France Books

The photo on page p. 209 of Jacques Anquetil climbing the Aubisque is one of the most amazing photographs I've ever seen. It's all in there. I'm going to buy another copy just to cut that photo out and frame it.

2003 saw the 100th birthday of the Tour de France, the world's most famous bike race. This book was released at the beginning of the centenary year as part of the race's birthday celebrations.

The race was created by a newspaper called L'Auto, the forerunner of today's sports newspaper L'Equipe. The race's organisers worked closely with L'Equipe in the production of this book. Thanks to L'Equipe's involvement, the book had the pick of a huge amount of material dating back to the Tour's inception. The collection of photographs used is incredible and is the main strength of the book. The Tour is a tough enough race today, but being able to see what sort of conditions and equipment the cyclists had to endure in the early days.....well, phrases like 'seeing is believing' and 'every picture tells a thousand stories' could've been formed with these pages in mind. It was also nice being able to finally put a face to some of the famous names - the likes of Coppi, Bobet and Anquetil.

Essentially, the book begins in 1903, and has something similar to a chapter for each edition of the race. The level of detail varies from year to year - the years where there was a 'big' story are generally given the luxury of an extra couple of pages. These would include, for example, 1998's Festina Affair, Merckx's and Hinault's first wins (1969 and 1978 respectively), the deaths of Tom Simpson (1967) and Fabio Casartelli (1995) and the completion of the race's first hat-trick by Philippe Thys in 1920. Inevitably, some races are comparatively skimmed over. It would've been nice if, for example, the 1960 race had been given some extended coverage also, when Roger Reviere crashed in the mountains and broke his back.

For the most part, the writing centres on the battle for the yellow jersey. L'Auto was responsible for the creation of the famous yellow jersey. In 1919, it arranged for a special jersey to be presented to the race leader so spectators could easily identify him. As the newspaper was printed on yellow paper, they chose yellow as the colour for the jersey. Of course, this would've done no harm to the newspaper sales either.

Little is said, however, about the battles for the race's other jerseys. The King of the Mountains (polka dot) jersey was introduced in 1933, while the Sprinter's (green) jersey was introduced 20 years later, in 1953. They are given some coverage in the stats section at the back of the book, but really only mentioned in passing throughout the book. The combined and red jerseys that were formerly a part of the Tour don't even get a mention in the stats section - though the combined jersey, at least, does make an appearance in one or two photographs. These are only minor quibbles, it has to be said. These omissions are understandable, given all that has happened in this race over the years, and that there was always going to be a limited amount of space available ! This is an incredible book, one that should be owned by anyone who is even vaguely interested in sport.

A sumptuous volume. I found I had to ration my reading to three years at a sitting to avoid finishing it too quickly. A perfect balance of history, anecdote, statistics and photographs.

One thing to bear in mind is that this book is written by the tour organisation. The organisation is rarely at fault for the mishaps and scandals down the years.

One technical quibble is that I don't seem to be able to avoid making smudges on the page edges, no matter now carefully I handle the pages.

No-one is going to be disappointed by this book. I may buy several more copies to give as gifts.

The Comtesse de Segur wrote these stories at 58 years old in the late 1800's. They certainly still hold up today. My mother grew up reading a first edition printed in the US in 1921. She read it to me and when she passed away she left the same book to me. I have read it to my children and hope to read it to my grandchildren soon.
READ THIS BOOK, it is wonderful!

I first read this book when I was 12 years old. I read the portuguese version because I bought it in Brazil.
The stories are absolutely enchanting and have a rare quality that certain books have where you get completely captivated by the characters and their adventures.
I read it over and over throughout my teenage years and as an adult I have been reading it on Christmas to my daughters. It is a great gift to have such an inspirational book in our family.

Actually, I own the original hardcover edition of this book-published in the early 1920's or so.
It should be a collector's item, because the stories were very well done-very rich and descriptive. The moral tone is also very interesting-with definite rewards for good and kind behaviour {and also for bad and cruel}. Worth getting-especially if they have the original illustrations-very beautiful, in the orginal!
I will undoubtably be buying a copy for my nieces, since my copy is rather delicate-but I do want them to read and love these stories, as I have.

