France Books

This novel was a great read. I found myself wondering about and worrying for the main character. I couldn't wait to find out what happened as I read through it. A great quick summer read.

Pick up this book for an intricately woven story that is one of those books where you say to yourself, "I'll just read five pages before bed," and you can't put it down.

The characters are fully fleshed out (how refreshing) and the UK setting makes the double story even more engaging--a *great* read!

I thoroughly enjoyed this short novel. I found myself intrigued by the mystery. And, just like the main character, I found myself trying to sort through the twists and turns, until I reached the final pages. The setting and characters were depicted very well. One immediately feels both at ease in the small English towns and then a bit uncomfortable as the main character tries to resolve "Where is She Now?.

Frances Gilbert has written a compelling and insightful story. Her extraordinary descriptions of the English setting invite you in; and, in fact, the setting plays an amazing role in the drama. You will love this short novel.

I am the author of Where is She Now - I am getting some wonderful feedback - readers are enjoying the English settings - yes, they are authentic - I am English and lived there for many years - readers are intrigued by the insecure bond between Rosemary and her husband Brian, and especially by Rosemary's shifting understanding of what is real and what isn't - to me the one reflects the other the more difficult and ambiguous a relationship becomes the more uncertain one becomes in all interactions and the less secure about one's own judgements - so Rosemary struggles to assert herself and find out what happened to her baby, and employs her stronger self, Anna, when she feels overwhelmed - my favorite scenes - the restaurant by the river, where Rosemary first challenges Brian - and the very end, the gaveyard scene - I enjoyed writing that, it gave me closure - Frances Gilbert

As TOMS wife and house chef--------This book is fantastic--I have made many of the recipes and they are so very flavorful and please the palettes of many of our freiends--I would always show off this book --------BUY itREALLY!!! get the spices and herbs and have a great time--Pauline from AZ

Absolutely breathtaking color photos of exotic locales and foods emblazon every page and corner of this vibrant cookbook. Contents are grouped by location from Middle East/Africa to Asia, India, and Americas. Incredibly delicious healthful vegetarian recipes with authentic origins are presented from all cuisines along with fascinating stories of the Caldicotts' travels and adventures finding the recipes. These recipes are served in the World Food Cafe, which the Caldicotts operate in London. For those of us not lucky enough to visit their restaurant, here are some tasty entrees to whip up at home: Caribbean Vegetables in Mustard Coconut and Rum Sauce (from Costa Rica), Saag Paneer (from India), Sweet Apple Salad (from the Seychelles), Cardamom Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Pepper Relish (from Tanzania) and many more. There are low spice suggestions and special adaptations for the home chef. Exotic and homely, World Food Cafe marries the ordinary and the divine, the fabulous and the mundane. What a beautiful response to the global village experience!

In short: This is one of the most inspiring cookbooks I've come across in ages. Nicely designed but not overdone, interesting and often funny personal travelogue tidbits, luscious photographs, easy instructions and best of all, the dishes are divine. There are a couple of hard-to-find ingredients such as paneer (Indian cheese) and I wish the authors had suggested replacements for such items, but overall, I've had very good luck with these recipes. Dinner guests love 'em, too. Add one or two to make add pizzazz to an ordinary meal, or mix'n'match a whole bunch of them for an eclectic smorgasbord of world cuisine.

I loved this book. Illustrated with beautiful photos, this is a mixture of a travel and a recipe book, covering Asia, Africa and South America. Whilst some of the recipes have an (authentic) array of ingredients, there are few difficult techniques involved. You do sometimes have to persevere with surprising instructions though, in the belief that it will all be good in the end! And so far, it always has been.

I was lucky enough to find thid cookbook in the Oslo Public Library. For me is this cookbook really the best one I have ever had. I have tried maybe 10 dishes and ALL of them were very tasty! My husband and I have some favourites, like Saag Paneer and Kashmiri Gobi but we are constantly trying new ones. It is true, though, that if I lived in the Czech Republic (where I originally come from) it would be very hard to get all the ingredients. But here in Oslo where 25% of the population are immigrants, it is not very hard! And the paneer is actually possible to make at home-that is what I do! Just find the receipe on the net! I really recommend this cookbook to those who want to enjoy vegetarian meals even though they are not vegetarians! Because eating this, you won't miss meat!!

