The Road from the Past: Traveling through History in France

by Ina Caro

Caro takes us on an unforgettable driving tour of France, from Provence to the Loire Valley to Paris. With Caro as an epicurean, knowledgeable, and delightfully opinionated guide, we can always be sure to find the most breathtaking vistas, the most extraordinary châteaux, the most inspiring cathedrals, and the very best meals.

Genres: France, Travel, History, Nonfiction, Memoir

352 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

Ina Caro, author of the best-selling The Road from the Past: Traveling through History in France, is an authority on medieval and modern French history. She lives in New York City with her husband, the acclaimed biographer Robert A. Caro.

Reviews

[Jenica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading about the history but the way she talked about her own travels irritated me. She came across as very pretentious. Like when she only enjoyed Versailles when she was able to have a private tour, but when she had to deal with the crowds like all the common folk she recommends skipping it altogether. Skipping Versailles! Come on now. But I was reminded about and learned a lot of French history and for that it is worth reading.

[Christine · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn't get past the first 30 pages. This book is not meant for people who have a background in European history. The book just annoyed me with its broad generalizations and somewhat condescending tone. Maybe the book would be a good introduction to European history or travel, but unless you're new to those subjects, I would not recommend this one.

[Jeannie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book, which links history to place in France. I am a ‘hard marker’ - I reserve 5 stars for books from stellar authors such as Jane Austen and Miguel Cervantes - so 4 stars from me says: I loved this and will reread it and bore all my friends by droning on about it…
Caro’s style is accessible, you don’t have to have read history at Oxford to enjoy it.
If you are travelling to France and wish to understand the historical context of what you are seeing, I recommend it - but also if you are an armchair traveller.
A wonderful book and now I want to return to France with this as my guidebook!

Some favourite quotes:
The Visigoths wanted to enjoy the sumptuous life of the Romans; not destroy it. But they did not know how to administer the complex society they had conquered, or how to maintain the sophisticated physical plant created by the Romans. Illiterate, they could not read or understand the Latin laws; they did not know how to collect taxes or keep accounts. Ironically, it was because of the Visigoths’ inability to collect taxes that Narbonne’s Roman citizens, happy not to pay, accepted the barbarian rulers. Without the taxes, however, the barbarians were unable to maintain the city’s roads, canals, aqueducts, water supply, sewers, public baths, schools, and libraries. Learning became the province of the Church as the rest of the physical plant underwent a slow process of decay.
Visiting Narbonne, Carcassonne, and Albi, each with its cathedral and its ecclesiastical palace (the bishops were made princes of the Church during the Carolingian Empire; the cathedrals were built in the thirteenth century), you also begin to understand the administrative and hierarchial legacy left by the Roman Empire to the Catholic Church. You can see the hierarchy of one slipping into the abandoned hierarchy of the other like a hermit crab twisting its body into the abandoned shell of a sea snail. In this area of France the administrative system of the Roman Empire remained in place—but it was used to administer a Catholic archbishopric. The Roman unit of the city and its surrounding countryside (the civitas) was replaced by the episcopal see. The hierarchy of the Archbishop at Narbonne, the Bishops of Carcassonne and Albi under him, and the Pope in Rome above him replaced the hierarchy of consuls, with their allegiance to the emperor.

And this fascinating tidbit:
In tsarist Russia, the potato, the main staple of the peasant, was formally excommunicated by the Greek Orthodox Church for its sexual deviances—the potato reproduces without need of a partner. Its planting was forbidden, and peasants were allowed to starve until Tsarina Catherine forgave its sins.)

[Daniel Chaikin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mixed bag. On the nice side this is a quick and pleasant overview of French history from Caesar through the Middle Ages and up to King Louis XIV, highlighted with details of various castles and towns. Caro's enthusiasm and enjoyment is at least a little contagious. And I found it quite moving as she would cover her pleasant day in one location and then tell her version of the usually disturbing history behind the place.

What I wasn't comfortable with was the narrow focus of the book directed towards Americans with the time and money to spend leisurely month long vacations in France. In the intro she tells us "When I see the typical American tourist, I feel like yelling out, 'Don't do it that way, it's no fun. Do it my way.'" That comment...goodness...it seems like it should be a colossal era to admit that kind of snobbery up front...although I have to give her points for honesty.

