France Books

I recently spent a week in France, primarily looking at pilgrimage locations. Before leaving, I purchased many books: general guide books, pilgrimage guide books, specific city guide books, etc. This book was by far the most helpful. It was also nicely written and fun to read. The only thing this book could have done better is provide a general idea of distances between pilgrimage sites, or perhaps suggested itineraries. I wish I had more time! There was so much in this book I didn't get to see. I look forward to going back to France with this book- again and again.

France is not just for fashion, perfume, cuisine, romantic escapades, and wine ... it is also a country where Catholics go to visit Lourdes and other sacred sites from lives of French saints. If you plan to make a trip to France both a cultural and spiritual jouney ... The Pilgrim's France should join your Fodor before you go.

I found this book hard to put down. I have previously read the Heaters' Pilgrimage book on Italy and found it extremely useful and informative for a trip I took to Italy this year. When I heard that they published a second book, I snatched it up immediately, despite the fact that I had no intensions of traveling to Europe again in the near future. This book presents the lives of the saints in such a dynamic way that you are drawn in and before you know it, you cannot put the book down. It is packed full of helpful and practical information on each area of France, and cities of pilgrimage, as well as how to make the most of your stay. I found the extensive resources on learning more about the saints and places mentioned in the book a wonderful addition. I would highly recommend this book not only to those interested in taking a pilgrimage, but also anyone wanting to read about real people who have lead inspiring and uplifting lives. After reading this book, you cannot help feeling uplifted yourself!

James and Collen Heater have written a wonderful series of travel books for those of us seeking a more spiritual journey - or a spiritual quest of sorts. In the true sense of the word "pilgram" this book provides a "traveler" all they need to find the sacred places in France. To go where the saints and sages lived and walked. To meditate and pray in those holy places that are hundreds of years old. To feel that divine energy in those very special places - this is what the book is all about.

If you are going to europe anytime in the futre - take along not only this book but all of their books in the "Pilgrim" series of travel books. It will be the best thing you can pack for the trip.

This book is worth of your purchase! It will be money well spent - in will be "good karma"!

I personally recommend this book for all travlers to Europe and for those arm-chair adventures to dream along with the book. I would rank it higher than FIVE STARS - IF I COULD DO SO.

To book a pilgrimage to France and not pay the additional dollars for a copy of the Heaters' The Pilgrim's France is penny wise and pound foolish. I should know, because unfortunately, that is what I did last October.
At a get-acquainted meeting prior to the trip, one of my fellow pilgrims announced that she had come upon the book at a local bookstore. Some people in the group then bought it, too, but I thought I'd save money by ordering it from the library.
The library's copy was already on loan, so I left for the trip with plenty of secular guides to France, but not The Pilgrim's Guide. At times on the tour bus I read from other people's books, but that does not compare to having one's own book when visiting a sacred place. Our tour guides filled us in on generalities, but that was not to the detailed level that this book does. (Yet the reading is enjoyable as well as intensely informative.)
Being on a tour, we did not need to know about accommodations or travel directions, but it was all there, along with very, very interesting commentary on the lives of each saint and what to see at each shrine. I can not begin to imagine how long it took the Heaters to compile all the data.
Shortly after I returned home, I was able to take out the library's copy of The Pilgrim's France. I renewed it as many times as I could because it was a useful reference as I finished writing in my trip journal.
Reading it was also distressing to me, however, because I realized things I'd missed that I wouldn't have missed if I'd had a copy of the book with me on the trip. Then and there I decided to buy both The Pilgrim's France and the Heaters' other book, The Pilgrim's Italy.
I had a fantastic pilgrimage experience, but it could have been even more fantastic if I'd owned this book. Whether you are an actual pilgrim or an arm-chair pilgrim, I highly recommend it.

Pure and simple, for most of us PROVENÇAL HOUSE is a coffee table book filled with exquisite detail found in several dozen homes in the south of France. Author, Joanna Thornycroft, has classified the structures Andreas Von Einsiedel photographed into `Town', `Manor' or `Country' houses. Short on text and long on photos, the premise of this publication seems to be a picure is worth a thousand words. Beginning with houses in the French Rivera and ending with Le Murier in hameau das Auvis, the author takes you on a trip through the land painted by Van Gogh and Pagnol.