To follow in the footsteps of Simone de Beauvoir and F. Scott Fitzgerald.... in Paris ... a how-to guide for those bent on a Gaullist literary retreat into the city that spawned many literary masterpieces. Don't forget the cigarettes, the lattes, and of course ... your French Berlitz language book.

A Writer's Paris proves inspirational, whether or not you're planning to go to Paris or if you've already visited the city where many artists go to create. Not only does Maisel describe life as a writer on a Paris sojourn, but also the activities for a writer to do for inspiration.

Substitute the places in Paris for the ones in your hometown or country you plan to visit to write. While the book has recommendations for places to stay, along with a planning checklist, information on where to go, and other resources, its content provides plenty of inspiration and ideas that work anywhere.

While the book's purpose is to encourage writers to take a Sabbatical in Paris, it also easily inspires and motivates readers to create more and writer better. Maisel happens to use Paris as the central location for the book's theme taking time-out for deep exploration for writing. Paris or no Paris -- writers can glean many things from this original book.

Topics include writing books in three weeks, taking the bad with the good, practicing the art of strolling, dealing with and appreciating the absurd, making the cafe a home, overcoming barriers, engaging your senses, and more. The writing is superb and flows lyrically with the illustrations adding the feeling of going on a journey while reading the book.

I must admit to purchasing this because Danny Gregory did some of the illustrations. That said, as I read I became intrigued with what I could learn about my own compulsion, and sometimes strong commitment, to painting. Although the star of this show seems to be Paris, the lessons about turning away from other preoccupations and just getting to it, no matter where you are, can be applied to any location. Instilling discipline in a routine, albeit one that is wrapped in time and self-permission, is a strong central message. I liked the practicality of many suggestions and the devil-may-care attitude of others.

In a rare combination of travelogue and writer's guide, Maisel speaks directly to every writer who values calm surroundings as well as a calm state of mind in order to write. Part tour guide, and part writing coach, Maisel takes the reader on the journey he promises in the subtitle.

After reading Eric's wonderful book Sleep Thinking & having my writing improve a millionfold because of it, I joined Eric's Yahoo!Group newsletter. He's talked about this book. It didn't do a "thing" for me because I really hate Paris. But his other books have helped sooo much, I keep reading his newsletter.

His latest one said:

>>When an editor buys a book from you that in her mind is in the inspirational" category, it can be decidedly hard for you to slip material into the book that is controversial and meaty.

Although A Writer's Paris is an "inspirational book," in the sense that it is meant to inspire you to go to Paris and write, I also wanted to talk about class and privilege, religious opposition to scientific thought, and other "non-inspirational" matters. I tucked in several such essays and wondered how many would make the final cut.

Some of these meaty essays made it into the book and some did not. ...

I am pleased that pieces like Privilege and the Place Vendome, Gay Mayors, and Darwin's Wife made it into the finished product.<<

To me, those "meaty essays" sound like they are talking about what Fiction is really all about.

I just wish all of them had been included.

Maybe Eric will write a "meaty essays" book someday.

Well, what a great tale. The Abbot Rutilius and his new Acolyte, William, are a really humourous new take on the Medieval Mystery genre. In Death and Taxes, they have two murders to solve, a surprising fraud going on in the Abbey kitchens to expose and... was Medieval life really as sexy as this?

There is humour throughout this book, both the subtle kind and the overt but this does not hide the more thought-provoking realities of life in 13th Century France. There is the mentioned-in-passing machinations of the French to get their own man onto the Papal throne, who can and can't benefit from game in the nearby forests, who has the real power over people's lives - Church or State. We see that the past - as they say - really is a different country and that things are done differently there.

I recommend this book to readers of the Brother Cadfael series and to those who found Candace Robb's Archer series a little severe. Read the book and enjoy it.

I discovered that the same authors also wrote Merlin's Kin and Last Free Men

Abbott Rutilius is assigned to travel to various monasteries to balance their accounts in 13th century France. Does that sound serious and boring? You might think so, but you would be wrong. This story includes, robbery, temptation, two murders, tempting women, afternoon romps, food theft, and much more.

The Abbott brings a young man to work with him in his travels and these two get into all sorts of situations. The Abbott seems to often be on the hunt for a decent meal and you can tell that he doesn't feel that he must deny himself of some comforts of life. There's an interesting group of characters in this story and they each play important roles. You will have to read to the end to see who is really innocent and who is really guilty. And, who is that beautiful young woman who seems to pray a lot?

