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The Sinner's Grand Tour: A Journey Through the Historical Underbelly of Europe
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Travel & Outdoors (2011)Sex and travel have always been intertwined, and never more so than on the classic Grand Tour of Europe in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Today the Continent is still littered with salacious remnants of that golden age, where secret boudoirs, notorious dungeons, and forbidden artifacts lured travelers all the way from London to Capri.
In The Sinner’s Grand Tour, celebrated historian and travel writer Tony Perrottet sets off to discover a string of legendary sites and relics that are still kept far from public view. In southern France, an ancient text leads him inside the château of the Marquis de Sade, now owned by fashion icon Pierre Cardin. In Paris, an 1883 prostitute guide helps him discover the Belle Époque fantasy brothel Le Chabanais and the lost “sex chair” of King Edward VII. Renaissance documents in the Vatican Secret Archives point the way to the Pope’s very own apartments in Vatican City, wherein lies the fabled Stufetta del Bibbiena, a pornography-covered bathroom painted by Raphael in 1516.
With his unique blend of original research, sharp wit, and hilarious anecdotes, Perrottet brings us a romping travel adventure through the scandalous backrooms of historical Europe.
In The Sinner’s Grand Tour, celebrated historian and travel writer Tony Perrottet sets off to discover a string of legendary sites and relics that are still kept far from public view. In southern France, an ancient text leads him inside the château of the Marquis de Sade, now owned by fashion icon Pierre Cardin. In Paris, an 1883 prostitute guide helps him discover the Belle Époque fantasy brothel Le Chabanais and the lost “sex chair” of King Edward VII. Renaissance documents in the Vatican Secret Archives point the way to the Pope’s very own apartments in Vatican City, wherein lies the fabled Stufetta del Bibbiena, a pornography-covered bathroom painted by Raphael in 1516.
With his unique blend of original research, sharp wit, and hilarious anecdotes, Perrottet brings us a romping travel adventure through the scandalous backrooms of historical Europe.
304 pages, Paperback
First published May 10, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews
September 12, 2011
By now I have a pretty good system worked out: when I read of an interesting book, perhaps in The Economist or the Guardian or in a stray New York Times article, I will request it from the library. Through diligent application of this technique, I am never short of something interesting to read nor do I miss a book that looks promising.
However, my system is not perfect. I have not been tracing the origins of the recommendation. Never have I felt the need to close the loop so acutely as with this disappointing work. What should have been an engaging and interesting work of slightly smutty trivia and historical recreation is, alas, a tedious and lazily-told account of the author and his family almost-comedically touring Europe and discovering the gaps where smut used to be. What history appears is retold in Cliffs Notes capsule form, and is so unimaginatively presented as to make it almost anodyne.
The historical set pieces around which the author's trips are based are probably very interesting: the Scottish hellfire club where men wanked into a platter as part of the initiation ceremony, the celebrated Parisian bordellos (high and low) before the WW II closures and the purpose-built fucking chair for the rotund Prince Edward VII, the French mountain village whose citizens' medieval sexual appetites were documented in Inquisition records, the sexual hunting grounds of Byron and Casanova, the Vatican's erotica-filled washroom, and the Roman Emperor's subterranean shagging cave. That only makes it all the more frustrating to have them retold in alternately boring and predictable journalist prose.
This book left me grumpy because its realization let down its potential. It took some Googling to locate the New York Times as the vector for this one. Rereading the review, I notice "X-rated version of National Lampoon's European Vacation", so I'm willing to acknowledge that as a coded warning and share the blame for this turd in my literary punchbowl. Nonetheless, Grey Lady: you're on notice.
However, my system is not perfect. I have not been tracing the origins of the recommendation. Never have I felt the need to close the loop so acutely as with this disappointing work. What should have been an engaging and interesting work of slightly smutty trivia and historical recreation is, alas, a tedious and lazily-told account of the author and his family almost-comedically touring Europe and discovering the gaps where smut used to be. What history appears is retold in Cliffs Notes capsule form, and is so unimaginatively presented as to make it almost anodyne.