Some of the homes are "simple" cottages, others the more ornate domains of the landed gentry or super-rich movie star. My favorite shots were taken in gardens, and show flowers, pots and rustic gates across cobblestone walkways that lead to the lane or another room of the garden. Small details such as a decorative window latch covered with several centuries of paint, delft-like kitchen tiles, and a rooster weather vane, remind me of the land of the Cathars-those God-fearing people who lived in this land that once harbored them as heretics who may or may not have been far from God but who must have understood how blessed life can be when the sun shines.

Architects may get some ideas from the recessed windows, the red tiled roofs, the stucco blue walls, and the marble bathroom fixtures, but the fabric-lined antique china cabinets, and nifty little accent touches in the various rooms depicted so lovingly make this book a must for interior designers and others seeking the "look" of Provence.

I can be critical of design and house books after seeing so many, so it's a relief to finally be able to give a book five stars. The photographs are authentic and detail everything from interior to exterior, including gardens. The essence of French provincal style is captured and distilled here. The writing is clever and concise, although you'll hardly notice it because the pictures are so brilliant. This is an essential book if you're trying to capture the French provencal look in house design or interior design. This book gives you an authentic source reference.

I'm an architect with the task of designing a "French" style home. This is one of several books I ordered to use as references. The appeal of this book for me is that it includes exterior architecture, interior design/decor, & gardens/landscapes. It is extensively illustrated with color photos & captions (my kind of book...). I can't critique the text because I have not yet had time to read it. But I can't get enough of the pictures!

Wow, what a gorgeous book. We look at it again and again for indoor and outdoor inspiration. You will be completely delighted by this book which captures golden light!

I picked this book up from the table of new releases at a local bookstore, sat in a chair, and didn't move except to turn the pages for the next 90 minutes. In more than 200 color photographs, The Provencal House explores the beauty of 16 Provencal homes - interior and exterior details, uses of color playing off the landscape, curves and arches and doorways. It's a beautiful celebration of an architectural way of life rooted in the land and its traditions.

I PICKED UP "PUSS IN COWBOY BOOTS" QUITE BY ACCIDENT ONE DAY WHILE BROWSING IN THE CHILDREN'S SECTION OF MY LOCAL LIBRARY (LEWISTOWN, PA). I JUST LOVED THAT ARTWORK! HOW DID PHIL HULING GET THOSE REDS SO VIVID? EVERYTIME I DID THAT WITH WATERCOLORS, THE REDS ALWAYS FADED QUICKLY ON ME! ALSO LOVED THE UPDATING OF THE ORIGINAL PUSS IN BOOTS FAIRY TALE. I WAS JUST GLAD THAT THE BUSH FAMILY DIDN'T SHOW UP ANYWHERE IN THE MODERN TALE! (STILL, I WONDERED IF THAT OILMAN DIDN'T HAVE A CONNECTION THERE, SOMEWHERE!) ANYWAY, I LOVED THE STORY, AND EVEN THOUGH I DON'T HAVE ANY CHILDREN, IF I DID, THIS BOOK WOULD BE ON THEIR BOOKSHELF, YOU CAN COUNT ON THAT! A GREAT BOOK, AND ONE I RECOMMEND TO ANY PARENT.

This book gives the old "Puss N Boots" a hot kick up. The story is modernized just enough to let the kids get a feel for the charactures in the story, while still having fun with the original tale. Beautifully illustrated it will bring enjoyment to all ages

This clever book will be a favorite in my house for many years to come. The eye catching colorful illustrations are perfect for keeping young children interested. And older children just find it a fun simple read. As a mother of two boys,1st and 3rd graders, I am always looking for fun books that will make them WANT to read. This is a book to get the readers reading!!

Delightfully funny, my kids laughed right to the end.

