France Books

What a beautiful book. Full page, full color photos, with many of the pieces being shown larger than life. Original drawings of the same pieces are shown on a facing page. I wish that some of the photos of people and places had been reproduced larger, but the original old photos may have been very small to start with, and may not have blown up well bigger than they were originally printed. All in all an absolutely drool-worthy book.

I ordered this book from Half Price Books from Texas, as Amazon did not have it. The book arrived very fast, and very well wrapped and boxed. The book was listed as used-good with dented corners and scuffed dust jacket. Wrong. It looked brand new. I would order from them again. And the book was half the price of the other sellers.

This is by far the best book ever produced on Lalique's jewelry. The photographs in the book document nice close up details as well as front and back shots of his jewelry. Also nice to see is photographs of his beautiful jewelry renderings and nature studies. This book is a must for any Lalique fan. I highly recommend it.

For lovers of the Art Nouveau movement, this book is a must! Lalique was an amazing artist/jeweler, and this book covers the jewelry portion of his career well.

So you missed the exhibit in Dallas? True, this exhibit is possibly the only time these items from private collections will be on display. But do not despair. There is still a wonderful catalog out there to be had.

When my friends and I went to see this exhibit, we were so enamoured by the beauty of the jewelry, we wanted to carry it all home with us. The catalog was the best we could do.

The items in this exhibit that were designed and made by Rene' Lalique moved classicism to modernism. Although the luminosity of the jewelry is certainly lost in the book's photographs, like the sheen of the perfectly matched opals and the glow of the glass enamels, the level of detail is not.

The exhibit was set up to light the plique-a'-jour from the rear of the pieces as well as from the front. Plique-a'-jour is similar to cloisonné. Both techniques use glass enamels separated by cells created from metal, but cloisonné is applied onto a metal surface, whereas plique-a'-jour is openwork, more like a stained glass window. The difference in effect is that plique-a'-jour has a glow that lights up the jewelry, whereas cloisonné receives its shine from the metal behind it.

The plique-a'-jour technique was not new, having been used during the Renaissance but had been virtually forgotten. The influence of the relatively new trade with Japan opened up the eyes of those artists who were participants in the new arts & Crafts movement centered in London. In fact, Lalique studied in London and picked up on the Japanese influences. In addition, there was also a religious movement centered in Germany at this time that centered more upon appreciation of nature than a single deity.

These influences combined in Lalique's jewelry that stunned the world when he unveiled over a hundred pieces of bijou at the Exposition Universalle in Paris in 1900. Critics of his work charged that he was merely trying to provoke the public. The public crowded around the exhibit during its run nonetheless, although not all of the items in the exhibit sold during the Exposition. The opal necklace that all of us loved when we saw this exhibit in Dallas was one that did not sell, surprisingly enough.

So, if you simply could not get to Dallas, then the catalog rates a good look so that you can study Lalique's breathtaking style. He was never matched and, in fact, abandoned making jewelry for glass when cheap, shoddily made knock-offs began to appear. Lalique felt he had gone as far as he could go with jewelry and became a direct Tiffany competitor.

This book is a great resource for anyone interested in not just art nouveau jewellery but master jewellers of this period.I had not seen lalique's work before and was completely besotted with the pictures in this book,it includes intial design sketches alongside the finished pieces and discusses his work in great length.Great book when I need inspiration.

I bought this book in my position as church librarian, seeking stories for preteens about people whose lives were changed by God. There are very few books for kids like that out there that don't send a heavy fundamentalist message. There's also the old joke that Noah's wife was Joan of ARK. I needed to set that piece of ignorance straight, too. So I found an excellent book about St. Joan in this illustrated copy. The text is preteen level with historical information like a timeline of Joan's life and map of medieval France, along with the text of Joan's life. This is a nice volume and I would recommend it if you wish to buy it for medieval history, religion, feminist issues, French history or all of the above. The illustrations are well designed and in soft colors, to express the femininity and grace of Joan.

The illustrations are very fairy-tale looking, lending a mythical quality to the long text. A great example of historical events turned into a stunning picture book. Even high school kids would be inclined to read this one cover to cover; I'd use it in middle school without hesitation! Compare to the new biography of Ann Frank by this team!