The historical set pieces around which the author's trips are based are probably very interesting: the Scottish hellfire club where men wanked into a platter as part of the initiation ceremony, the celebrated Parisian bordellos (high and low) before the WW II closures and the purpose-built fucking chair for the rotund Prince Edward VII, the French mountain village whose citizens' medieval sexual appetites were documented in Inquisition records, the sexual hunting grounds of Byron and Casanova, the Vatican's erotica-filled washroom, and the Roman Emperor's subterranean shagging cave. That only makes it all the more frustrating to have them retold in alternately boring and predictable journalist prose.
This book left me grumpy because its realization let down its potential. It took some Googling to locate the New York Times as the vector for this one. Rereading the review, I notice "X-rated version of National Lampoon's European Vacation", so I'm willing to acknowledge that as a coded warning and share the blame for this turd in my literary punchbowl. Nonetheless, Grey Lady: you're on notice.
April 7, 2014
I picked this book up on a whim and ended up absolutely loving it. This volume offers a perfect combination of history and travelogue with a twist. Naughty one as the book title suggests. England, Scotland, Rome, Provence, Vatican City, Venice and Capri. In every place there are secret places hiding the most enticing secrets revealing the sex lives of different eras and some seriously incredible (as in truth beats fictions any day) finds. There is also plenty of historical information here, detailing scandalous exploits of some of the world's most notorious libertines, playboys and coquettes. Terrific writing, erudite and humorous, I couldn't put it down. Profoundly edifying in these strange seemingly advanced and liberating yet prudish and puritanical times. Very informative and extremely entertaining book. Armchair traveling at its finest. Highly recommended.
July 2, 2011
This should be much better than it is. As if to compensate for the seediness of the author's historical quest for Europe's historic underbelly, the text is constantly invaded with cutesy/moronic references to his wife and children, who unfortunately accompanied him during his research outings. It winds up as a rather manically sanitized account of the castles, museums, and other still-standing sites of Europe which I wanted to learn about.
September 8, 2011
I knew going in to this book it wouldn't be the most academic work, clearly slanting a bit more populist. And the parts of the book that talk about the actual topic -- strange little sexual tidbits from history scattered through Western Europe -- are interesting, often lesser known, and well cited. In fact, one of my favorite parts of the book was a nice bibliography (short, but the book is 70% travelogue, which obviously doesn't need citations).
So why is it rated two stars? Because most of the book is actually about his travels (meh) and worse, about his family (KILL ME). His wife is pretty amusing, so her inclusion isn't purely necessary, but doesn't detract. But his kids. His kids! Not only do they not contribute anything to the narrative, all we get is stories of them whining and throwing fits. There are often lines attesting to the locals glaring at the kids as they run rampant and misbehave, which is fair because rein in your kid! I often had to force myself through "Cute" (were they supposed to be cute? they just sounded embarrassing) stories of these kids running loose and then complaining until the author moved on before he was done with his research because his family was bored. It's a research trip, I don't care that your kids are bored. Do the whole work, or don't write the book.
So why is it rated two stars? Because most of the book is actually about his travels (meh) and worse, about his family (KILL ME). His wife is pretty amusing, so her inclusion isn't purely necessary, but doesn't detract. But his kids. His kids! Not only do they not contribute anything to the narrative, all we get is stories of them whining and throwing fits. There are often lines attesting to the locals glaring at the kids as they run rampant and misbehave, which is fair because rein in your kid! I often had to force myself through "Cute" (were they supposed to be cute? they just sounded embarrassing) stories of these kids running loose and then complaining until the author moved on before he was done with his research because his family was bored. It's a research trip, I don't care that your kids are bored. Do the whole work, or don't write the book.
December 13, 2023
This book was so far off what I thought it was going to be I thought I had neglected to read the description and bought it based on the title. Then I read the description again and saw it was clearly not as described.