I especially loved the watercolor illustrations of this fine children's book. They are creative, detailed clever and properly tied to the storyline.
I highly recommend this book to anyone with or without children who love fine watercolor.

Her first book was a good read, so I knew I had to read her following book. Questing France was no dissapointment. As with the first...I read this book with my heart....feeling her emotions and understanding her choices. At the end of each chapter, she added some valuble thoughts...which were highly insightful.
I'll be definitly looking for more Marilyn B. Belleghem!!!

Questing France is one woman's personal testimony about dealing with marital infidelity. Confronted with evidence of her husband's affair, author Marilyn Barnicke Belleghem embarked on a personal journey to understand her own roles as wife, mother, sibling, friend, and businesswoman. She studied how others deal with marriage after an affair, the reasons why some return to the marriage and some do not, and how to help children cope with parental conflict and infidelity. A profoundly cathartic book that shows the reader how to look deep within and focus upon the most important things in life.

Questing France is an easy read while being very honest. I felt a lot of Marilyn's pain and emotion through all of the various stages of disrepair in her marriage. It was obviously very painful being with someone who always had one foot out the door, was full of broken promises, and who was closed off emotionally.

I enjoyed the 'therapist-speak' throughout the book as it adds a neutral voice to the conflict. I feel I learned a lot. It was great to see the different personalities come through the stories.

Thanks to Marilyn for sharing her life and her story.

This is an honest and sometimes raw account of a marriage and subsequent infidelity. Marilyn's book also richly dissects the complex layers of a woman's life; the roles, friendships, career path and self growth. Marilyn balances it all with what she does best; beautiful descriptive passages of trips taken and a life honestly lived.

In 2003, I was fortunate enough to review Marilyn Barnicke Belleghem's first book Questing Marilyn: In Search of My Holy Grail. This book details a physical journey to England and Ireland that served as a journey of the Self for the author. The book was so open and honest that I instantly felt a deep connection to the author's words which served to help me on my own journey of myself.

At the end of the book, I like probably most readers of this book was eager to learn more about the author's journey. Had she really found lasting peace and acceptance? Would she be able to integrate her new self knowledge into her busy life as a marriage councillor, wife, and mother? Was her husband really having an affair while she was on her trip? If so, would she kick him to the curb or continue her previous unhealthy pattern of pleasing others?

I looked to the author's new book Questing France: Deepening the Search for My Holy Grail for answers to these questions and others. I found some answers. I also found even more questions.

Two things I did learn from this book are that 1) The journey of the Self is a never-ending process and 2) You never really know how you'll actually react in any given situation until you experience it yourself. What might appear to others as unhealthy, weak, or misguided might be true self-empowerment. Stay the course, Marilyn!

As an enthusiast of period adventure stories by the likes of Dumas, Stevenson, Sabatini, etc., etc., I found myself immensely entertained by this well-paced swashbuckler of the Middle Ages. I had never heard of Allen French, but he is the real deal. How refreshing to read a book designed for young readers that does not in any way talk down to its intended audience. Better written than most current adventure stories for adults, "The Red Keep" does an expert job of making palpable the hard realities of the distant past, and does so in a manner which does not soften the sometimes explosive violence. In fact, the body count in this book is rather breathtaking. The first time young Conan leaped, without hesitation, upon an assailant with dagger drawn, it actually startled me, and the multiple skull-shatterings and throat-slashings do not lose their impact through repetition.

If from my description "The Red Keep" sounds like an excruciatingly gruesome book, I assure you it is not. In fact, for all the backstabbing (both literal and metaphorical), it remains a satisfyingly romantic tale. It is rather old-fashioned in its sensibility, and I mean that in the most positive sense. I sincerely doubt any book for young readers, written today, would -- or could -- explore the questions of violence, religion, political intrigue, gender and race in remotely the same way. And certainly, the whole thing wouldn't be handled quite so literately. This is an adventure story for all ages, which recalled for me Robert Louis Stevenson's "The Black Arrow," right down to the odiously deformed villain.