I've seen episodes of the BBC show Cadfael and this reminded me of that series although there is more humor. The Abbott thoroughly enjoys a rich meal. He makes it clearly known when he isn't happy with the food that is prepared. He meets a mysterious woman from a nearby village and is very pleased when she invites him to dinner parties. Abbott Rutilius also has some personal problems that offer some very humorous episodes within the story.

An interesting setting, fascinating characters, suspense, intrigue, misappropriation of church funds and much more await for you in this tale of death and taxes.

Merlin's KinHaving read Merlin's Kin I was looking on Amazon for any further works from this author when I discovered this gem.
Two such disparate heroes I have never before read: one who relishes food as though every meal may be his last, and whose waterworks constantly cause him trouble and a callow youth innocent in the ways of the world who can teach his companion nothing. It shouldn't work but it does, brilliantly, think of Cadfael with humor, change the scenery to medieval France and you're getting somewhere. I see a brave future for this endearing couple here's to many more mysteries, Gyle Meredon

This is the story of a man and a young boy whose friendship blossoms as they travel the country roads of medieval France together. Each in his own way, benefiting the other. On the one hand we have the Abbot Rutilius and on the other his appointed Acolyte William. Rutilius is the Papal auditor of monasteries in 13th century France. He goes around the monasteries checking on their finances and standing in for any Abbot who happens to be away at the time of his visit, as is the case in this book.

William, soon to be fifteen years old is the son of a minor noble who had led an undistinguished life but whose relations had become embroiled with the lost cause of the Cathars. William is quick witted and has also taken something of a shine to Abbot Rutilius. They set off together to the Abbot's next posting, St. Guilhem. Along the way they are robbed of some of their possessions and the Abbot's donkey.

It is a slightly disheveled and flustered pair who arrive at St. Guilhem, only to be told of a death that has recently occurred of one of the monks. On the face of it the death seems to be from natural causes but is later proved to be murder. The Abbot soon realises that all is not as it should be at St. Guilhem. Money is missing from the accounts in both the kitchen and the scriptorium and food is also going missing on a regular basis. Add to that the fact that another body is found and it soon becomes apparent that Rutilius and William have got their hands full in trying to solve the murder's and the false accounting.

The book is an enjoyable piece of light reading with no gimmicks or sensationalism within its pages and it is all the better for it. Just a good, honest medieval mystery.

What better than to put the troubles of the world behind you and curl up on a few cushions on a warm shaded terrace overlooking the Med and immerse yourself in a book that just blows you away. A couple of glasses of Rioja help too!

Not my normal genre, this medieval 'fantasy' murder mystery by David Coles and Jack Everett did just that. The title intrigued me, chapter one reeled me in and before long those occasional glances over the top of the book viewing the latest yacht cruising out to sea became less frequent.
The pages were turning quickly and the plot flowed well as the characters developed, seemingly of their own accord, the sign of a good writer (Or Two). A effortless enjoyable read doing exactly what in says on the tin. Fantasy, escapism... being able to switch off and be transported to another world. It's what a good fantasy novel is all about. Make no mistake this is up there with the best. Another great find for Libros International.

A great source of information for the true Francophile who loves Paris and like a great love wants to know her better !!

This is an excellent guide for the independent traveller. Its best use is for details on neighborhoods. I often "study" it before taking off for the day and get a much better feel for the neighborhood I am visiting. I also "study" it after spending time out for the day and clarify or confirm what I have seen. Used it for years.

I own Access Guides to San Francisco and Wine Country and found them to be very reliable sources of information on eating and shopping, so when I was planning a 5-week stay in Paris I purchased this guidebook. Overall, I'm quite pleased.

Access Paris is an excellent guide targeted at a cultured reader that prefers to consider him or herself a visitor to Paris rather than a tourist. The organization emphasizes neighborhoods rather than monuments, and offers excellent information on cafés, restaurants, bars, shops, and other neighborhood attractions. Restaurant listings include a range of prices for each district, though there are fewer budget options than, say, in the Time Out, Let's Go, and Lonely Planet guides. I've gone to a number of the listed restaurants, mostly those in St. Germain and the Bastille with one $ in the listing, and found them to be of high quality, though I was unable to find one or two. And I appreciate the memorable descriptions this book gives--one restaurant is characterized as right out of a Jean Rhys novel, for example--and the frankness of its evaluation of certain restaurants as overrated and overpriced traps for the well-read visitor.

