McCullough mixes famous and obscure names and delivers capsule biographies of everyone to produce a colorful parade of educated, Victorian-era American travelers and their life-changing experiences in Paris.

Pt. 1 The way over -- Voila Paris! -- Morse at the louvre -- The medicals -- pt. 2. American sensations -- Change at hand -- A city transformed -- Bound to succeed -- pt. 3. Under seige -- Madness -- Paris again -- The Farragut -- Genius in abundance -- Au revoir, Paris!.