Paris / France history documentary ? (recommendations)?

Question

I'm visiting Paris soon

I want to get a fuller experience from it, so I need a good documentary to serve as a crash course in the history, so that I have a vague appreciation of the landmarks, etc etc

Any suggestions?

Answer 1

All Paris by Giovanna Magi.  It is 125 pages long with lots of pictures and good history on all the monuments, etc.  The front cover folds out and there is a map of the city with the river and the streets, and drawings of the monuments.  It is the book you will see for sale in all the museums and at the Eiffel Tower, etc.  Lots of fabulous pictures.  

Google Amazon books usa, type in All Paris Giovanna Magi, take the second pick, pick the first used one for $9.99 + 3.99 shipping.  Amazon is super fast, you will have it in a week or less.  Unfortunately they don't show a picture of it on the site, but it has a picture of the Eiffel Tower on the front.   I'll give you the direct link to the Amazon.ca page too because the first pick is available used for $0.01 plus shipping out of the US!

http://www.amazon.ca/gp/offer-listing/88...

This is a great book, I am looking at it right now.  Usually I don't bring books back when I am over there because I am conscious of weight, but this one is a keeper.

By the way, try to go to the catacombes, metro Denfert-Rocherau, it's really interesting.  Here's a link:

http://triggur.org/cata/

Answer 2

www.frommers.com. Has basic info on each attraction with some back history/

Answer 3

Can't think of anything off the top of my head.  But I can reccomend that you look under art history.  Cathedrals are treasure troves of symbolism.  People couldn't read back then, so the symbolism had to be rich.  Look up art history and architecture too.  Then as you make your trips you'll have more of an idea about what everything means and why it developed like that.