"The Red Keep" originally appeared back in the late 1930s. I first learned of French's books when I saw them displayed, about a year ago, in an art museum gift shop, in conjunction with an exhibit of Andrew Wyeth's paintings. (Wyeth provides the illustrations, and his father, the great N.C., offers the totemic cover art.) Intrigued, I went home and added them to my Amazon wishlist. A year or so later, "The Red Keep" turned up under the Christmas tree. And as you can probably tell, it turned out to be a marvelous acquisition. I will be ordering "The Story of Rolf and the Viking Bow" in the very near future.

The cover art for this book always intrigued me, so at last I decided to pick it up and read it. I was not disappointed. This is the story of the petty nobility of 12th century Burgundy. With the political system of the province in a state of flux thanks to the minority of the Duke, one family, the Sauval, amasses power and wealth by robbing travelers and raiding neighboring baronies. The Red Keep is the stronghold of one such barony. It is raided by the Sauval and the Baron is put to the sword--only his daughter, Anne, is rescued by the noble Baron Roger and his men, among them a young page named Conan. In the aftermath of the attack, the damaged keep is left abandoned--the bone of contention around which the story revolves.

The main character, Conan, is immediately sympathetic. He is strong, brave, and chivalrous to a fault, but young man that he is, he makes occasional bone-headed decisions that nearly cost him his life. As the story progresses, Conan's youthful naivete transforms into savvy adulthood as he carefully plans a strategy to thwart the Sauval.

The character of Anne is also appealing. Though she is presented in fighting trim throughout the book, she is not given unrealistic strength or the ability to strike down fighting men twice her size--a common but ludicrous feature of much modern literature. Anne's true strength lies in her courage, her determination to regain her father's fief and her willingness to step outside of the expected female role, even in the face of difficult odds, for the sake of justice. In this, I thought she resembled St. Joan of Arc.

Overall, I loved this book. The main characters were good and solid, and the antagonists were suitably detestable. The story itself and the writing are also first rate. Add to this the great black & white illustrations by Andrew Wyeth throughout, and you've got a real winner of a book, perfectly suited for kids 10 and up, but easily read and enjoyed by adults as well.

Set in Burgundy in 1167, this novel combines excitement with a very real and deep knowledge of life in medieval France, especially in backwater areas. The rescue of the Red Keep involves learning about class differences, guilds, the treatment of Jews, and more, but the background is never forced, and neither are the moral lessons. It's all of a piece with the story. From another writer, it would've gotten 5 stars, but I wound up comparing this book to the same writers THE STORY OF ROLF AND THE VIKING BOW.

I read this book after purchasing it for my children to help them learn of life in the middle ages. I found myself so involved in the story I did not realize how much I was learning! It is a wonderful story with excellent moral lessons. It has interesting battle information that would keep a boys interest yet a little romance to keep a girls. I found it a wonderful resource.

The Red Keep has strong positive role models for both boys and girls. It has good historical accuracy. Allen French was a Harvard historian who was interested in the roots of modern government. He wrote a series of children's books each focusing on a different time period and a different form of government. The story is exciting, with real villians, intrigue, suspense and last minute rescues. The hero shows some ethnic and class sensitivity within the context of the historical times. It is never forced or overly moralistic. All the lessons fit well within the framework of a well crafted plot.

"Vivid. Evocative. Bruce Holland Rogers' writing jumps right off the page." -Wil McCarthy, author of Bloom

"Bruce Holland Rogers stories are like the glimpses you catch out of the corner of your eye. They are full of the logic of dreams, and the logic of the heart." -Maureen F. McHugh, author of Mission Child

"I admire Bruce Holland Rogers and his writing for their seriousness, their onesty and their style." -Valerie Freireich, author of Becoming Human

From dark fairy tales to creepy science fiction to a theological mystery set in the Old West, the mind of Bruce Holland Rogers takes you to territories of the bizarre: Wall Street, Suburbia, and Mexico. In the Nebula Award-nominated story "These Shoes Strangers Have Died Of," a World War II veteran confronts the perpetrators and victims of genocide, and the would-be perpetrators, through his art. The title story, "Wind Over Heaven," exposes the weird underside of the upscale restaurant business. And the 1998 Bram Stoker Award-winner "The Dead Boy at Your Window" (which also won a Pushcart Prize for literary fiction) takes readers on a journey to the land of the dead like no other.

