From the inception of American tourism in the late 18th century, this volume explores over 200 years of American fascination with the French Riviera. Beginning with Thomas Jefferson who visited the south of France in 1787, it follows America's journey from a tourist minority to one of the formative forces of this resort region. It focuses on the way in which American writers represented the French Riviera and how their writings became a major factor in the promotion of American tourism in southern France.