I got hooked on Provence books through Peter Mayle and this tome is very similiar in style and substance. You may remember the author from her role in All Creatures Great and Small. I highly recommend.

I love Drinkwater's ability to bring the reader into the realities of growing olives, her relationship with Michel and above all, Provencal and the Mediterranean atmosphere. Her descriptive ability is superb and I felt like I was there with her as she went through the trials and tribulations of living in Provencal while her husband was going through his own dark night of the soul. Drinkwater's book is highly recommended for those who love the south of France and especially Provencal. I learned also about the art of growing olives and the pressing of olives into oil. Bettye Johnson, award-winning author of Secrets of the Magdalene Scrolls.

Continuing on with Carol's escapades in Provence, you feel as if she is family. After reading her olive triology I would pass up the chance to visit Paris for a weekend in Provence. I enjoyed olive oil before, now I want to drink it up, taste and smell the differences. Olive oil is the liquid gold flowing through the olive series!

I got hooked on Provence books through Peter Mayle and this tome is very similiar in style and substance. You may remember the author from her role in All Creatures Great and Small. I highly recommend.

I love Drinkwater's ability to bring the reader into the realities of growing olives, her relationship with Michel and above all, Provencal and the Mediterranean atmosphere. Her descriptive ability is superb and I felt like I was there with her as she went through the trials and tribulations of living in Provencal while her husband was going through his own dark night of the soul. Drinkwater's book is highly recommended for those who love the south of France and especially Provencal. I learned also about the art of growing olives and the pressing of olives into oil. Bettye Johnson, award-winning author of Secrets of the Magdalene Scrolls.

Continuing on with Carol's escapades in Provence, you feel as if she is family. After reading her olive triology I would pass up the chance to visit Paris for a weekend in Provence. I enjoyed olive oil before, now I want to drink it up, taste and smell the differences. Olive oil is the liquid gold flowing through the olive series!

OLIVIER MESSIAEN: Music and Color, a book-length interview conducted by Claude Samuel, is the closest thing we have to an autobiography of the late French composer of deeply religious music. Samuel, a friend of the composer for three decades, set down with Messiaen in 1986 to discuss his career, philosophy, musical techniques, travels, and thoughts about contemporary music.

His youth and first love of birds is covered, as well as the various adventures he had through life searching new bird-watching (and bird-listening) opportunities. Tens of pages are dedicated to how he perceived sound and colour, as he experienced synasthesia, and his rhythmic innovations. As Messiaen was nearing the end of his life, the interview deals at length with generations after Messiaen's own. The composer is full of praise for Boulez and Xenakis and his younger wife Yvonne Loriod, but his most effusive praise is reserved for George Benjamin, one of his last students (whose career doesn't seem to have taken off quite as much as Messiaen expected). The book decades over 40 pages to "Saint Francois d'Assisi", Messiaen's opera of epic proportions premiered in 1983. Messiaen seems to hold this as his most important work, and it's a pity that nowadays it is almost forgotten while "lesser" works like "Turangalila-symphonie" and the Quatuor are frequently performed.

I learned a little bit more about certain works by Messiaen by reading this interview, and a lot more about the man Messiaen and what he felt was his mission in life. Worth reading for fans of the great composer.

I find this book the definitive source of information about the personal views of Olivier Messiaen. Claude Samuel seems to be well aquainted with Messiaens music and poses interesting and thought-provoking questions to the maestro. The book contains passages about bird-song and greek poetry wich are quite fascinating for a layman. Also quite curious are some of Messiaens personal opinions on some of the most important composers in history. There is enough facts about Messiaens music to satisfy even those who are allready familiar with his works. The book is written in an understandable manner, yet deep enough for musicians and scholars to get a lot out of it.