I had read this book before, and I loved it. Children will fall in love with this book. This book tells about the heroic story of Joan of Arc, the French maid that helped France win a war against England, and died a heroin. I think children will think she is a saint, and she is a great role model for children. Here children can learn from Joan, about bravery, courage, and patriotism. My favorite quote is, "A saint is like a star. A star and a saint shine forever." Parents, you children will like this book. Plus they learn a little history too on a level they can understand.

Regine Pernoud, the most respected twentieth-century biographer of Joan of Arc, noted that everyone can find a reason to love this saint. This book helps children begin to understand why she still haunts us 500 years after her death. I bought a copy of this book for my three-year-old son to introduce him to Joan of Arc's story, and it has been a pleasure for both of us. Now that it is available in an affordable paperback edition, a lot of parents will want to add it to their child's library.

Angela Barrett's illustrations are striking and memorable. In particular, I like the painting of the English bombarding Orleans, as it shows what a siege was like in those days. The cover picture (displayed above) shows Joan on her horse surrounded by the hopeful residents of Orleans who wanted to touch the maiden that God sent to liberate them. Without being heavy-handed, the fire engulfing the banner hints at Joan's ultimate fate, and her face reminds us that she was in many ways a child. This was a true incident, and Joan was said to have been masterful in guiding her horse to water to douse the flame. There is also an outstanding two-page illustration of Charles' coronation, in which Joan is shown standing in a position of honor as befits the liberator of the kingdom. The depiction of angels visiting the imprisoned Joan while she was on trial at Rouen captures the spirit of her faith in God and certainty in her quest. Remember that this uneducated peasant girl held her own for two months in a contest of wits with masters from the University of Paris. The illustrations alone make this book worth having.

Any biographer of Joan of Arc must find a way to explain the inexplicable. Josephine Poole's text is good, beginning with the simple statement that this is a true story. Ms. Poole offers Joan's story more-or-less at surface value. As is appropriate for her audience of children, she simply relates that Joan was a country girl working in a field when she heard voices that filled her with overwhelming happiness. The author includes some details of Joan's story that one could quibble with, but overall the text is solid as biography. I was frankly glad that she did not go into details of Joan's terrible death, concluding instead that a saint, like a star, lives forever. Indeed, Joan of Arc will always live in the hearts of all of us who love her.

Perhaps my son's actions speak loudest about the value of this book. We never go on a trip without "Joan of Arc," and I have heard him tell his friends, in his own way, that Joan of Arc tried to warn Classidas to go home, but that she ended up having to shoot and was sorry when he died. This book has helped my son begin to love St. Joan, and that is the strongest recommendation for it that I know how to make.

Josephine Poole and Angela Barrett's provide a compelling portrait of an ardent and spiritual Joan of Arc in this illustrated juvenile biography of the 15th-century peasant girl who led a French army to victory against the English and was later burned at the stake for witchcraft. Author Poole emphasizes that this is a true story, which is what makes the story of Joan's courage and humanity more compelling, especially with Barrett's illustrations, which provide a sense of both the time and the import of the story. Poole does an especially nice job of presenting the political complexities of the time in simple terms, yet provides a poetic touch to her text. What comes across is a story of a simple girl who was empowered by her beliefs to accomplish great things, that treats the triumph and the tragedy in equal measure, and underscores how after her martyrdom Joan went on to be named a saint by the Church.

Young readers will understand how Joan's beliefs could inspire her troops at the siege of Orleans, but they will have trouble understanding why there were those who abandoned her or why the English made sure she would be convicted at her trail. However, ultimately this look at "Joan of Arc" is more interested in providing a look at the story of her life without really trying to explain the motives of anyone beyond Joan. Within that context, the illustrations by Barrett make it clear that although she is dressed up in armor and carrying a colorful banner, Joan was a young girl. Young readers will definitely have a sense for why the story of this particular young girl has been a dramatic and compelling one for centuries.

Excellent book. But make a note, that unlike original French 2-vol. set, this book includes mostly b/w illustrations (only 21 in color). All 1885-1887 French Army magnificent uniform color plates by Detaille are b/w here.

