France Books

Monet And The Impressionists For Kids is a book filled with 21 fun and educational activities to teach young people more about the classical painter Claude Monet and others in the grand and beautiful tradition of Impressionist art. Gorgeously illustrated in full color, Monet And The Impressionists For Kids features such activities as using colored construction paper to paint reflections, or painting the shimmering sky with watercolors. A wonderful biography and history, as well as a highly educational rainy-day fun book, Monet And The Impressionists For Kids is as entertaining as it is educational and highly recommended for home schooling and classroom curriculum supplementation.

The invention of photograph had a profound impact on painting. At the start of the 19th-century the goal of painting was realism, but with a camera that became a moot point. Eventually the art world decided the only rational thing to do was to go in the opposite direction and to find an alternative to reality. The Impressionists represent the first successful movement by paintings to capture the public imagination with "non-realistic" art. "Monet and the Impressionists for Kids" not only introduces young readers to Impressionism but also follows up with 21 activities that will allow them to try their hand at painting. These activities are what makes Carol Sabbeth's book stand out from others on the Impressionists in general and Claude Monet in particular, because it is pretty much impossible to be exposed to these paintings and not want to try to do it yourself.

The book is divided into two halves. Part I: The Impressionists introduces readers to "A New Way of Looking at the World" and then devotes sections to the life and art of Claude Monet, Pierre Auguste Renoir, Edgar Degas, and Mary Cassatt. Monet is clearly the star of the book (he certainly defines Impressionism for me), and there are five activities devoted to his section. Part II: The Post-Impressionists looks at the painters Paul Cezanne, Paul Gauguin, and Georges Surat, with a final section devoted to "Lasting Impressions."

Sabbeth provides a concise biography for each of the artists, with reproductions of their most famous and important works, along with an Art Detective section that tells you how to spot their work in terms of distinguishing characteristics. Most of the activities are specifically tied to the paintings. Off of Monet's "Regattas at Argenteuil" we learn about Painting Reflections; from the cloisonnism of Gauguin we experiment by making a Cup of Gauguin. These activities explore the uniqueness of these painters, from Cezanneýs brilliant rectangles of color to the sculpture-like circles of dancers by Degas. Some of these activities are truly creative, such as constructing your own little Monet haystack to appreciate the colors and light at different times of day. I especially liked the one for Seurat Sugar Cookies, where you make your cookies sugar-sprinkled masterpieces using the artist's pointillist technique.

I totally agree with the premise of this book, that there is no art form more appealing to children than Impressionism. If you are not a "real" Art Teacher (a distinct possibility in the wonderful new world of educational budget cuts) you will find "Monet and the Impressionists for Kids" both informative and instructional. Not only can you introduce children to the ballet dancers of Degas and the island scenes of Gauguin, but you can also find several activities for your students to do in class or at home. This is a very enjoyable and practical look at the great Impressionist painters. This book is for ages 9 and up, which is great because I qualify as being up.

This is a wonderful book with great ideas to do with kids so that they can get an understanding of the arts through hands on experiences.

Pendant ses 40 derniers decades, Claude Monet etait pionnier de l'art moderne. Il choisissait peindre des sujets villageois groupes en serie, de differents points de vue ou de formats distincts. La serie La Matinee sur la Seine s'agissait du temps et de la lumiere changeants, jusqu'a ne pas distinguer la realite et le reflet. La serie Les Peupliers presageaient les couleurs coordonnees et la ligne decorative 2-D de l'art nouveau. Les Meules et Les Nenuphars presageaient l'art abstrait et ouvertement fait. Car le ciel et l'eau y alternaient, dans les formats gigantesques et sans cadres.

