In one of the most inventive travel books in years, Ina Caro invites readers on twenty-five one-day train trips that depart from Paris and transport us back through seven hundred years of French history. Whether taking us to Orleans to evoke the miraculous visions of Joan of Arc, to Versailles to experience the flamboyant achievements of Louis XIV or to the Place de la Concorde to witness the beheading of Marie Antoinette, Caro animates history with her lush descriptions of architectural splendours and tales of court intrigue. Organising her destinations chronologically, Caro appeals not only to the casual tourist but also to the armchair reader. Caro's passion for and knowledge of France are so impressive that Paris to the Past promises to become one of the classic guidebooks of our time.