The book's organization, with neighborhood maps followed by entries on each number that appears on the map, is very easy to use while wandering. The neighborhood maps omit metro stops, however, making it difficult to coordinate one's immediate location with the map of the metro that appears at the back of the guide. Also, the local maps don't indicate arrondissements, which makes the guide difficult to use in tandem with a more detailed map book.

This book covers the islands, the Latin Quarter, St-Germain, Eiffel Tower/Invalides, The Louvre and the Champs-Elysées, St-Honoré, Les Halles, the Marais, the Bastille, and Montmartre. These are all well-established eating and shopping districts in the arrodissements that are at the center of the city. There's also a brief section at the end with select attractions in other neighborhoods, as well as sidebars that discuss specific themes or types of sites (Paris in film, representations of Americans in Paris, flea markets, etc.). If you're mainly going to be in the central arrondissements, you'll probably be very happy with this guide. But if you're staying in an outlying arrondissement, or looking for information on offbeat neighborhoods, this may not be the guide for you--as it also may not be if it's your first time in Paris and you want a guidebook that emphasizes a tour of the monuments. I myself have already done the monuments and was looking for what this book has to offer, so I'm very pleased.

The author of the ninth edition offers more Paris travel tips at www.parisland.com

I must say, I am a big fan of all the ACCESS guides, and the one on Paris was no exception. I'm always disappointed when I go somewhere and there is no ACCESS guide for that city! One of the best things about the guides, Paris included, is that it allows you to break your trip down by neighborhood. While in Paris, we spent one day (or more) in each of the neighborhoods highlighted in the color code system. We had a great time, and the ACCESS guide played a big part in it (as it did in San Francisco and Montreal!). Highly recommended!

I am am Elementary Art teacher and I use this book in my classroom. The children love the story. I personally like how the children can get into the world of "Action Jackson" without knowing the actions of Jackson.

This book is an unusual children's book and about a character whose artwork will appeal to children. Although his life is not an uplifting story, the book picks up on the important parts and gives a feeling for what "Action Jackson" was all about. His freedom to create what he wanted and put his feeling on canvas is an important message to children who need to know that there are many way to be creative. That is it is OK to put their feeling into their art without worrying about whether it is "right" or "good". It is a quiet book about an artist who was quiet but whose life was certainly active as was his art.

This book is so very well done -- lots of biographical facts woven into a beautifully illustrated story from the most peaceful and productive phase of Pollock's life. Just right for younger elementary school students -- and also good for older ones when you add the fuller biography in the back. A really wonderful book about an important artist and about making art.

Award winning authors, Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan introduce a whole new generation to the brillance of painter, Jackson Pollock as they focus on just two months in the artist's life, and the creation of one of his most famous paintings, No. 1, 1950 (Lavender Mist). Based on firsthand accounts from friends and family, and often using the painter's own words and quotes, this well researched and enlightening picture book biography lets the reader get into Pollock's head, hear his thoughts, feel his energy and joy as he works, and actually peek over his shoulder as he paints. "An athlete with a paintbrush, he uses his whole body to make the painting. Layers build with each gesture, new colors emerging, blending, and disappearing into the wet surface. He swoops and leaps like a dancer, paint trailing from a brush that doesn't touch the canvas..." Their eloquent and lyrical prose is engaging and complemented by Robert Andrew Parker's bold, bright, and busy watercolors. Together word and art paint a dazzling and evocative portrait of the artist, his work, and his times. "Some people will be shocked when they see what he has created. Some Angry. Some confused. Some excited. Some filled with a happiness they can hardly explain. But everyone will agree- Jackson Pollock is doing something original, painting in a way that no one has ever seen before..." Perfect for youngsters 7-11, Action Jackson includes a short biographical sketch at the end to augment the story and fascinating notes and sources about his life and paintings. This is non-fiction at its very best. Kudos to Greenberg, Jordan, and Parker

When modern art is brought to the table, the question for the untrained is quite often: Is this art? What makes art? Can I do this? For such questions, answers always vary. It is art if you think it is art even if it may not be good art. The final consensus is that it is art if it challenges and sustains. Such art is universally held to be art.

Early on, modern art broke tradition, broke stereotypes, and set the art world on its heels. Until this time artists tried to capture a realistic experience--people, objects, landscapes--and put them on canvas. The moderns were the first to ignore the boundaries of the canvas. In fact, iconoclasts that they were, they acknowledged the confines of the canvas and its two-dimensional world and started experimenting with new techniques. The Impressionistic painters were the first, then the Post-Impressionistic painters went jumps ahead. Instead of painting broad realistic pictures, they began defying shapes, colors, time.

Jackson Pollock represents one segment of this new modern art, that which is called "action painting," or "spatter painting." This book, "Action Jackson," details Jackson's technique of creating art and making the viewer feel and appreciate his vision and told simply enough for a child to understand.

How did Jackson work? He lay out a huge canvas on the floor of his studio, studied it, then spattered house paint across it--directly from the can, from a stick, a brush. He worked over a series of days to get everything just right.

His vision was to lay out colors and patterns and the intermixing of colors and patterns to create a canvas that spoke of something more cosmic than a bowl of apples. For Jackson the process of painting said as much as the final product. This book beautifully conveys the idea of his vision and his process and his final product. I never dreamed a writer and an illustrator could capture the essence of Pollock's work in one thin children's book, but this most definitely does.

Perhaps the success of this book in capturing Jackson's style and work earned it an Honor Award in the Robert F. Siebert contest, and a New York Times Best Book of the Year, and a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year. "Action Jackson" was published in 2002. Jackson Pollock died in a car crash in 1956.

This is a delicious and absolutely reliable guide to the delightful B&B establishments of France. I wouldn't think of traveling without it. The selected accommodations always have some unique feature or special charm.

This volume describes 721 French B&B's in 370 pages, each B&B keyed to one of 18 useful regional maps. An additional 40 pages provide maps, indices, some French vocabulary and advertising for Sawday's other products. The descriptions are very useful and the book's organization conducive to effective planning of an independent trip.

I am using this volume to plan a trip from Nice to La Herradura in southern Spain during during the next few months. This permits me to compare this book to the companion volume, Special Places to Stay:Spain.

After reading the Spain volume I expected French B&B's to be as detailed as that of Spain. Certainly it provides information about B&B's in every corner of France. Yes, it too is a marvelous aid for planning the independent trip. Yes it is much stronger than any Rough Guide to France or Spain that I have read. It provides prices, the number and type of rooms, web site references, e-mail addresses, telephone and fax numbers. It very briefly describes what each B&B offers and when it is open or closed. What is lacking for my taste buds, compared to the "Spain volume", is the detailed descriptions provided by a pithy writing style descrbing the locale, the owners and of the cooking style that almost makes the roast kid aroma of a described culinary delight jump out of the pages. My wife misses photographs of the interiors of each B&B.

To provide considerable detail for two establishments per page is an ambitious task and the editors carry it off. Not withstanding my "comparative disillusionment", the word descriptions do compensate for the missing photographs, directions to local eating places anticipate culinary delights and "How to get there information" makes it easy to locate a Special Place on a detailed Michelin map.

Based on my personal experiences, the Spanish volume appears to be very reliable, I see no reason why the French B&B should not be equally so.

An American friend resident in France and my wife and I used this guide last May on a trip through much of France. We set out with a fistful of books: three lodging guides in English and three general guides in French including the familiar Michelin. After a few days we used only Sawday. We found it rock-solid: reliable, authoritative, sensible, up to date, well illustrated, easy to use - all we could hope for. We would phone during the day for a place to stay that night and scored most times with our first choice. [A caution: While some proprietors spoke English, we relied on our friend's French for the cell phone.]

All was as advertised: our hosts welcoming, the accommodations clean and comfortable. A few miles from Omaha Beach we stayed in a new extension to a 18th C. manor house on a 100 acre dairy farm. The next morning, after a delightful breakfast, the proprietress gave us a tour of her milking barn. The average cost for was $50 for two, breakfast included.

Some hosts provided dinner for $15 to $30 including wine. On another farm, dinner included home grown vegetables and home brewed aperitif and digestif, all for $14. In Arlanc although we phoned late, the proprietor graciously made a special trip to purchase extra food for a gourmet meal.

It was a memorable, and thrifty, way to meet real people. What's more, Sawday maintains a searchable database for pre-planning and a most helpful staff. Overall, a superb resource.

I used this guide to plan my husband's and my last trip to France. Although we've been to France many times, the excellent bed and breakfasts in this book made this the best trip ever. The descriptions were accurate and the facilities all lived up to our expectations and more. This book must be popular in the U.K. because most of our fellow travelers were British and had found the B&B's through the book. The book indicates which B&B's serve evening meals along with the cost of the meals; we enjoyed the lively family style dinners immensely. The places we stayed were outside of the towns and cities but the book gave adequate directions to find them.

Many of the B&B's owners did not speak any English which can make telephone reservations difficult for anyone who does not speak French, however fax numbers are included where available. Although the book did not stress any need for reservations, we traveled off-season in the fall and many places were full and turning away drop-ins. I highly recommend the book for planning a casual trip in the French countryside.

My wife and I used this book as the basis for a planning a vacation driving through Normandy. We stayed in four different B&B's recommended in the book. We found the reality met or exceeded the descriptions and we were able to enjoy excellent stays. We recomend this book to any traveller to France wishing to use small hotels and B&B's.

Imagine visiting a world of bright and vibrant colors, where the sky isn't only blue, but hues of green and purple too. A world of flittering dragonflies, fluttering butterflies, and buzzing bees over landscapes of green rolling hills and fields of fragrant flowers. All of this and more is brought to life in All Things Bright and Beautiful by Cecil Frances Alexander, through the awe-inspiring illustrations of Anna Vojtech.

Any parent wanting to share God's daily gifts with their child can do so through the verse and illustrations of the book. From infant to toddler and even preschool through grade school, children will remain captivated with the wonderment this book inspires.

All Things Bright and Beautiful is a wonderful addition to any collection of books because of the little time it takes to read, but mostly because the effect on your child's senses will last a lifetime.

My daughter is only 5 months, we read to her on a daily basis. This book is one of her favorites. She loves the beautifully illustrated pages and the message speaks God's truth and love to her heart and mind each time we read it. Simply and beautifully written. This book talks about how God created each and every thing and that he gaves us eyes and lips to tell about how great and mighty he is. Highly reccomend this one.

Sample text: All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small. All things wis and wonderful, The Lord God made them all. Each little flower that opens, each little bird that sings. He made their glowing colors, He made their tiny wings.....

Anna Vojtech's illustrations enhance Cecil Frances Alexander's hymn. The hymn is about the beauty of the world created by God. Ms. Vojtech illustrates this beauty. There are bright, colorful watercolors of the varied animals and plants on earth. She uses bright, warm colors to capture a child's attention. A child will enjoy repeatedly the pictures as they listen to the words. Anna Vojtech's talent is another "bright and beautiful" gift from the Creator.

I love this book; it's a great bedtime story as it is so soothing. The warm, benevolent and sentimental words of the famous hymn and poem match with brightly colored, very engaging illustrations. It is guaranteed to be one of those warm and fuzzy moments when you read it to a child you adore and hope the world is indeed beautiful for.

And, by the way, you don't need to be Christian to appreciate this book, just appreciative of a greater purpose.

All Things Bright And Beautiful is a simple picturebook that vibrantly illustrates a widely beloved hymn to God, first written in 1848 by Cecil Frances Alexander. The heartwarming paintings by Anna Vojtech of two children at play in all four seasons brings a colorful interpretation to the verses that celebrate the goodness of God and all the wonderful things he has made. A highly recommended book for Christian parents to read aloud and share with their children, All Things Bright And Beautiful would grace any family, school, or community library collection.

John C. McManus's "The Americans at Normandy" is the best work of history I've come across on the American role in the decisive battles comprising the Normandy campaign from the beaches of Normandy to the closing of the "Falaise Gap", which nearly suceeding in wiping out Nazi Germany's French army of occupation. McManus is a gifted storyteller, recounting numerous fascinating vignettes which showed how inexperienced American troops managed to hold their own against, and then finally defeat, a superbly trained force of Wehrmacht and SS soldiers. Although there have been many books devoted to the Normandy campaign, few have been as successful as McManus's book in rendering the events from the perspectives of those who fought in this campaign.

Though there isn't much in the way of significantly new historical research, I was certainly intrigued by McManus's poor assessment of General Omar Bradley as the overall commander of American forces. More than once, he indicates that Bradley wasn't as willing as his colleague General George S. Patton in waging an extremely aggressive campaign against the Nazis. Indeed the best instance of this is Bradley's own reluctance in closing the "Falaise Gap" by linking American troops with British and Canadian armies. If the gap had been closed successfully, McManus suggests that the war in Europe could have drawn to a close much sooner.

"The Americans At Normandy" is divided into three parts corresponding to each month of the campaign. "June" begins on June 7th, describing American attempts to expand the Omaha and Utah beachheads, followed by an ill fated attempt to seize the strategic town of St-Lo and the brutal assault on Normandy's largest port, Cherbourg. July describes much of the hedgerow fighting in Normandy's bocage country, the successful seizure of St-Lo, and the beginning of the breakout from Normandy at the end of July. August includes chapters devoted to the breakout and the ill-fated Nazi counteroffensive near the town of Mortain, followed by the nearly complete encirclement of Nazi troops in the "Falaise Gap". Most of the chapters are devoted to recounting what these battles were like from the perspectives of the front-line privates, noncommissioned officers, lieutenants and captains faced in dealing with a tenacious, determined foe.

McManus' detailing of the events of Normandy (post-D-Day landing) is just that - an awesome detailing of the struggles faced (and overcome) by the American Army in Normandy during the summer of 1944. I was struck by the absolutely appalling machine gun, mortar and HE fire that the American forces were required to endure in each and every hedgerow-bordered field they crossed. The lack of pre-planning by Allied commanders on how to effectively deal with an enemy entrenched in such ideal defensive positions is appalling. The number of lives lost due to such short-sightedness is sobering.

McManus' book does a great job of giving the background, setting the scenes and giving the reader the perspective of the men in the field. He liberally uses maps - but these are reproduced in the hardcover edition in a scale that is far too small to be as effective as they could be.

McManus' treatment of American leadership is honest and unvarnished. He - as could be predicted - discusses many of the Patton's foibles - but so have many other historians and biographers. I was struck by his less-than-admiring treatment of General Omar Bradley and Bradley's decisionmaking. McManus really takes Bradley to task for certain of his decisions regarding Operation Cobra and the northward pincer movement south of Falaise.

I enjoyed this book thoroughly. It makes me appreciate all the more the bravery shown by many American combat vets who were forced to learn - through trial and error at horrible cost - how to use combined arms to dislodge the entrenched Germans from Normandy's hedgerow country. Anyone interested in this theater of WWII should read this book.

The best book I have ever read ! Amazing detail and it shows the true horror of war.I am probaly the only 9 year old that would read The Americans At Normandy I don't know why because it is very interesting.

The best book I have ever read ! Amazing detail and it shows the true horror of war.I am probaly the only 9 year old that would read The Americans At Normandy I don't know why because it is very interesting.

With so many books written (many over the past few years) about D-Day, hedgerow fighting, and exploitation to drive the German war-machine back to the Fatherland, what makes John McManus' "The Americans At Normandy" special? In short, why should someone interested in World War II history pick up this book over any one of the plethora of other on the subject? Quite simply, "The Americans At Normandy" is a unique contribution to the genre as it brings material together from several distinct sources to tell a broad-portrait story of America's citizen soldiers and their fight to free Europe from the grips of fascism. Having said this, most of what McManus covers is not particularly new, nor does he shed new insight on old topics. Rather, McManus does what so few historians attempt, and so few other achieve - to tell an encompassing and gripping story that maintains historical depth while not causing mass sleep induction. Broad-portrait stories are most usually either shallow in depth, or deep but arduous reading. "The Americans At Normandy" falls into neither of these common traps!

McManus' first contribution to his Normandy duet, "The Americans At D-Day", was a solid book but lacked significant punch to set it apart from other works covering D-Day. Being American Army-centric one could also argue that "The Americans At D-Day" lacked depth necessary to convey the weight of the allied invasion of Europe in June 1944. However, with "The Americans At Normandy", McManus redeems himself wholly. Yes, McManus' second contribution is also American-centric but for this book he can be forgiven as the battles within, and breakout from, the bocage country involved the Germans and Americans almost exclusively - remember the Brits and Canadians were bogged down around and in Caen while the American Army slugged its way through the Cotentin, Upper Brittany and Bocage. In "The Americans At Normandy", McManus treats the reader to a detailed story of how the citizen army of the United States fought a tenacious opponent (seemingly always better on defense than offense) and drove a wedge through the tough crust to breakout into the plains of France and onto the Seine and Paris. This is a wonderful story, not told in such completeness of theatre and still from an American-centric position elsewhere.

In his acknowledgements McManus thanks his executive editor at Forge (press) for suggesting that McManus' work be broken into two volumes. As McManus himself states, "...this was fortunate...[and] reflects sage wisdom and knowledge of the publishing world and history in general". Indeed. McManus was fortunate to have an editor that suggested this approach. McManus did the work of researching and writing but the editors and publishers package the product. This was a joint venture for a home run!

This reviewer's critique of McManus' "The Americans At D-Day" (here at Amazon) was quite harsh in terms of credit given (or my perceived lack thereof) to researchers who walked the path before McManus. As a particular example this reviewer brought up the phenomenal work of Mark Bando in "Vanguard of the Crusade" which McManus used quite liberally in "The Americans At D-Day". Once again Bando's work comes into focus with "The Americans At Normandy". In this case McManus draws not only from "Vanguard" but also Bando's unique contribution to the Normandy literature - "Breakout At Normandy". But wait - unlike the apparent neglect to properly credit Bando's work in "The Americans At D-Day", McManus heaps praise on Bando's work in his notes to "The Americans At Normandy" (p. 464). Moreover, while McManus gave near-reverent thanks to "academic" historians in his acknowledgements to "The Americans At D-Day", while forgetting equally important historians not part of the ivory establishment (e.g., Bando), he includes these latter figures in his current acknowledgements - sandwiched amongst his academic peers. It thus appears that John McManus deserves this reviewers apology for previous suggestions that McManus played favorites with "academic historians" - I sincerely apologize!

In the end, John McManus' "The Americans At Normandy" is a tour-de-force book that provides a big picture of the American combat experience in Normandy, from D+1 (7 June 1944) until late August when the armored spearheads where rush across the French plains to Paris, that has not been presented previously. This is a serious piece of historical literature and will stand the test of time. Five solid stars!

Review published in Library Journal, April 15, 1999. "This new series, focusing on France is a 'unique travel guide and handbook on contemporary art and architecture.' Stich, an art historian and curator, has brought together under one cover a complete, user-friendly guide to the French art world. She provides detailed descriptions of galleries, museums, film and video centers, public artworks, art bookstores, sculpture parks, and even a parking garage, sites that are not mentioned in other guidebooks. The main focus of the book is Paris, but there are chapters on day trips and excursions to other French provinces. Each chapter is organized by neighorhood and region and contains a map with numbers and site icons that are easy to distinguish. Stich's knowledge of and joy in the art world is evident throughout the book; a great addition to any travel collection."

Review published by NY art critic Walter Robinson in ArtNet "News", April 9, 1999: "Art lovers en route to France this summer will want to pick up a copy of Art-SITES FRANCE by curator and avid art traveler Sidra Stich. The $19.95 paperback blurbs all the important museums, art centers, galleries and public art works, famous and little known."

art-SITES, founded by art historian and museum curator Sidra Stich, is launching art-SITES FRANCE thic month and expects to release art-SITES GREAT BRITAIN & IRELAND early next year. A travel guide and handbook on contemporary art and architecture, art-SITES FRANCE provides maps and commentary on vanguard buildings, art fairs, film centers, even a patisserie with superbly designed cakes. "It's museums, but not just museums, and we provide text that's a very readable course on art at the same time," said Stich.

"Forget the Louvre's Renaissance masterpieces. This guide focuses its attention on the great museum's I.M. Pei-designed glass pyramid renovation. And in its pages Roy Lichtenstein trumps Toulouse-Lautrec. A San Francisco-based art historian, Stich casts a wide research net over this art-appreciative nation and offers a well-organized, well-written take on where to encounter the best painting, sculpture, architecture and film of the last few decades."

Sun. July 11, SF Examiner-Chronicle, Linda Watanabe McFerrin,(travel editor)wrote: "This is the inaugural book in an ambitious new series covering the world's contemporary art and architecture. Innovative, intriguing and refreshingly intellectual, it provides well-researched, well-informed guidance to the museums, art and film centers, galleries, bookstores, public art and notable buildings in France. Details about recent exhibitions and artists further familiarize readers with the often mystifying world of the avant-garde. Serious students of contemporary art will find it a satisfyingly comprehensive guidebook."