It is said that you haven"t lived until you"ve died in Paris. For most of us there is no need to go quite that far, irresistible as the city"s grim history may be. After a bad harvest in 1788, during which food prices soared far beyond the means of the average citizen, the populous rose against the monarchy, marking the start of the revolution that would turn Paris into the cosmopolitan city it is today. Looking further back in time, Paris"s eerie past can be found in its Catacombs, ancient Roman quarries lined with 18th- and 19th-century skulls. But Paris is also the city of culture: it is home to more than 10,000 restaurants, bistros and cafés. Some couples even set up their own intimate tables on the Pont des Arts, a pedestrian-only bridge over the river Seine.Whether or not you have visited Paris before, the AA"s Spiral Guide to Paris is a sound travelling companion. Though small enough to fit in a rucksack pocket, it manages to squeeze in 200 fact-filled pages, including glossy fold-out maps, a 28-page "magazine", chapters on the Eiffel Tower, the Latin Quarter and St-Germain, and a vital "practicalities" section, featuring weather information, safety hints and brief language guide. --Daren King