[Diana Sandberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is over 20 years old, now, so I rather wistfully expect the restaurant and hotel recommendations are mostly out of date. I was somewhere between amused and irritated by Caro's abrupt dismissal of entire towns because she perceived a tour guide or a shopkeeper to be rude. Having travelled in France, I have observed over and over the kind of loud, peremptory, and "entitled" American behaviour that instantly brings out the frosty French reserve that the American then labels "rude".

Still, her historical perspective on tourism is rather engaging, and, insofar as I am competent to judge, fairly accurate. I would probably bring this book along on a future trip to any of the areas she covers.

[MBJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am quite a Francophile myself and have also lived in France. I certainly enjoyed Caro’s historic tour through France. Her travelogue, however, became a bit tiresome. She has a somewhat condescending view of anyone who doesn’t share her elitist perspective of what it means to travel in France. Nobody likes crowds of tourists, but on some level she seems to forget that she is one herself. I imagine when she wrote the book, this aspect of her writing did not come across so strongly as the history of France once meant focusing almost exclusively on the life of the rich and famous. Perhaps all of this can be forgiven by the fact that the book is now somewhat dated. It is still a charming narrative and I do not regret having read it.

[Rae · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love travel narratives, especially travel narratives about France. So this was a delight. I've been reading it slowly since about November - and to tell the truth I still haven't completely put it down yet. I'm still dipping back into some of the early chapters that cover the early Middle Ages in the south of France. Caro takes you on a tour through France and French history from the Roman occupation through Louis XIV using architecture. My only complaints are that there are no pictures and that all the restaurants and charming hotels she describes are probably long gone since the book was written.

[Lucy Sutherland · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best history of France from Roman occupation to present day, in a kind of travelogue format. So it's not like a typical history book at all, and quite short. Just so colorful and readable. The author is the wife of Robert Caro, the famous biographer. But I think she gets overshadowed a bit by him b/c he's so much more widely read. The book is wonderful & so evocative.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent book. The author begins in southern France and moves northward to Paris, following the lines of history. For sites you have visited, it will fill in historical details that you will wish you had known when you visited and for sites yet unseen it will make you long to be in France agin.

[Tom Hitchner]

Charming travel guide to France long a route that encounters, in chronological order, remnants of its history from Roman times to the present. Full of useful touring suggestions and historical insights.

[Kelly]

YESYESYESYESYEYESMUST.

[Barbara Osten · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is described as “an unforgettable driving tour of France northward from Provence, where the Roman Empire once held sway, through the chateau-studded Loire Valley, where monarchs and nobles plotted for wealth and power, to Paris, where kings – and later, Napoleon – consolidated their autocratic reign.” Caro claims that the best way to encounter a country is to examine its landscapes, architecture, and history in chronological order. And that is what she set out to do with this book.

What hooked me initially was the Roman history she stumbled upon and writes about at the beginning of her book. Then she keeps moving up through the country’s history.

Caro has a unique way of summing up succinctly the journey at each juncture, and reciting French history in a non-condescending way. The only section that I found off-putting was her brief section on the times of Joan of Arc. I sensed her annoyance with even having to include this part of French history in the book, but out of obligation to follow history, she did so.

For me personally, learning world history by way of a memoir or travelogue beats out any fact-spouting textbook. I learn as much, and even more, when history is personalized in this way.

[Chuck Barton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gets better as it goes along. The history is interwoven with a well-written account of the author's visits to various sites, along with her thoughts, positive and negative.

The main drawback to the book is it does not have illustrations or photographs to visualize the sites and it assumes a knowledge of castle architecture that I don't have. There are terms and descriptions that were lost on me. My wife is reading and looking at the sites on YouTube. I went to the dictionary a number of times to figure out what exactly the author was talking about.

That said, the history holds together well and Caro does a nice job of making comparisons, referring to information and descriptions in earlier chapters in a way that does not force you to flip back to earlier pages. Her accounts of her travels, outside of the history, make a visit to France seem very appealing.

[Linda Howe Steiger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very much enjoyed Caro's approach to history and travel, her linking of particular regions of France with particular periods in French history. It makes remembering the movement of history so much easier, even though she doesn't get past the Sun King (Louis XIV) in Paris. Travel in reality can sometimes seem like a mish-mash as I try to pack all the great sights into a journey, and everywhere is a palimpsest of time. After a while I simply get confused, lose the plot as it were of my trip. While Caro offers nothing like one of the basic guides--Rick Steves or Michelin or any of those others upon which the intrepid traveler depends--this in its way is both charming and a relief.