The described book would have been a better book. This also would have been a good book if done by Bill Bryson...but alas it's just not funny like Bryson's books. I spent a lot of time getting frustrated at the writer's lack of doing ANY advance preparation before dragging his family around Europe trying to get into various sites.
Three stars though because despite all of this, occasionally there was some good info.
The described book would have been a better book. This also would have been a good book if done by Bill Bryson...but alas it's just not funny like Bryson's books. I spent a lot of time getting frustrated at the writer's lack of doing ANY advance preparation before dragging his family around Europe trying to get into various sites.
Three stars though because despite all of this, occasionally there was some good info.
December 27, 2011
perrottet visits some old haunts of his, but with great results. he's a sydneyite (sp?) but lives in manhattan now. nice pics.
all in all rather a disappointment in that perrottet had his wife and kids with him, and while that might have been nice, when you are doing a porn/sex tour even if of historical bordellos, popes wall sex, and de sade dungeons, whiney ass moms and kids need not apply. so, some nice pictures and stories of the seamy side, but could have been better written and more salacious.
all in all rather a disappointment in that perrottet had his wife and kids with him, and while that might have been nice, when you are doing a porn/sex tour even if of historical bordellos, popes wall sex, and de sade dungeons, whiney ass moms and kids need not apply. so, some nice pictures and stories of the seamy side, but could have been better written and more salacious.
June 14, 2011
Some reviewers disliked the parts about the author's family adventures, but I thought they really added to the story. He was quite funny, without going over-the-top about it and I really appreciated that I actually got his cultural references!
July 21, 2015
Very entertaining.
July 25, 2011
A slight but amusing travelogue, detailing Perottet's quest to seek out the sites and objects associated with history's most notorious libertines. These include the 18th century Hellfire Clubs in Britain; the most infamous brothels (as well as the fabled, custom-built sex chair of the future Edward VII) in Paris; the chateau of the Marquis de Sade in Provence; the last redoubt of the free-loving Cathars in Languedoc; The Swiss Villa Deodati of Lord Byron; Casanova's haunts in Venice; a pornographic bathroom in the Vatican painted by Raphael for the wicked Borgia Pope Alexander VI; and finally the Isle of Capri, the haunt of debauched Emperor Tiberius as well as a cast of 19th and early 20th c. sybarites. With his long suffering wife and children in tow, the narrative jumps back and forth between this anecdotal history and the Perrottets' many trials on the road, as it did in his engaging previous work "Pagan Holiday" (a.k.a. "Route 66 A.D."), which followed the tourist itinerary of ancient Roman travellers. Both the underground history and family travel stories/nightmares offer amusing facts and insights aplenty, for both the social historian and contemporary traveller. However, this is 'history lite', and rather incident/character specific and off-the-beaten path compared to most travelogues. It definitely succeeds as light entertainment though, and the reader roots for Perottet as he struggles to overcome ridiculous obstacles to achieve the obscure goals of his itinerary. For instance, to see the inside of De Sade's chateau, he has to meet and ingratiate himself with the castle's current owner, cloistered billionaire fashion legend Pierre Cardin. Incredible Papal bureaucracy must be wrestled with to gain access to the Vatican's archives, let alone the Pope's private apartments in which that randy Raphael 'stuffetta' is hidden, and barely acknowledged. Meanwhile his wife and two boys -- aged 10 and 4 -- frequently pushed beyond all reasonable limits, threaten revolt. The intrepid Perottet dedicated the resulting book to them, as well he should.
November 14, 2014
In many articles and reviews this was billed as a funny guide through Europe's sexual history, and while it was that, it was also a sometimes excruciatingly detailed memoir of a man who drags his family across the continent without regard to their vacation wishes as he attempts to get into places the public cannot, for the most part, get access to.
