Joan DeJean, a professor of romance languages at the University of Pennsylvania, reaches back to the 17th-century to discover the roots of today's Paris. From a 1690 shopping guide to the creation of the Place des Vogues from a silk factory, DeJean garnishes her account with full color and detail. DeJean's informed enthusiasm for Paris, plus a lovely collection of illustrations, make this history of the "city of light" (and DeJean offers a very practical explanation for this nickname) a delight.
