Paris in the first half of the 19th century was both similar and very different to the modern French capital. It was a city of luxurious shops with shimmering windows, of busy roads and even traffic jams. But rivers of dirt flowed through the streets and the courtyards were home to cows, pigs and poultry.

This book by Vera Milchina paints an entertaining picture of the most varied aspects of Parisian life in the 19th century. What did the average day look like for residents of the city between 1814 and 1848? How did they trade for goods and go shopping? How did they eat in cafes and restaurants? How did they take a bath or play cards? The answers to these and many other questions can be found in Milchina’s book, which includes lengthy excerpts from the diaries of Russian travelers and observations by French annalists from the first half of the 19th century.