After I read this book, I thought, Man--I certainly got my money's worth. I don't tend to review books I can't give five stars, but this one...I'd love to give it six. So much imagination in such a slim volume. And it doesn't so much defy classification as rise above it. Yes, there are stories here that might be shoehorned into Science Fiction--like Vox Domini or On Top. And yes, the Horror genre might loosely describe An Eye for Acquisitions and perhaps The Apple Golem. But none of these stories fit comfortably into boxes--they slip out, winking at us, creeping over borders, scattering little seeds of fear, astonishment, wisdom, wry humor. Even the Magic Realism label doesn't do them justice.

Bruce Holland Rogers is a terrific writer. These stories stick with me; they make me think; and some of them are simply great fun. Read his stuff; this book is a bargain.

Susan O'Neill, author, Don't Mean Nothing: Short Stories of Viet Nam

"Vivid. Evocative. Bruce Holland Rogers' writing jumps right off the page." -Wil McCarthy, author of Bloom

"Bruce Holland Rogers stories are like the glimpses you catch out of the corner of your eye. They are full of the logic of dreams, and the logic of the heart." -Maureen F. McHugh, author of Mission Child

"I admire Bruce Holland Rogers and his writing for their seriousness, their onesty and their style." -Valerie Freireich, author of Becoming Human

From dark fairy tales to creepy science fiction to a theological mystery set in the Old West, the mind of Bruce Holland Rogers takes you to territories of the bizarre: Wall Street, Suburbia, and Mexico. In the Nebula Award-nominated story "These Shoes Strangers Have Died Of," a World War II veteran confronts the perpetrators and victims of genocide, and the would-be perpetrators, through his art. The title story, "Wind Over Heaven," exposes the weird underside of the upscale restaurant business. And the 1998 Bram Stoker Award-winner "The Dead Boy at Your Window" (which also won a Pushcart Prize for literary fiction) takes readers on a journey to the land of the dead like no other.

I've heard it argued that horror is an emotion, not a genre, and Bruce Holland Rogers has demonstrated this well in his collection of dark stories. The stories range from a western to a fable to science fiction, but all are intelligent tales with dark themes, including redemption and revenge, and settings ranging from the land of the dead to an alternate Aztec-like Mexico. I recommend this book.

Bruce Holland Rogers is a delightful writer. I have never been disapointed in his stories. His books are easy to pick up and hard to put down.

Some of the photos from this superb exhibition may be found in "Fashion", also put out by the Kyoto Costume Institute, published by Taschen. (Available through Amazon.[com])

This is my favorite of shelves-full of costume books, not only because of the quality of the photography and the beauty of the items in the Kyoto exhibition, but also because it captures the experience of silently moving through the exhibition itself. I've used this book extensively as a visual reference for recreating 18th-century gowns -- no amount of description can accomplish what detailed photos can.

This is an excellent pictorial guide to 18th and early 19th Century clothing explored through very creatively put together displays of actual clothing. If the reader is looking for a book crammed full of quality photographs and little text this is it. However, the book is out of print and hard to find at a reasonable price. Most of the photographs are repeated in a newer book, also by the Kyoto Institute, called FASHION, so it is worthwhile considering the latter book instead, given the high price of Revolution in Fashion on the secondary market. Interestingly enough the new book "Fashion" is now published in a boxed set of two books, the 18th Century dealt with in the first of these.

This is the best book on the costumes of the 18th century that I have ever found. Page after page of gorgeous garments are clearly photographed and beautifully displayed. It is inpirational.

This is an outstanding exhibition catalogue from Japan (thankfully written in English). It has the most fabulous, clear photos of 18th, early 19th century costume.