The Impressionists are the most famous French Art Movement of the late 19th Century. At about the same time, France was also producing a great school of historical painters and illustrators. Edouard Detaille in my opinion was the greatest historical painter/illustrator of the 19th Century. Do not buy L'Armee Francaise for the text. It is an English translation of stilted and heavily baroque 19th Century French. However, the illustrations are simply amazing! This is one of my favorite books.

This is one of my favorite books in my Library. It is a feast for the eyes, laying out sketches and illustrations that are unmatched anywhere else.

As a Professional Army Officer and historian, this book also lays out, in detail, the very essence of the French Army during these times.

This book runs the gauntlet from being a coffee table book, to a real resource for true military historians.

An important source of 19th century military history is the beautifully illustrated, two-volume work, L'Armée Française, produced in 1883 by the renowned military artist Edouard Detaille, with text by Jules Richard. Through his remarkably detailed and beautiful artwork, Detaille has rendered a compelling look at this most dramatic era of warfare dominated by the French art of war, military organisation and uniform styles. This classic work has been known for over a century in its French edition and is now translated into English for the first time. This lavish reprint contains the entire two-volume translation, and is richly illustrated throughout with Detaille's original published artwork depicting accurate portrayals of uniforms and military life. The book has been further embellished with an additional full-colour section displaying other works by the artist.Contains the entire translation plus over 300 illustrations from the original artwork by the military artist, and gives background information on regimental histories, army organizations, recruitment, training, battledress and equipment.L'Armée Française is the only military history book of its kind, giving background information on regimental histories, army organisations, recruitment, training, battle dress and equipment of the soldiers of France. It is a guide to the French armies that fought in the Napoleonic Wars, Crimean War, the Mexican Expedition, the Conquest of North Africa, and the Franco-Austrian and Franco-Prussian Wars, as well as a contemporary look at peacetime army in the late 19th century.No one can make a serious study of military history without becoming familiar with the wars fought by the armies of France.

This book is superb. Profusely illustrated by French artist Eduard Detaille, it covers the French Army from 1790-1885, describing in great detail the combat arms, staff, schools, gendarmerie, the navy, and the 'bric a brac' of the arms and services.

There are numerous tables of commanders of units and orders of battle, and the text is comprehensive; trying to keep up with its pace is like being force fed with a firehose. Quite simply, it gives an amazing amount of detail is what is actually quite a small space. There are both color and black and white illustrations, and they definitely have the look and feel of the 'smell of gunpowder.' Detaille was one of the best military artists of all time, and this book shows of his work perfectly.

Having seen the original volumes in French, this translation and edition have lost nothing in the trasition. The detail and minutiae are amazing, from the formation of the not-properly-sanctioned 15th Cuirassier Regiment in Hamburg by Marshal Davout in 1813 to the conquest of Algeria, this volume has much information that was not available before in English. It is a definite must for the military historian.

Much of the book is about the French Armies of the Revolution and Napoleon's Grande Armee, which is fine with me, as it is my favorite period. You can ride once again with the cavalry of the Empire, work those terrible guns of the Imperial Guard that tore allied armies to pieces, or sweat in the ranks with the infantry of the line (infanterie du ligne) as they go on just one more forced march into the thunderous hell that was combat in the Napoleonic period.

Highly recommended and you won't be disappointed.

From the pen of history comes a novel that held my interest through its entirety. I happen to be a fan of historical fiction, and now Rod Randall has made me a fan of his. I, by chance, came upon this book at a time I felt a strong need to read, but had little time. In a concise 181 pages Mr. Randall fulfilled that need. I picked up the book and wondered through the first three chapters where it would take me as the reader. Only once did my other duties force me to lay the book down before I finished it early the next day and was rewarded with a stimulating tale of lovers, commitment to faith amid spiritual conflict, and a weight of guilt lifted from the shoulders of a person who, near the end of life, found what it is to be an imperfect friend justified by knowledge of what friendship is.

With and openess and clarity, Randall writes this historical story, drawing the reader in to the nuances and feeling of medieval France.
I was delighted to walk the streets of Paris and the convent cloister while I worried about the characters and the intimacy of their lives.
Thank you Mr. Randall for this superb book. I only wish that it had been 200 pages longer. You truly captured the ambiance of the time and the moods and import of the setting. Wonderful!