This book is the definitive source of information about Messiaens personal views and opinions. Claude Samuel, the interwiever, is apparently quite familiar with Messiaens works and sets intelligent and thought-provoking questions to the maestro. Messiaen talks about his compositional techniques in an understandable manner, yet deep enough to satisfy the need of professional musicians as well. Delightful information is also given about Messiaens pupils and peers: Boulez, Xenakis and Stockhausen. Also somewhat surprising are his (often quite cruel) personal opinions about some composers who normally are considered to be some of the most influential in history. Also for a non-ornithologer there is a fascinating passage about bird-song and its influence and application to Messiaens music. I deeply recommend this book to everyone even remotely interested in one of the most important musical figures of the 20th century.

One Monday Morning is the story of a little prince who each day of the week brings more friends to visit. However the little boy he's coming to visit isn't home. The story is much like the 12 days of christmas with the addition of interesting characters each day of the week.

This book is a great first time reader. It is better than Dick and Jane for several reasons. This book adds people and words as the story unfolds. It is an easy story to follow. It adds words that are pretty common to today's early readers. I am a literacy volunteer and I use this book for my older reading students.

I think the artwork in this book has been underrated, perhaps because only a few colors were used in printing. It's clever: the run-down New York City neighborhood is drawn in meticulous detail. I use it to show Inuit students what a city looks like! By contrast, the royal entourage is cartoon-style, not realistic. Not only does the royal family's entourage grow larger with each repetition of the pattern, but the characters themselves grow larger, until at the end of the book they have to hunch over to fit into the boy's tenement apartment. At the very end, the characters turn into playing cards (only in the art, not in the text) and the royal barber (who, we somehow suspect, is a self-portrait of the author) becomes a doll that has been sitting half-seen on the window sill all along. Lots to look at in this book.

A thorough and enjoyable battle study of Operation Epsom in Normandy. The map, photo and narrative match-up to give the reader the ability to follow the action blow by blow, while still maintaining an overview of the campaign as events, decisions and newly arrived formations influenced the battle. I highly recommend this book for those interested in the topic.

It's hard to get the balance right with some of these combined history and guide book type titles. Either there can be not enough maps and photos to explain the action, or there is not enough "history" amongst the maps and photos.

Here however, the author has done a great job getting the balance right. The text is easy to follow and draws from a wide-range of excellent primary source accounts and portions of many dozens of long out print regimental histories. The various actions of Epsom are explained down to Company and Troop level on an almost hour to hour basis, and both the British and German movements are clearly explained.

However it is in the use of aerial photos that the book comes into it's own. At no point in the book are you left not knowing where you are geographically speaking. You can follow the action hedgerow by hedgerow from the air, and both original and modern comparison photos show you where the actions took place. Whether you want to chart the battle from the comfort of your living room or by driving around the Norman countryside this book takes you through the battle step by step.

Surprising enough not many books are written on Operation Epsom, and this one is certainly one of the most informative. Excellent maps, interesting witness accounts, thorough background information, some small errors, but minor and not annoying, if you want to learn something about how it was, read this book. AND best of all, superb aerial pictures, which provide the reader with great insight about what went on, and the tactics used. I'm amazed to be the first reviewer of this excellent book. Mr. Daglish is one of the best authors on Normandy, and I hope to see many more books like this from this author. He knows the subject well, and makes you feel like being there. Well done!

Let me first say..I love this book! I have taken it out of the Library more times than I can count...I regret not getting it when I had the chance. I love fashion that predates the turn of the century and what this book contains is stunning. I would like to say more..but I would gush.. Get this book if you can.

The book is a wonderful resource for Lovers of Antique clothing,and the victorain clothing buff.

This is a beautifully produced book, with wonderful color photographs of incredible gowns and excellent narratives of the designers' life stories. Well worth the price.

The authors have tapped into a resource of wisdom, compassion and healing that overflows from the edges of the book and drenches you in redemptive stories of people who demonstrate how wonderful human beings can be to each other. Whether you are a nurse or not, this book will leave you with more hope, more energy and more ideas on how to be a better person.

I've shared it with nurses in classroom settings and "lost" the attention of whichever nurse was holding it at the time. I didn't mind, I could see that the book was doing more for her/him than I could. They all wrote down the name and title to order when they got back home.