If you have any interst in European Fashion during this period try and get your hands on a copy of this outstanding book.

It has worthwile text, but the photos are the real find.

Nothing wrong with this edition. Just thought that people might want to know that there is another translation out there that is easier to read AND more fun. It's the translation in blank verse published in unabridged and unexpurgated form by Meridian (0452010837), and edited by Charles W. Dunn, one of the finest modernizations of a medieval classic ever published. The translation was the life's work of Professor Harry W. Robbins.

The Romance of the Rose is the famous and much discussed 13th century allegorical romance. It consists of two parts of unequal length-- the first shorter part by Guillaume de Lorris and the second longer part continued 40 years after de Lorris' death by Jean de Meun. Throughout the medieval period, this was one of the most widely read book in the French language.

Scholars have rather endlessly debated how unified the allegory really is, and the trend recently seems to have shifted to seeing the two authors as less in opposition, and more composing a complete treatment of courtly Love.

For the casual (non-academic) reader like myself, the experience is rather less unified. The de Lorris section is quite lyrical and fits more with what I imagine an allegorical dream poem to be. When Idleness leads the dreamer into the garden of Diversion and when Love shoots him with the five deadly arrows that bind him to the Rose, the imagery is compelling and lovely.

On the other hand, the second part, while often *very* funny is much more obviously satirical with long digressions that focus more on social mores than on the world of the Dreamer as established in the first half. The effect is sort of like a serious and literary Spike Jones song-- which is not at all a bad thing.

This is a very relaxing yet thought-provoking allegory of life and love, but primarily love. I first heard of it in the film "Shadowlands", about the great C.S. Lewis. After having bought it and read it after hearing Anthony Hopkins describe it to his character's Oxford students in the film, I see it's significance in both that particular film and as a remarkable work of literature which, in it's day, seemed to have been far more popular than even the "Canterbury Tales"; more than twice as many original manuscripts of RotR exist today than of "Canterbury". The Romance of the Rose is fluid, metaphorical, philosophical, lyric and, of course, very romantic. An exquisite illustration of courtly love.

This review relates to the work, -The Romance of the
Rose- by Guillaume de Lorris and Jean de Meun,
Translated by Charles Dahlberg, Princeton Univ.
Press, Third Edition, 1995. 484 pp.
This edition of -The Romance of the Rose- is interesting
for it contains all 3 Prefaces which Charles Dahlberg
wrote. In the Preface to the 1st edition, published
in 1971, Dahlberg says: "This translation of the -Romance
of the Rose-, the first in modern English prose, is one of
nearly a dozen volumes during the past decade to present
an edition, a translation, or a major commentary on the
Old French poem. The aim of this book is to provide a
clear, readable text that is as faithful as possible to
the original, particularly in terms of imagery. Because
translations have their pitfalls and because thirteenth-
century assumptions about the use of imagery, indeed of
poetry, are very different from ours, I have provided a
variety of materials that may help the reader to approach
the poem with an approximation of the perspective of that
time. The Introduction, Notes, and Illustrations are
designed primarily to elaborate and clarify such a view
of the poem."
In the 2nd Preface, to the 1983 edition, Dahlberg says:
[after saying that minor errors have been corrected
and additions have been made to the Bibliography]
"During recent years, a number of writers have reemphasized
the contrast between the two authors in their treatment
of the poem's allegory. Such is the case even in the
relatively small space devoted to the poem in Jung's
important book on Latin and French allegory, a work that
parallels the series of essays by Hans Robert Jauss
on the origins and development of allegorical poetry up
to the -Romance-."
In the Preface to the 1995 edition, Dahlberg again
deals with the scholarly publications concerning the
poem which have occurred since the last edition. He
cites works in the Preface which deal with Sources and
Influences ["Among source studies, the greatest attention
has been givven To Ovid: in the Narcissus episode, the
Pygmalion episode, or both. Huot studies the relation of
the Medusa interpolation to these spisodes and to the
Deucalion-Pyrrha passage, Browlee studies the relation
of the Pygmalion and Adonis passages, and Steinle adds
the Narcissus passages to these two."]; The Two Authors;
The Nature of the Allegorical Narrative; The Use of the
First Person; and Early Reception.
This work is in two parts. Part I [The Dream of Love]
is authored by Guillaume de Lorris and comprises some 4,000
plus lines. Part II [The Overthrow of Reason] is authored by Jean de Meun.
The sections of Part I are titled by Dahlberg as: (1) The Garden, The Fountain,
and the Rose; (2) The God of Love and the Affair of the
Heart; (3) The Involvement of Reason and the Castle of
Jealousy.
Part II [The Overthrow of Reason] by Jean de Meun, is
titled in sections by Dahlberg as: (4) Discourse of