You can always learn from the past, which is apparent in the way the author utilizes the social and religious issues of the days of Abelard and Heloise as a means of addressing those similar issues which have represented themselves in today's world. Rod Randall pushes the boundaries of blasphemy/logic in this story of two lovers who are both drawn to each other with a passion that is so adamantly forbidden by the beliefs and biases of their peers. Not only is it an interesting and compelling love story, but it is also an emotionally spellbinding tale imbued with countless thought-provoking concepts that are represented by the author's own artistically crafted words. Desire, betrayal, uncertainty, compassion, and forgiveness are some of the many characteristics of this book that will keep you reading Rod Randall's version of one of the most amazing romances in history.

Fascinated by the story of Abelard and Heloise for years, I purchased this book on a whim and it did not disappoint. Alberic, a colleague of Abelard, tells the story of the two lovers to a fourth person, who the reader does not know the identity of until the end. Alberic watches their lives unfold, from the safety of his vantage point without having to commit to their ideals or to the ideals of the Catholic church at the time, although he claims to have been Abelard's friend and Heloise's self-appointed "protector."

The only thing I did not like about this book was that it was somewhat difficult to tell who was speaking from time to time. The whole book is written in first person, as Alberic, but the reader does not find this out for quite awhile, so it was hard for me to get right into the story. Occasionally, the author used words like "scampered" to describe the action of the serious university students, and that word was out of place for the time period. Also, Heloise "piped up" instead of "said" or "interrupted" or whatever. Those dialogue tags became disconcerting when reading. Nothing wrong with a good old "said."

Rod Randall has accomplished what most authors can't do for me. He has written a masterpiece that I simply could not put down. This story of Abelard and Heloise is an extremely well written, suspenseful, romantic, and easy to read historical novel. I highly recommend this wonderful book and have already used quotes to inspire some of my closest friends. Congratulations Rod!

Les atmospheres sont tres attachantes, on y retrouve l'ame slave et les chagrins et bonheurs de l'enfance et de l'adolescence.

Makine captures beautifully the solitary emptiness of the steppes and their harsh beauty... you can really feel the silence of the vast land, the chill of the wind, the warmth of his family's tiny appartment... even more important is his realistic and compelling portrayal of his struggle for identity, his desire to belong...

The book is well written. I have read the French, the Finnish and the English versions and I do admire all these works. The story is beautiful and at the end sensitive, too. The differences between 2 cultures come clearly up.

Well written, typical russian type of story, makes you cry, makes you laugh, strong emotions.

It is unusual love story, love in many senses... The story starts slowly, developing in several historical and geografical planes planes. In some parts it looks more like memoirs, not a novel, because all characters are vrey realistic.

"Life Á La Henri - Being the Memories of Henri Charpentier" by Henri Charpentier & Boyden Sparkes, © 2001

It is always exhilarating to read the story of some one who enjoyed life. Mr. Charpentier certianly enjoyed his life. It was not always cream and sugar, but he made do. He gives a good account of himself. He was proud and pleased with his life. He worked hard and, from his story, could about work miracles in the kitchen and dining room. His patrons appreciated his honesty and gourmet food. He was not a chef, but he could have been. He was a restaurateur. He enjoyed being the one who would present the food. His stories of the early days of the twentieth century are interesting.
In his life all was not wine and roses. At one point he describes getting mad at a boss of his and the next he and his wife are on their way to America. He does not tell us all about his travails (who was right or wrong or why he was so orney about it; just that it happened), but he does not leave them out, either.
After reading this book, I started to look at my food, smell it, etc. He inspired me to appreciate what I was eating. The service is generally my own, and the presentation on the plate, I do for myself, also, but the food itself, now that is the important part. My wife is a chef from the old school, good food you want to eat to much of because it is so good. She has no degree or education, but like writing, you can get the hang of it and do very well. I always enjoy her cooking and now even more, because I take the time to look at it and smell it and taste it. Chew your food: that is where the flavor is, not gulping it down.

"I, the creator of Crepes Suzette for the man who would become Edward VII, will now give you the recipe for Henri Charpentier."

