France 1001 Sights: An Archaeological and Historical Guide

Leonard Adams is a professor of French Studies at the University of
Guelph.

Having played a major role in opening up the world to the traveling
public, the tourist industry has also created a need for up-to-date
guidebooks and maps to facilitate the initiation into the unfamiliar.
The authors of this equivalent to the Guide Bleu have pursued a more
academic objective and, as it turns out, provided an abundance of
information suitable not only for students of the archeological history
of France from paleolithic times to the 10th century but also for the
individual traveler who has a general interest in French and Roman
history.

The succinct historical background information is particularly well
presented. An encapsulation of very useful material awaits the
professional archeologist, the historian, and the historiophile. Ranging
from cave paintings to cemeteries, selected monuments and artifacts
portrayed or described appear in full-color or black-and-white
photographs, and the listing of sites is complementary to official
documents published in France by the Syndicat d’Initiative (Office of
Tourism). Numerous maps, tables, and diagrams serve to enhance the
usefulness of the accounts and descriptions included; 529 sites are
listed in the compendium.

The reader will never tire of consulting this attractive volume, which
offers a well-ordered layout and vignettes presenting the essential
information on sights and sites in concise, uncomplicated language. With
the emphasis on usefulness, the documentation is surprisingly
comprehensive, and there is no doubt that the authors have made an
invaluable contribution to the literature on exploration of France’s
rich historical and archeological heritage, dating from pre-Roman times
to the present, supported by updated sources that include drawings and
appropriate reproductions of murals and icons. Professionals as well as
amateurs will find a wealth of necessary information to assist them in
locating sites of difficult access, as they seek a greater acquaintance
with France. The authors have covered a great deal of ground in a
relatively small space. They deserve our thanks and encouragement to
pursue further projects of a similar nature.