Reason; (5) The Advice of Friend; (6) The Assault on
the Castle. False Seeming's Contribution; (7) The Old
Woman's Intercession; (8) Attack and Repulse;
(9)Nature's Confession; (10) Genius's Solution;
(11) Venus's Conflagration and the Winning of the Rose.
There are excellent Notes from p. 357 to p. 425 and
an excellent Bibliography. There are also 64 "miniature
illustrations from thirteenth- and fourteenth-century
manuscripts."
This is an excellent edition, especially for the

wealth of suggested additional schoarly works
available and their approaches to the poem.
-- Robert Kilgore.

I really like this book because it is a romance book and i love all romance books. I really like books that are writen in the old ages. I think if a person likes to just read books they should read Romance of the Rose.

Mr Featherston has done an excellent job recreating the terrific battle of Mortain which ensured the Allied victory in France and the destruction of 19 German division in the Falaise Pocket. The book starts with a short history of the "Old Hickory" 30th US Infantry Division until it reached the Mortain area on August 5, 1944. The battle is analysed in detail and the author overturns many myths surrounding that episode. The Panzer divisions were indeed stopped before the Allied airpower intervened in the noon of August 7 and the Typhoon attacks were not so succesful as the British sources said at that time. Above all, it was the bravery and the stamina of the individual American soldiers that turned the tide of the battle, causing massive damage to the attacking German divisions and holding crucial ground. The same trends would be repeated in the Ardennes in December 1944 on a grander scale. There is also a synopsis of the 30th ID's history after Mortain and the explanation why the Germans regarded it as "Roosevelt's SS troops" and why the US leaders considered it to be the best division in the European Theater of Operations. There are many black & white maps and some good photos, and the only drawback of the book is the persistent misspelling of certain German names, like "Liebstandarte" etc.

My father landed on Utah Beach in the second wave on June 7, 1944 (D-Day +1). His unit was attached temporarily to the 28th Division, as reinforcements. Later they rejoined their real unit, the 1st Platoon, 2d Battalion, 120th Infantry Regiment, 30th Infantry Division.

After having defended Hill 314 for four days, out of ammunition and food, my father and three comrades were captured by German SS forces at Mortain on August 11, 1944. He spent the next 11 months in a German POW camp.

Yes, I'm proud of his service. However, I recounted all of this to establish his authority to comment on this book.

A man of few words, he shared that accounts of the aspects of the battle of which he had first-hand knowledge were very accurate. This book enabled my father to finally understand the full scope and nature of the battle, and reinforced for him (and his wife and five children) how amazing it is that he survived the experience.

We continue to pass this book from one family member to the next. We have all found the book to be an excellent read.

What a superb book. Featherston, a journalist by trade, made himself into a first rate military historian with this, his first published work. He even outdoes the mighty Stephen Ambrose here. His focus is the 30th Infantry Division's lone stand at Mortain, as it bore the brunt of the German last great Panzer assault in France.
Much has been written about Mortain, how the Germans threw away their last bit of armored strength in this hopeless, Hitler ordered counterattack (Operation 'Luttich', the German word for Liege, a city in Belgium) and its subsequent repulse. Far too much credit has been given the Allied air forces in this battle and not enough to the infantrymen who faced the onslaught on the ground.
That fact was, that despite air support, the Old Hickory Division met the Germans head on, and this was some of the best German military units, the Waffen SS in addition to other Panzer divisions, and it beat them cold.
Featherston, interviews the veterans and they tell their story with pride, as I think they should. They took on the best Hitler had, and stopped the vaunted German Panzer force dead in its tracks.