[Laura Bang · Rating 3 out of 5]

Part travelogue, part history, Caro provides an interesting tour of southern France from the Rhone Valley to the Ile-de-France, visiting various places that symbolize the history and architecture of France from Roman times (1st century BCE) up to the reign of Louis XIV (17th century CE). Some of the anecdotes were repeated, as though each chapter was published as separate articles instead of a complete book one would read together (though she only refers to it in the narrative as a book project). Caro's descriptions of history and architecture are well-done, but she also makes occasional comments (on tourists/tourism) that I found a bit grating.

[Kathy Pawley · Rating 5 out of 5]

For history lovers, this is a great way to tour France if you have the time. Even if you don't, it points out sites to visit in particular parts of France going through the site's history and importance in the larger picture of French history. Easily read. The author also loves food and while her food budget is larger than mine and some of her reviews are no doubt dated, but they, too, give you an idea of foods to look for in particular areas or where you might want to splurge for a special meal.

[Jennifer Flanagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will remember every word.

Ina Caro "travels through history" by: 1. visiting historic sites in chronological order; 2. Only selecting sites that represent the age and are among the best of its spirit; and 3. Telling the stories of the people who both built each site and shape its legacy in an engaging way.

She made history relatable and come alive in a way I’ve never experience before. And she shares such a love for France. I ordered a hard copy to have as a lifetime reference. 🇫🇷🫶 come July, catch me in the Gallo-roman era of southern France as i retrace her steps

[LOVEROFBOOKS · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have not been to France yet, but when I do, I want to travel just like she recommends in this book. I had never heard of traveling via history/castles/towns and historical events but history lovers would probably love this book and this way to travel.

Such a wealth of information in here about history, restaurants, sites to see, places to stay (or stay away from), etc...My favorite parts were when she was writing about Joan of Arc and Eleanor of Aquitaine.

[Revesk · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am currently re-reading this fascinating work of non-fiction in preparation for a trip to the South of France at some future time. I first read this book about 15 years ago. The author explores different periods of French history through her personal travels. An added bonus is her wonderful descriptions of meals and interesting encounters along the way.

[Regina Mastrogiacomo · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really excellent book about France. It’s history ( I can’t believe people are still here with all the killing we do), it’s magnificent building and the enjoyable place the author and husband visited. Since I couldn’t go on my trip to France this was the next best thing and I didn’t have to get on a plane.

[Cristina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Snobbish, haughty, at times incorrect. I love France, I love history, and I love castles (well, kinda), but Caro's obliviousness to her own unpleasantness was distracting. She loves the term "machicolations," which admittedly is a fun word. But...sorry, lady: you really didn't seem to learn much from being the principal researcher for your husband's prize-winning biographies.

[Jodi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrific introduction to the history of France! Perhaps I should of started at the end, as we began our travels in Paris. I wish I would of read this book 6 months before our travels began....She is funny and full of architecture details.

[Olivia Rowell · Rating 2 out of 5]

An annoying read

The author travels through France visiting sites of historical interest. Unfortunately, the author, a tourist herself, is unable to hide her disdain of other tourists. A ponderous and annoying read.

[LRKK · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charming, well researched and well written journey through France’s past. Caro is good to travel with, and tells a fine story.

[Miriam Harms · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is very interesting and her excitement over what she is experiencing really comes through. However, I couldn’t stand her constant critical remarks about the places and people she meets. At first it was funny, but when it kept happening it comes across as rude and pretentious.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book and highly recommend it to everyone.

[Danis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dipping in an out, looking for Languedoc. Interesting concept,

[Jody Ferguson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excellent travel writing for anyone planning to spend time going around France. Caro is the wife of famed presidential historian Robert Caro. I used this book for ideas when traveling around the south of France. She has a good eye for detail and she adeptly brings in the history as she travels through five different regions of France. The writing is nothing special, but it was enjoyable enough for me.

[craige]

This has been on my bookshelf for 10 years, apparently, as inside I found a marriage announcement of a girl I knew in grade school dated July 2000. The book apparently belongs to my father as it has MOORE written inside in all caps as is his way. Since Jeff and I are going to Paris in a few weeks, it seems appropriate to read a book about France.

[Rhoda · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really approachable way to appreciate the broad themes of French history beginning with the Celts and Romans, by taking a virtual tour of significant architecture in various sites in France. The author uses the buildings and monuments, carefully selecting sites that illustrate the times and intentions of those who built them - and gracefully describing them. Better by far than any guidebook!!