And so he begins his sweetly swaggering and sentimental autobiography spanning his humble beginnings in 19th century France, to his auspicious apprenticeships in the world's top hotels and restaurants, his poverty while working in London, and his struggles to create a career as a restauranteur in America, only to be shut down by Prohibition. The story is told with a littering of the favorite recipes of the famous people he served. I could not put this book down! Full of anecdotal stories of princes and empresses, and his own enterprising yet generous heart comes through. Wish I weren't born too late to taste these meals ... At the end is a short cookbook of simple but elegant recipes, and excellent advice for choosing market produce. ... Merci, Henri!

What a fine autobiography! There's a LOT of wisdom in this book.

The book ends in the 1930s but Henri Charpentier, the man who invented the Crepes Suzette, lived until the 1960s and achieved a great deal after having written this fine work of non-fiction. He was a chef in many of the finer hotel restaurants on the planet and, of course, owned and operated his own restaurants as well. There were few of early 20th Century royalty and nobility whom he did not serve a fine meal to at one time or another.

But what comes out more in this book is Henri himself... his philosophy, his common sense, and his incredible ability to beat the odds, always with a positive attitude. He was an orphan but brought up in a loving (very poor) home. Before it was all over, he even trained under the great Escoffier.

This book is about food and the art of cooking, yes, and there are even a number of incredible recipes. But more importantly, it is all about life and a man who knew how to make the most of it.

My highest recommendation.

By the way, don't pay 40 bucks for this book as it is currently priced -- go to a used bookstore or a Goodwill store and find it for 2 or 3 dollars. Henri would want it that way!

Hello . My name is Robert Charpentier . I am please that may of you have taken the time to not only search , but purchase the " Henri Charpentier Cookbook " . At first printing , there were only 100 in circulation , most of them to close personal friends and family . Later , the world began to catch on , and additional books were printed .

I am proud to be a close relative of Henri . I met him when I was a child growing up in Westport , Connecticut where I lived with my parents until we moved to the south in 1968 where I still reside . My parents are also living . My dad is a proud man , and holds close to his heart the fact that Henri was his fathers brother , and I , am the nephew .

Perhaps i'll write additional words later , but for now , I will continue to honor Henri's work , as it is part of who I am and my heritage .

Thank you for reveiwing this letter . Please feel free to E-mail me at home anytime , I will return the honor .

We first found a copy of this book several years ago in a used bookstore, and absolutely fell in love with it! It features marvelous tales that any food lover who wants to understand the love that great chefs bring to this profession will definitely enjoy. (Don't miss the one about stealing a ham -- and the one about serving the moon on a plate!) We plan to buy copies of Life a la Henri to give to a few young friends soon graduating from culinary school to inspire them on the road ahead.

Of the three volumes of A Life of Picasso that have been completed, I liked The Cubist Rebel, 1907-1916 best. John Richardson moves his focus around to see Picasso's life from many angles, much like a Cubist painting deconstructs reality into two dimensions representing all sides. There is fine balance in his portrayal so that no element gets out of proportion.

The scholarship involved with showing the connections between Picasso's lovers and his art during those years is most interesting, filled with many details I had not run across before. I was also pleased to be better informed about Picasso's relationship with other Cubist artists of the era.

In other histories and biographies that cover this part of Picasso's life, I'm always a little puzzled about the role of Apollinaire, but in this book the man comes into reasonably clear focus.

Many of the references to places where Picasso had his studios come into sharper focus as well in this book which describes and portrays those places quite well.

Surprisingly, the weakest part of the book comes in its discussion of Picasso's Cubism per se which gets surprisingly short shift after he shifted into synthetic Cubism. I expected a lengthy description of the developments in that work. There are some very fine discussions of individual major works, but the overall subject drifts away into nothingness. Hmmm.

I found the book's details constantly fascinating in explaining the gaps between what happened in those days and how matters shifted. Since few Americans were major collectors of Picasso in the early days (the Steins being a happy exception), how did all those works end up in the United States? If Les Demoiselles d'Avignon is one of the great works of the 20th century, why did it have so much trouble finding the right home? John Richardson shares our natural curiosity and is happy to satisfy that curiosity.

As with the other works in the series, it is a disappointment that none of the reproductions are in color. But with the Cubist period, color is less important so the loss is less significant in this volume.