This book hasn't reached it's tipping point yet...but it will. If you know and love a nurse and want to simultaneously acknowledge his/her unsung dedication and commitment as well as give them a boost of inspiration - this book is a beautfiful gift.

This book will touch your heart, as it did mine. A compilation of stories about nurses from around the world, these warm, personal narratives share the wonderful gift of love that nurses give their patients everyday. It highlights the marvelous way that caregivers impact the lives of their patients and their families. Heartwarming to read, this book also makes a wonderful gift you will want to share.

What a wonderful way to honor nurses! Each story has a message and charm of its own. This book shows how much nurses have given to their profession and society. The photography adds the finishing touch to this creative anthology.

I became interested in organic living when my husband was diagnosed with kidney cancer. Once I was told that this cancer was most probably the result of exposure to some toxin, organic living became the goal at our house. I have been collecting books on organic living ever since. This is one of the first books that I found. This book focuses on helping the readers to make smart and safe choices in every aspect of everyday life. The topics are food, health, beauty products, clothing and home design and decoration.

The book is subdivided as follows:
1. Introduction
2. The Natural Environment
3. We are What We Eat
4. From the Inside Out
5. The Organic Home
6. The Organic Garden

The book is written by a naturopath and osteopath based in England. He has a very informative website that will give you an understanding of his believes and attitudes toward health. (http://www.michaelvanstraten.com)

The section on nutrition is especially good. I like the fact that he gives different advice based on the age of the individual. If you have been studying nutrition, you will find that his nutrition advice coincides with conventional wisdom.

The organic gardening section is helpful, but you will probably need to supplement with more information depending on the scale of your gardening.

Overall, I found this book to be very enlightening and well written. If you are looking for a book that is a comprehensive introduction to why you should be considering moving toward organic living this is a good book to pick up.

This gem of a book is published by Rodale and is for lack of a better word a combination of Zen and Voluntary simplicity living. The photographs and the text via for your attention. And the book is in 5 sections that cover everything from The Natural Environment with an emphasis on farming and where food comes to, then We Are What We Eat which covers why eating organic helps...finding organic foods...organic food for health...and the future.

From The Inside Out covers healthily beauty, looking good organically, exercise. mind body spirit and natural remedies.
The Organic Home covers recycling, saving energy, eco style, and organic household products. Even I was surprised to learn some new ideas, even though we thought we were pretty organic as it was.

The Organic Garden was a favorite section because it covers how and where to plant, caring for the garden which was very informative because even though we are avid gardeners it was nice to learn some earth friendly ideas for pests. Choosing plants was good because people still think that the succulent with the purple flowers will look so nice next to the water hungry pole beans. And they don't mix well. And then there is the looking to the future section.

The book has a healthy resource and additional reading suggestion section as well. Oh and I love the herb section and believe everyone even if you live in a small space with only a window ledge, should grow a variety of herbs for cooking and teas. The book is shy 180 pages and is semi coffee table size.

This gem of a book is published by Rodale and is for lack of a better word a combination of Zen and Voluntary simplicity living. The photographs and the text via for your attention. And the book is in 5 sections that cover everything from The Natural Environment with an empahsis on farming and where food comes to, then We Are What We Eat which covers why eating organic helps...finding organic foods...oragnic food for health...and the futire.

From The Inside Out covers healthily beauty, looking good organically, exercise. mind body spirit and natural remedies.
The Organic Home covers recycling, saving energy, eco style, and organic household products. Even I was surprised to learn some new ideas, even though we thought we were pretty organic as it was.

The Organic Garden was a favorite section because it covers how and where to plant, caring for the garden which was very informatibe because even though we are avid gardneers it was nice to learn some earth friendly ideas for pests. Choosing plants was good because people still think that the succulent with the purple flowers will look so nice next to the water hungry pole beans. And they don't mix well. And then there is the looking to the future section.

The book has a healthy resource and additional reading suggestion section as well. Oh and I love the herb section and believe everyone even if you live in a small space with only a window ledge, should grow a variety of herbs for cooking and teas. The book is shy 180 pages and is semi coffee table size.