feeling of wanting to go to France to see for themselves.

The recipe Ina Caro followed in writing "Paris to the Past: Traveling through French History by Train," was simple, if somewhat arbitrary: write a gist of the history of Paris (and so of the kingdom and empire of France) based on extant landmarks. Or, conversely, write a kind of travel guide to historical Paris arranged chronologically. The landmarks, naturally, must be centered about Paris; the means of transportation to get there (or at least in the general vicinity), by train--to include regional rail and subway, the "Metropolitan." The landmarks, with few exceptions, couldn't be much more than an hour away from Paris. Focus on the history of the places you'll go--the idea being to see the development of France through the art and architecture of the places visited in historical progression--but throw into the mix your personal recollections about your actual travel experiences.The arbitrary elements are clear--travel by train and restrict that travel to about an hour--and not unreasonable. As travel becomes faster and more convenient, one can imagine that one day all of France could be covered under such a recipe. But it works. The first stop, Saint-Denis, for instance, is a relatively short (20 min) Metro ride to a northern suburb; a later destination, Chartres, an easy one-hour shot from Paris. At first, I thought that the choice of locations seemed peculiarly non-Parisian: relatively few destinations covered in the book are in Paris proper. Quickly, though, I came to appreciate the thinking behind the choices. How often in touring a place do we group our visits by location and so get a smattering of different periods, and so varying ideas and styles, all in one confusing blur? Here's a clever way to sort it out and get a deeper, richer understanding of another culture."Paris to the Past" isn't without quirks. Sometimes, Ina Caro reminds you of a somewhat eccentric if lovable aunt. She takes you along even if you might think better of it. For example, ignoring the advice given in many a travel book about when and how to visit Versailles, not to mention the fact that Versailles is a "must-see" on every tourist's France itinerary, she ends up tiresomely kvetching about the crowds. She also has a strange way with words, as in this monumental case of blaming the victim: "While looking at this portrait [of Joan of Arc, from the 16th century], I also realized I had to stop being angry with Orléans for having been bombed in 1940 and consequently not having any early-fifteenth-century buildings" (p. 138/loc. 2257). Then there's the wince-inducing joke: Caro criticizes medieval French persecution of the Jews with this comment about matzoh: "After tasting French bread, I can understand that Christians would find anyone peculiar who preferred matzoh to French baked bread, but even so, no matter how bad matzoh tastes, even if you are French, I don't think it was grounds for religious persecution" (p. 87/loc. 1447). She can also make anachronistic associations, such as saying that the 18th century architect Jacques-Ange Gabriel built the Musée Rodin (p. 319/loc. 5052), or repeat as fact an old pseudo-historical canard claiming that the Jesuits made "twenty-three attempts" on the life of Henry IV (p. 209/loc. 3372).Caro's history lessons take you only so far. Frequently the ravages of time take their toll on French historical sites, and one must make do with partial evidence or reconstructions. Caro has an affinity for models of sites that no longer exist--trust me, she says, you'll love them, too. She has an aversion to the history of war and violence, which albeit understandable is nonetheless unfortunate given how terrible much of the period covered was. The splendid 18th-century secular art and architecture that she revels in was brought about under excesses of the royal family and aristocracy that later result in the Revolution, but we don't get a much of a sense of how the Revolution came about and how both monarchy and Revolution went awry.To be fair, Caro did not set out to write a history, but a historical travelogue. In this she was quite successful; you enjoy accompanying her on her day jaunts, just as she enjoys in turn the company of her husband, Bob (the brilliant biographer Robert Caro). "Paris to the Past" is well worth reading in preparation for your own travel adventures in Paris. Indeed, I could see designing a very interesting sojourn in the French capital region using this book as a guide.

After this read I am so much more informed about many places I have already seen and will see in my many more visits to France. I loved her writing and felt she was talking just to me. Great fun. I have recommended this book as a must to my other Francophile friends, one of whom has the great good fortune to live in France six months a year.I’m will order her other books right now!

This is a charming, well-written guide, and an engaging read, whether or not you are Paris-bound. Ina Caro is a marvelous writer and terrific guide to places easily reached while using Paris as a base. Her other book, Traveling Through History in France, is wonderful, too. We’d follow her anywhere.

I really like Ina Caro's writing. This is the second book of hers that I have read on France. I read this just before our three week trip to France this spring and it was very helpful in giving me history and background for the places that we visited that were talked about in the book. She is part historian and part travel guide and I really like her input in both areas.

Great

Recommande des voyages en train pour visiter des sites historiques pas très loin de Paris, et en detaille l'histoire. Le cadre est toujours son propre voyage.

Ina Caro is a wonderful writer. Her first book, The Road from the Past is the best and most fun travel book about France I've ever read. So it is with absolutely no reluctance that I ordered Paris to the Past as soon as I heard about it! Without a doubt it is absolutely wonderful and I can't recommend it too highly. Her grasp of history is equal to anyone, and her anecdotes are just the best!

I love this book and have it in 3 incarnations - audio, Kindle, and dead tree editions. It is practical, informative, stacked with the most accessible history, and has just enough personal reflection to make the author the ideal travelling companion. I have visited most of the locations already, but plan, as my retirement gift to myself, to return armed with these new insights to almost all the historical sites, in Ms Caro's order. Right now I am organising train tickets in readiness for my five week stay later in the year. The whole visit will revolve around the book, both in Paris itself, and further afield. My plan is to make a photographic companion for each of the locations so that I can have my very own illustrated edition. Enjoying the planning - the reality will be even better come rain, hail or shine. Thanks, Ms Caro for an excellent book.

Unique. I have enjoyed this book as much as any classic travel book read in the last fifty years. Now will someone do the same for Spain, Italy and Germany, etc?