As the book wore on, I started nitpicking at the story. If something is great, small things don't matter when the whole of it is enjoyable. But I found myself wondering about a man who walks into a country restaurant that closes at 2 pm and is annoyed that he won't get served because it's 2:05 (why should they want to serve you after closing, 5 minutes or not?). And calls activities such as drawing while sitting on a balcony and talking while sitting in a cafe "eccentric routines". And is so proud of his progressiveness he brags about buying his city-raised 10 year old a boar hunting dagger. And did nobody in editing catch that framboise means raspberry, not strawberry? The truth: the bibliography is the best part of the thing. It led me to much better books.
At first it is light and informative, full of historical odds and ends, but about halfway through the book I was struggling to stay interested as pages and pages became filled with nothing of historical value, but instead turned into the recounting of a nightmare family vacation. As Mr. Perrottet quotes Lord Henry Brougham about the hours dragging on in Switzerland "Ennui comes on the third [hour], and suicide attacks you before the night."
As the book wore on, I started nitpicking at the story. If something is great, small things don't matter when the whole of it is enjoyable. But I found myself wondering about a man who walks into a country restaurant that closes at 2 pm and is annoyed that he won't get served because it's 2:05 (why should they want to serve you after closing, 5 minutes or not?). And calls activities such as drawing while sitting on a balcony and talking while sitting in a cafe "eccentric routines". And is so proud of his progressiveness he brags about buying his city-raised 10 year old a boar hunting dagger. And did nobody in editing catch that framboise means raspberry, not strawberry? The truth: the bibliography is the best part of the thing. It led me to much better books.
At first it is light and informative, full of historical odds and ends, but about halfway through the book I was struggling to stay interested as pages and pages became filled with nothing of historical value, but instead turned into the recounting of a nightmare family vacation. As Mr. Perrottet quotes Lord Henry Brougham about the hours dragging on in Switzerland "Ennui comes on the third [hour], and suicide attacks you before the night."
April 3, 2017
I saw the review in the NY Times twice (included as a good read for the summer) and after seeing the bawdy cover and as I was going on a road trip, I couldn't resist it. It was a fabulous read, perfect for traveling. As much as there was some criticism of taking one's family to see the famous sordid sex stops in Europe, I actually found the family aspect quite entertaining. My kids are grown and I did suffer through many jaunts to keep the kids happy so I understand where Tony Perrottet was going, namely one can see the humour only after the vacation.
The sex parts were both enlightening, naughty and sordid which made the book even more enjoyable to read. As the back cover attests, "sex and travel" have always been intertwined" so it was an entertainment as well as an intrigue when he managed to see such things as the Pope's naughty bathroom by Raphael in the Vatican, snap a photo of Cassanova's prison in Venice and the fauteuil d'amour in Paris. truly an amazing journey and enlightenment about the sex lives of Europeans over the centuries.
Highly recommended when traveling.
The sex parts were both enlightening, naughty and sordid which made the book even more enjoyable to read. As the back cover attests, "sex and travel" have always been intertwined" so it was an entertainment as well as an intrigue when he managed to see such things as the Pope's naughty bathroom by Raphael in the Vatican, snap a photo of Cassanova's prison in Venice and the fauteuil d'amour in Paris. truly an amazing journey and enlightenment about the sex lives of Europeans over the centuries.
Highly recommended when traveling.
March 9, 2012
Fascinating look at part of the erotic history of Europe. The author mixes history with his travels in a way that doesn't make it feel like an all-out history lesson. He also goes to great lengths to gain access to some of the mythic items. The only drawback to this was the experience his family had. During the first half of the book the few mentions his wife and kids get make it seem like they aren't having any fun, that the entire trip is centered around him, with no room for them to enjoy the trip.
September 28, 2014
LOVED this book! If you have an interest in traveling to less savory locations with historical significance, read this and take notes. Personally, I saved several sites to visit and loved the in-depth description of places I could never hope to enter, such as Sade's Chateau, the warehouse with Edward VII's infamous sex chair, or the Stufetta di Bibbiena in the Vatican, never mind its state of disrepair. This book was informative and engaging!
