This eight-volume set in two parts gives voice to some intrepid women travellers touring post-Napoleonic France. The volumes are facsimile editions and are introduced and edited by experts in their field.
Part I Volume 1 Marianne Baillie, First Impressions on a Tour upon the Continent (1819) Detailing her travels through France and Italy, as well as other nations, Baillie's narrative reveals the ways in which these countries regard their own national identities in Napoleon's wake, as well as the ways in which this English traveller positions them in relation to her own nation. Her opinionated humour make this tour a lively and informative one, while her first impressions are bluntly recorded. Volume 2 Frances Jane Carey, Journal of a Tour in France in the Years 1816 and 1817 (1823) Carey defines her own narrative against those of her predecessors openly, and she provides a fascinatingly detailed glimpse into the lives and history of France and its people in her tour, begun in Autumn 1816. From schools to carriages, she illuminates our understanding of France and Britain during the Romantic period, with a thorough assessment of contemporary practices and everyday life. Volume 3 Elizabeth Strutt Byron, Six Weeks on the Loire (1833) In this bold adventure, Byron journeys down the Loire and its environs, determined to take readers both along the river and into the cities and museums she experiences on the way. She depicts the political strife she encounters on her journey as she explores the history and culture of the land and people in turmoil. Volume 4 Anne Carter, Letters from a Lady to her sister during a Tour to Paris (1814) With the enthusiasm of a young lady knowingly witnessing history, Carter details the return of the king and the celebratory transition of a nation and people in her account of Spring 1814 in Paris. Her fresh discoveries of the city's wonders also uncover her own nation's interaction with France and its population.