This is a must have for any ETO fan.

As a current member of the 30th Mechanized Brigade I found this book to be an extremely interesting look into the roots and history of a forgotten Division. The author provided a great deal of insight into this critical battle through the personal experiences and recollections of the actual soldiers who fought against some of the best German troops at that time. This book was very informative and details a battle that very few people had heard of, which is a shame considering what these everyday soldiers accomplished under such exteme conditions. I would highly recommend.

Great book. I personally liked to read divisional histories, and this is in my top five. The writer takes you throught he divisions pre war history, European deployemnt, and combat history. The reader gets two stoies here, one is a history of a Army National Guard unit going to war, and the other is the Battle of Moritain, a pivital conflict in the conquest of France. I read it in a weekend, you will find it hard to put down as well.

This book is everything I look for in a travel book; concise, useful info and it has good color photos and maps. The content is well organized and it also gives useful tips that I wouldnt normally think of, such as catching Mont St. Michel bay in winter during bird migration season.

HIGHLY recommended.

Too bad this is out of print. Great way to find the natural beauty of France. Lots of information that we just didn't find in other guide books. If you are used to mixing culture with nature, then get this book for the nature.

Okay, spend a few days in Paris, and then when the crowds, the traffic and the little dogs overwhelm you, get out your copy of Wild France and seek some serenity. Packed with information, this reliable, portable and well-organized guide to wilderness areas of France is valuable for planning your trip and contains many evocative color photos to help you remember your adventures when you get back home. The book divides France into nine natural regions and suggests the best wild habitats to visit in each one. The sections are written by different experts, with insider views on the local environments. Easy-to-read maps at appropriate scales help you find your destination by car or public transit and then hike, bike, ride or row to viewpoints. In addition to the color photos, there are detailed line drawings of special trees, plants, birds and animals that you may encounter. Included are addresses, phone numbers and websites of tourist offices, park offices, museums and outdoor adventure firms, plus suggested hotels and camp sites. Our favorite walk: through the Massif de Ste. Baume in October, walking out of farmland into open oak woodland, and then into the deep shade and silence of an ancient European forest of oak, beech, holly and yew, meeting an occasional family picking wild mushrooms, climbing higher and higher on a path that pilgrims - including popes, saints and kings - had taken for almost two millennia.

Okay, spend a few days in Paris, and then when the crowds, the traffic and the little dogs overwhelm you, get out your copy of Wild France and seek some serenity. Packed with information, this reliable, portable and well-organized guide to wilderness areas of France is valuable for planning your trip and contains many evocative color photos to help you remember your adventures when you get back home. The book divides France into nine natural regions and suggests the best wild habitats to visit in each one. The sections are written by different experts, with insider views on the local environments. Easy-to-read maps at appropriate scales help you find your destination by car or public transit and then hike, bike, ride or row to viewpoints. In addition to the color photos, there are detailed line drawings of special trees, plants, birds and animals that you may encounter. Included are addresses, phone numbers and websites of tourist offices, park offices, museums and outdoor adventure firms, plus suggested hotels and camp sites. Our favorite walk: through the Massif de Ste. Baume in October, walking out of farmland into open oak woodland, and then into the deep shade and silence of an ancient European forest of oak, beech, holly and yew, meeting an occasional family picking wild mushrooms, climbing higher and higher on a path that pilgrims - including popes, saints and kings - had taken for almost two millennia.

We used this book to supplement a two month trip to France. It provides information that you will not find in other guide books and if you are used to mixing nature with culture, then it is a must to have along. We saw things we would never have seen, but for having this book. Places that one might think are insignificant take on added importance and meaning. We also used Wild Italy in Italy. Note that these books are not the only travel books you should have in France and Italy. They supplement your other travel books.