Want to read
September 15, 2011I thought this was already on my TBR list.
March 12, 2018
My favorite part will be years later, when Perrottet's sons read this book and go, "Oh, THAT'S what Dad was looking for that one summer in Europe!"
November 11, 2018
It started out interesting. Interesting facts sprinkled throughout. Lagged in the middle. The one Casanova story wasn't the "funny" story the author thinks it was, unless gang rape is funny to him?
February 15, 2019
Previously in "Pagan Holiday", we saw Tony Perrotet dragging his pregnant girlfriend across Europe on the trail of ancient Roman tourists. Now, ten years later, we find him on another quest, searching for relics of Europe's lewd and erotic past. His girlfriend is now a full-blown family, and once again they add humour and jeopardy to the journey.
And what a fascinating journey it is. Tony Perrotet visits assorted attractions such as the secret erotica room in the British Museum, a wankers' club in Scotland, the Marquis de Sade's chateau and Casanova's prison. Tony Perrotet shows considerable patience, guile and brass neck in gaining access to these sites; his attempts to view the Pope's obscene bathroom in the Vatican read like the spycraft of a John le Carre novel. Interleaved with this are Bryson-esque descriptions of the various remote places and hovels he and his long-suffering family find themselves. One wonders where he will take them next...
And what a fascinating journey it is. Tony Perrotet visits assorted attractions such as the secret erotica room in the British Museum, a wankers' club in Scotland, the Marquis de Sade's chateau and Casanova's prison. Tony Perrotet shows considerable patience, guile and brass neck in gaining access to these sites; his attempts to view the Pope's obscene bathroom in the Vatican read like the spycraft of a John le Carre novel. Interleaved with this are Bryson-esque descriptions of the various remote places and hovels he and his long-suffering family find themselves. One wonders where he will take them next...
August 13, 2019
It was a bit boring at times and some of the stories were extended beyond necessary to expand the book; however, the chapter on Casanova was fairly interesting and the chapter on the Vatican was awesome. When he tried to get into the Vatican's Secret Archive, I felt like I was sitting in the interview room with him, shaking from nervousness.
June 16, 2021
It’s pretty good, though I expected more history about more places(how did Germany get completely left out? ) and could’ve done with a lot fewer side stories about the crap the author put his family through.
The history that is in the book is very interesting and detailed. It’s just not as comprehensive as I expected.
The history that is in the book is very interesting and detailed. It’s just not as comprehensive as I expected.
June 12, 2022
The premise is good, when the book does actually address the actual history and stories he’s trying to uncover it’s fine, but somewhat surface level. A lot of the history seems to be buried beneath the anecdotes about his wife and kids which I’m still trying to figure out why it was necessary to introduce them, it was so distracting. Would have loved to see more historical context fleshed out.
March 20, 2021
This book was more than I expected it to be. With humor and wit, Perrottet takes us on a search for debauchery, sneaking in a lot of fascinating history while he's at it. Next trip to Europe, I'm taking this book with me.
March 2, 2017
Certainly different. Some really fun stuff, but also raunchy and disgusting in parts. I can't believe he got in to see the Stufetta at the Vatican.
March 13, 2017
Need to go back to Confession after reading this book- And I just went a week ago- Drat!
April 21, 2018
Very amusing. Proof that Sex and debauchery trumps all. No matter what era. Good book to share.
February 25, 2018
perfect read for a snowy day. enjoyed the family stories along the way.
April 25, 2018
Love books like this!
May 12, 2018
I did not enjoy this book as much as The Naked Olympics or Pagan Holiday.
February 25, 2019
Kind of boring to be honnest
January 17, 2020
At times, it was more hasty literotica than historically salacious. So obviously, I liked it.
July 1, 2023
Part "scholarly" travel guide and part travel journal, Perrottet takes us along on a family trip to visit some infamous places. Entertaining read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews