France Books

Superbly written book with penetrating analysis-in several senses. Grigsby waxes poetic throughout this book, with stimulating metaphors and multisyllabic words gushing forth like any proper literary climax. Having thoroughly reveled in the language and interpretation of her work, I must admit that the sexual readings approach a nearly forced pitch by the concluding chapter. Of course, attention to the phallus is certainly necessary in a discussion of _Belley_; I even agree with the interpretation of sumptuous fabric as "vulvic" in _Cairo_ and _Chios_. That said, however, I refuse to fully buy into Grigsby's sexualizing of _Missolonghi_. Do read this book if you have the opportunity, whether you thrill to the subject or not: everyone has a good deal to learn from Grigsby if only concerning her writing, which grabs one by the shirtcollar and ruthlessly shakes for all 400 pages.

For anyone interested in colonialism and art this book is a fascinating discussion of the ways that France's imperial battles and conquests informed and affected that country's art.

The fact that the library journal's review of the book calls into question the sexual politics of french history painting demeans ITS validity. This book makes easy to understand the sophisticated racial, sexual, and art historical undercurrents that lay as a background to the 19th century. Indeed it is these subjects that hold the greatest kernel of interest to anyone interested in the art of the davidian school, it is a welcome, exciting departure from the stuffy academic reading of the neo-classical era, making relevant an group of artists that have found themselves marginalized in their legacy.

This book shows that in a spiritual relationship with Jesus Christ there is really no long term pain in the death of a loved one; but the sacred and divine opportunity of completed healing, for the ones who love them. The perfect book for the Alzheimer patient and their family.

I, too, read the book from cover to cover at one sitting. It is beautifully written, filled with brutal honesty as well as overwhelming love and compassion. It also has some excellent resources and recommendations for those trying to cope with the tragedy of the disease. I couldn't recommend the book more highly.

I cannot begin to tell you how very much I enjoyed reading this book. Once I began reading,,I just couldn't put it down until I totally completed it. This book has touched me and brought out many emotions of smiles, laughter and tears and I can relate to it as a chronic caregiver.I recommend this book to everyone not only to people who are in caregiving situations for a member of their family having Alzheimers...but for all family sicknesses.

I just reviewed Volume 1, where I said the book contains a huge selection of patterns. Volume 2 focuses on patterns for evening dresses, bridal wear, sports wear, and outer wear. The chapters on accessories and trimmings contain some needlework patterns, embroidery and so on. I figure if I don't do the handwork I'll still have learned a lot about buying appropriate materials.

I bought both volumes, but they are organized so you can use them separately. Both contain the instructions for using the book and the special rulers that allow you to draft patterns to fit you. They also both have a big glossary, a bibliography, and two indexes.

Volume 2 has something really special though--a dressmaking manual. The book says it was rewritten from numerous rare original sources that are listed in the bibliography. But it's been rewritten so it doesn't read that way; you can't tell where any source begins or ends. That makes the manual a lot easier to use. And it's so long it could have been published as a book by itself. I'm glad to have it, because I've never been able to find a comprehensive sewing manual for this period. It even has corset-making instructions (the corset patterns are in Volume 1).

Both volumes are very well edited and produced. This is not a cheap printing job.

Anyone who does Old West reenactment or Victorian teas would love these books!

Frances Grimble shares her meticulous vision with us once again. A great two book series full of facinating information and patterns galore. I cannot wait to clothe many a pretty lady using them. Not for the faint of heart. The patterns are period correct and I would advise an advanced skill level, or a great deal of patience. Always do a mock up. Remember these are patterns of the age. So start at the skin and work your way out to a glorious new costume.
Enjoy.

This is a great book, but you should know that it is not a second edition of Fashions of the Gilded Age, Volume 1. It is the second volume of the anthology, and a different book with all different patterns. The title is actually Fashions of the Gilded Age, Volume 2: Evening, Bridal, Sports, Outerwear, Accessories, and Dressmaking 1877-1882. It's just as good as Volume 1, none of the information is the same except the intro on how to use the patterns, and the dressmaking manual is really unique.

I heard both volumes were published but it took me awhile to find the second one on Amazon because it was mislisted. So I thought I'd warn other people.

Who is Frances and why does Abby's grandmother always call her that? Abby tells her over and over again that her name is Abby. Her grandmother has altimers desies were she forgets thing in the present and remembers thing that happened in the past. Abby has a strong determination to find out who Francis is and why she reminds her grandmother of her. Can Abby find the courage to make her grandmother tell her who Francis is. Once she finally can does she have the talent to piece it all together.

When Abigail finds out her best friend Travis is going to live next door perminently she is very exsited, but when he betrais her she feels lost. Her grandmother that has alzheimers calls her Frances and she desides to figure out who Frances is.

I like Figuring Out Frances because it's like you're living right through it with the characters until the end. It is a fantastic book for anybody to read and love! I myself couldn't put it down, it was so good! It had sort of a beat to it, like one chapter happy, the next sad, then angry, then happy and so on. Some people in my fourth grade class think that I am just a plain bookworm. I love every book and say that it is the best of all of them, but I'm not stretching the truth about this book being the best! I would give this book to anybody who likes mysterious but not-so-scary books, not that this book is scary! It was fun and interesting plus easy for me to read. Abigail (main character) seemed like a friendly girl and had a nice relationship with Travis and her grandma.

Since I started modeling wwii sceneries a couple of years ago I have been looking for books like this one. It contains the exact amount of information anyone needs to recreate an accurate scene of one of the units in the book. Even more, I am working on a project to recreate the course of action of one of the units described in the book, the 551st Parachute Infantry Battalion. In this book I found pictures taken during the jump into the provence and it helped me to make a fairly accurate map of the path these paratroopers followed during the war. I never thought I'ld find a book with this kind of info anywhere. Like said in other reviews, it is well worth the money.

In his latest offering, De Trez has gotten away from showing his impressive collection, and added an incredible amount of period photos. This volume is almost 3 times the size of either of his previous ones. Tons and tons of photos, organized by unit are here. Of course, there is more of his collection but in a much nicer ratio. An excellent research tool for collectors and historians.

My father was a member of the Task Force Headquarters and made the invasion of Southern France so I bought a copy of the book for his birthday as a special surprise. He spent several days pouring through the pages looking at pictures of people he knew and place he experienced. I had no idea that this book was so thorough and informative with so many veteran's first hand accounts. As a military historian, I was overwhelmed with the sheer volume of information and images crammed into this book. I can honestly say that this book was well worth the money!

This is a beautful book with photos of gorgeous countryside. Owen Franken has a keen eye for accentuating the aesthetics in an already stunning environment.

This fabulous book absolutely transported me! The incredible text beautifully complements the photos. You can almost smell the thyme and feel the soft sea breezes... A fantastic book!

a delightful little book of pretty photos of provence.a very nice memory for those who forgot their camera and a nice source book for those who want to return to provence and see place and things one might have missed.

I used this book on my first trip to Paris,and it was a valuable resource to pick how to spend our time. The maps were also very helpful in getting around the maze that is the Paris streets.

I bought both Paris and London 2008 books for my upcoming trip to Europe, and I enjoy both. The guides are easy to read, tell you how to make the most of your time at various locations, tell you how to get to where you want to go and provide a variety of eating and shopping locations for all budgets.

Fodor's Paris 2008 has everything the average vacationer would need to experience France from the inside out.
Here is a detailed index of what this book has to offer:

-Clothing size, weight, distance, liquid volume, and temperature conversions inside the front cover
-Detailed table of contents
-"About This Book" page which tells you how to read and use the information in the book
-General information about Paris such as cleanliness, diversity, and the general attitude of Parisians
-Paris Planner which includes information on what to wear, when to go, and transportation
-Detailed and easy to read maps of Paris and it's arrondissements
-Detailed lists and descriptions of Paris's top attractions
-Fun things to do in Paris with kids
-Great Itineraries
-Where to eat
-Where to stay
-A selection of gorgeous color photographs
-Word of Mouth from Fodor's online forums
-Detailed information about nightlife and the arts
-Shopping
-Free stuff to do in Paris
-Books and movies of Paris
-Vital vocabulary words
-Information and advice on traveling such as travelers insurance, booking, rental cars, guided tours, emergencies abroad, electricity, money, taxes
-A folded tear out map of Paris
-Map of Paris's Metro system on the inside of the back cover

I would recommend this book to anyone considering visiting Paris on vacation, anyone moving to Paris, or the average Joe who wants to learn more about the most romantic city in the world. It has everything you want to know about Paris.

I have been a fan of Georgeanne Brennan's writing and recipes ever since I picked up a copy of France: The Vegetarian Table several years ago. This book about Provencal cooking had exactly the same effect on me. Apart from being charmingly designed, it is well thought-out, organized into chapters based on typical Provencal ingredients (olives, certain herbs, cheeses etc) and so beautifully written that one is nearly transported to the South of France as one cooks. I have tried numerous recipes from this book and have never been disappointed with a single one: they have all been wonderful. They are uniformly precise and simple to follow. Georgeanne Brennan has a superb sense of cooking with what is to hand, following the availability of seasonal produce, and focussing on abundant fresh vegetables and herbs. This book is a total treat. I think it is one of the best books on cooking of this region since Richard Olney's efforts...

In this well-conceived and beautifully written cookbook/memoir, Ms. Brennan transports her readers to a rural and rugged area of France that lies only an hour north of the glamorous Côte d'Azur. She offers an enticing collection of workable recipes both traditional and nontraditional, intertwining them with a treasure trove of personal reminiscences and invaluable information on foodstuffs. A pleasure to read as well as to cook from.

Also recommended: "Madeleine Kamman's Savoie."

This is really a wonderful cookbook. The recipes are delicious, and whenever ingredients would be hard to find in the U.S., Brennan talks about more-readily available options and how they change preparation. Even better, though, are the descriptive essays that precede each section in the book. Brennan describes how the food fits into the culture of Haute Provence. It's not only pleasant reading, but you learn how the natives mix flavors, so you can begin to develop recipes on your own that have provencal flavors. I'm sorry to see it currently unavailable, so snap it up used if you see it!

The absolute BEST book I've ever read on France and the French. Enthusiastic though unbiased, extensive and extremely well-documented but never dry or boring, lively but not too "journalist-like", this is an absolute must-read for whoever has an interest in this fascinating - though sometimes hard to grasp - country. Readers will likely understand France better thanks to this book. A real masterpiece. The author's knowledge of France (its history, famous authors, historians, politics, cultural patterns) is simply astonishing.

deep, unbiased, well researched in all aspects of the review. Written with excellent litterary talent, the book, although extensive, is never boring. One of the best I have ever read about the French and their country.

As an American in France I am particularly interested, andreasonablyknowledgeable about, works on france. I found Bernstein's book to provide an accurate and lively portrayal of a subject which is all too often romanticized or written about in a condescending way.

So far, I have spent only 2 weeks 'motoring' through France and the only negative thing I can say about this atlas is that some of the pages are torn from heavy use. It looks like the 2000 version is hardcover, which may help eliminate this problem. I wish Michelin would come up with a binding method that would allow me to remove and replace pages. Then it would be perfect. As for examples of how one uses this atlas .. Last September I was in France and for the first time I had torn up my tour books and brought only the relevant sections. After arriving in Chamonix, I realized this was not worth a 2 night stay (thanks, Rick Steves!), so I decided on a last minute detour to Burgundy. Forunately, I had this atlas and my Michelin Red Guide (with it's indespensible town and city maps and suggested sites). Sitting in my car, I planned my route for the next 2 days, which included stopovers in Tournus (a little difficult to find a room) and Beaune (no problem finding a room). Since I had no textual guidebooks for Burgundy with me, I bought a Green Guide in Tournus. With this guide and my trusty atlas, I easily planned a drive through the Burgundy countryside and visits to a chateau, abbey, wineries, and panoramic viewpoints. I drove into and out of Beaune and Dijon without any problem. Besides using the atlas for navigation, I also have used it to find spectacular and often unexpected viewpoints and scenery in locations as varied as the Corniche roads between Nice and Monaco, the Gorges of Verdun/Lac de Ste Croix, perched villages in the Luberon, very green farmland in the Indus River Valley, ruined/untouristed castles overlooking Colmar, a moving WWI battlesite and cemetary (Le Linge) in the Vosges. This atlas is for travellers who want their trips between destinations to be as unforgettable as the destinations themselves.

Spent 1 week last summer touring around in central France with a car, my girlfriend as the navigator sitting right next to me reading this atlas. She could told me, by following the details on the atlas, when there should be a road junction on left or right hand side, or there going to be a round-about a head. Even on the smallest D road or a tiny village. Just one sentence in summary, this Michelin atlas is INCREDIBLE!

We took this along with us on our first trip to France and used it to drive from Paris to Provence. I cannot say how detailed this map is, even better than any map of the US I have ever seen. In one collection it shows everything from major highways to single lane dirt tracks last used by goat farmers.