Bravo!

I've read several books on Picasso and this is easily the best. I think that's because it focuses on a specific finite period of 10 years. I wish the other books had taken this tact.

If you're a fan of Pablo's, or a lover of fine art, this is a must read.

Please allow me to gush. I usually labor through biographies, but the two Richardson volumes are so well written and thoroughly researched that I was done before I knew it. The illustrations are black and white, but it was little trouble to go to my Picasso catalogs to see the things in color. I was quite disappointed when I was through with each volume. I enjoyed the second even though I'm not thrilled with Cubism. I can hardly wait for the third volume. I'm also interested in Richardson himself showing up in the biography. At the risk of sounding morbid, I pray to God John Richardson is in good health. I'm looking forward to the volumes dealing with Picasso in the 1920's and 1950's.

This is the best biography I have ever read. It was absolutely brilliant. If you have ever wondered what it was like to live in Paris in the early twentieth century, as an emerging artist (what a cool daydream, right?) this is the book for you. All of those tales of Hemingway and Fitzgerald on the French Riviera, the women, the cafes; Richardson captures it here: the life of an artist realizing his potential as an artist -- it is truly amazing. His explanations accompanying each painting, the way they came to fruition, the stories behind the early masterworks, the market (Les Demoiselles [i.e., the 'most studied painting of the 20th Century' Richardson opines, and arguably the first cubist painting, so upset Picasso and unsettled his friends that he kept it virtually hidden for a decade [this was a young Picasso before his artwork {and ego} commanded millions] and it was touching to read and see this side of young Pablo). Sure, recent trends have tended to treat Picasso with great disdain, and while this IS only a biography, it is the most incisive biography into one of the most celebrated creative minds of the twentieth century that I have ever read. Honestly. The biography itself is an intense revelation -- thoroughly, exhaustively researched and written, and a credit to John Richardson as a human being, a researcher, and a biographical author -- an artist in his own right.

I agree largely with the other review. One of the things worth mentioning is that this book is also one of the best descriptions of cultural life in France in the first and second decades of the 20 th century I have ever read. You meet people like Appolinaire, Gide, Max Jacob, Kahnweiler, Vollard, Gris, Matisse and Bracque and begin to understand the particular, immensely productive environment of pre-war France. It was also of huge interest to read about the real friendship between Bracque and Picasso and how this lead to such wonderful, very similar pictures like "Le Portugais" (Bracque) and "Man with Mandolin" (Picasso). I look forward indeed to the next volume and aim to read the first one immediately.

I've read all my life and am a professional in publishing, but lately, I haven't had the pleasure of coming across such marvelous, well-constructed turns of phrase and great story lines until "Lighter Than Air." Thanks, Mr. Leefeldt, for a can't-put-it-down page turner. I'll be picking up a few more copies for gifts and looking forward to your next piece.

I really liked this book. It had an old-fashion action quality and something that turned me on a lot when I used to look at my dad's hardcover books--illustrations that perk up the story. The story itself grabs you from the first page. It's set in a time when aviation had a kind of sci-fi edge, and people were still romantic about the miracle of flight. There are good guys (and girls) and bad ones. There are surprises. There's some wonderful insights into the technology of early 20th century flying machines. This would make an absolutely dynamite movie. I hope some producer has the good sense to turn it into one.

The sounds, smells, and scenes of late nineteenth-century Paris are painted so clearly in this book that the reader steps back in time. Any yet, realities of everyday life remain all-too-familiar: the uncertainty of love, the power of politics, the finality of death, the forboding of evil. I enjoyed the memorable mix of characters caught in a race for fame and fortune as well as the well-crafted, tighly woven plot. This book goes far beyond the typical coming-of-age story--it's a celebration of the creative spirit kept aloft only through human connection.

"Lighter Than Air" was given to me as a gift. At first glance, didn't think this story would interest me. To my surprise, found myself drawn to the characters in this book.

The author did an incredible job in describing the characters and the time period. The research must have been extensive. More importantly, the romantic adventure kept me reading on.

Mary Ann Pitman was my favorite. She was a woman ahead of her time. Daring and brave without losing her feminity.

Woman will be surprised by this book. As for men, Harding Cooper is a man everyman would like to know.

This book was a great suprise.

This book is a wonderful combination of story lines.

It's a romance, of course, but with twists.

It's the story of a technological paradigm shift in an era when such changes weren't always appreciated.

It's a tale of skulduggery, honor and redemption.

And underneath it all is a thread of hope for the capacities of human growth that makes this story very contemporary, though it's set a century ago.

It's a light, entertaining read, with enough of the unexpected to keep the pages turning well into the night.

I have both "Little Pear" and "Little Pear and His Friends." Little Pear is really naughty, but it's so funny to read what kind of mischief he will get into next. Good read for I'd say 5 years old and up.

I thought this was a cute book but not particularly noteworthy. I purchased it because it was on the Sonlight reading list and our library didn't carry it. If I had to do it again, I wouldn't go out of my way to purchase it. Little Pear is a cute character and the simple back and white drawings scattered throughout focused my 5 and 7 year old's attention. Each story was short too, which made it a nice book for both levels. I liked this book, I just didn't love it.

Little Pear was always in mischief. He was also a kind boy. The pictures are exciting and Little Pear only had a little pony tail. On Chinese New Year, Little Pear's father bought some kites and gave to him and his youngest sister. She had a butterfly kite and Little Pear had a goldfish kite. Her sister flew her kite so high that she lost it and Little Pear almost lost his as well.So he and his sister played with little pear's kite. When they went home it was supper time of fried cornmeal, bean sprouts and hot tea. After that they got ready to sleep.

A wonderfully universal story of a 5-year old chinese boy interested in 5-year-old adventures. Lattimore has a simple style that appeals to the young mind. It's not too scary and not too silly.

The Little Pear stories are fabulous. My four year old loves them and we read them over and over.

My husband and I have just recently returned from a two week trip to Mauritius. Although we booked our trip through a well known travel agent and stayed in a hotel, the Lonely Planet Guide was invaluable. If you are considering a trip to Mauritius and are toying with the idea of a self catering option (which I actually would recommend), you need this book. If you are going for the hotel option but are interested in seeing the island and sampling the local cuisine outside the hotel, you need this book. Don't go without it. Everything that there is to see and do on the island of Mauritius, is in the book.

Two summers ago we went into Seychelles, and Mauritius,Reunion& Seychelles LP travel guide was essential for us. Thanks to it, we could discover Seychelles was not just a diving and incredible beaches paradise, but its interiors landscapes were the best of our journey. We recomend it,because its fantastic information about Mahe,Praslin and La Digue islands, their national parks (such as Sainte Anne or Vallee de Mai). Prices were as high as the author wrote! and all information about public buses, rent-a-car and restaurants was right. Just one thing, we couldn't find where La Gogue Reservoir was! If anybody can strength the lake exists, please let us know!!

I spent 4 weeks living with a family on Mauritius this past summer, and this book was invaluable. I had many days to myself, and this book made it very easy to get around, with tips on restaurants that were up to date, good info about getting places on the bus and what things to see. The maps were probably the most helpful, especially in places like Port Louis and Grand Baie. I would recommend this book to anyone traveling to Mauritius, whether on a package tour, or on their own.

I used an earlier edition of this book on a trip in 1996, in which I visited the Seychelles, Mauritius, and Reunion. I was travelling independently (not as part of a package tour) and the book helped in many ways to make my trip a great one. It provides a wealth of information about hotels and restaurants, island culture, and places and things to see on the islands. If you can only visit one of these three islands, I would recommend the Seychelles, which offer some of the finest tropical scenery I have ever seen. One advantage of Mauritius for the budget-minded traveler is that it is considerably less expensive than the Seychelles.

This guide was my Bible while I traveled through Mahe and Praslin islands in 1999. The Seychelles are full of kind, open-hearted locals who are generous and more than willing to show Westerners around. My trusty LP guide helped me find several reasonable b&b's, Michael Adams' studio (wonderful local artist) and the most perfect beaches in the Indian Ocean. What I love about LP guides, and this one in particular, is the extensive history of the area the book is covering, as well as the locals' interests. Those intending to visit this incredible area should take this guide book - the photography alone will tempt anyone.