Americans Abroad : Two Centuries of European Travel

Whether the purpose is to soak up the scenery, raid the art galleries, or marry impoverished but titled Europeans, a million Americans invade Europe every year. In Americans Abroad, Foster Rhea Dulles recaptures the humor, romance, and sheer pleasure that are the trademarks of European travel. From the days of Abigail Adams to the present time, he tells the story of two centuries of American tourists in Europe. Writers and artists, diplomats and honeymooners, socialites and expatriates, clergymen and spies—they're all here, including some of the most eccentric characters in history: rustic Ben Franklin, a marten fur cap on his head, charming the most celebrated salons of Paris; Iowa Indians breakfasting with Disraeli; prudish Longfellow resisting temptations in the mountains of Spain; plus mysterious Louis Littlepage, General Tom Thumb, Dorothea Dix, jumping "Jim Crow," and many others. In Americans Abroad you see Europe through their eyes. Here is a Grand Tour that is truly different—a view of Paris and London, the Swiss Alps, the Grand Canal, the Italian hill towns, and the Riviera that will charm and delight you. If you have ever been to Europe, plan to go, or merely dream of a future European adventure, this book is a must on your reading shelf.