During his last 40 years, Claude MONET AT GIVERNY pioneered modern art with his three painting series. Like the serial painting methods of Japanese woodcut artists Hiroshige's "Hundred views of Edo" and Hokusai's "Hundred views of Mt Fuji," the Giverny village area series painted the same or closely related subjects from different viewpoints and in different formats. The "Early morning on the Seine" series colored varying weather and followed changing light under influences from Eugene Boudin; Barbizon school artists Camille Corot and Charles-Francois Daubigny; and Johan Barthold Jongkind. As in the later waterlily paintings, water, light and reflection mixed natural and reflected realities so well as not to be able to tell the difference. The "Poplars" series brought to mind influences from Japanese woodcuts and Van Gogh while setting the stage for art nouveau's coordinated color series and decoratively two-dimensional line. Very 20th-century were the abstractly treated "Grain stacks" series and the open-ended, open-formed waterlily paintings alternating sky and water across huge formats without frames. Karin Sagner-Duchting gives beautiful examples for what she says in her clear text, so the book is a must for going on to Joachim Pissarro's MONET AND THE MEDITERRANEAN, William C. Seitz's CLAUDE MONET, and Paul Hayes Tucker's MONET AT ARGENTEUIL, MONET IN THE '90S and MONET IN THE 20TH CENTURY.

When famed French Impressionist Claude Monet brought his family to Giverny, a small village northwest of Paris, he began the most productive period of his life.

Today millions visit the fabled gardens the artist helped design, where they are entranced by the ponds, landscapes, and bridges.

Although Monet's retreat has been described as simple and countrified, it was not at all humble. He enjoyed the services of six gardeners, a chauffeur, a cook, a washer woman, and a housemaid.

His love of entertaining and good food focused his attention on his yellow dining room decorated with Japanese woodcuts. For this area Monet designed color coordinated china - a sunny yellow with a soft blue trim.

This intimate look at the influence of Giverny on Monet and his work reveals another dimension of the artist's oeuvre.

Elizabrth Murrray's books and art work are beautiful and inspiring. I am contributing these volumes to the public school of my grandchildren to accompany thier new school garden. She has a new book of art by children in Equador called Nantu Aujujae but I couldn't find it with your search, I wanted to include it with the other Elizabeth Murray books for the school. I hope you post it soon.

An easy read and visual feast, Monet's Passion exposes methods behind the color, texture, layout and scents of his magical gardens. It magnifies one's experience visiting the gardens or his works in galleries, and is a valuable companion to the painter's many works.

Beautiful photographs of the gardens at all seasons. Plant lists. The author tells about the history of Giverny and her experiences as a gardener there. It would have been helpful to know which US zones the plants would be hardy in.

This volume is replete with good reproductions of Monet's work. The largest are the vertical paintings due to the vertical format of the book. My one criticism is that the book should have been published in a horizontal format thus allowing for larger reproduction of his horizontal work (which is by far the majority). However, given the plethora of poorly reproduced books on Monet this book will be a welcome addition to any art lovers library. I also enjoyed the many extreme close-ups of paintings which help make the book similar to the gallery experience.

This book tells in detail about life and art of Claude Monet, it uncovers also his very interesting personality. The story of Monet's life becames really truthful when you read quotations from his letters to his friends. Illustrations are selected perfectly, you can find canvases from 1861 to 1919. The colors of pictures in this book are very close to the colors of original paintings (as I could see in The Art Institute of Chicago). "Monet : Impressions of Light" - is for soul and for mind of readers.

This book is a really good book in familiarizing the reader with Claude Monet. It shows more than 120 of his most famous paintings in color and descibes them. Several are shown in detail, also. This is not an in depth book about his life however, but it does give you a sense and an appreciation of who he was. Paintings from the earliest stage of his career to his last famous waterlilies are shown. The majority are given a page, or sometimes 2 pages. The only disappointment is that only 3 waterlilies are shown. (6 if one includes the pictures with the Japanese bridge.) But that shouldn't deter you from this book, since there are many books about Monet's waterlilies in print. (I recommand MONET IN THE 20TH CENTURY or MONET'S YEARS AT GIVERNY. Either will make a fine complement to this book.) The author writes both about Monet's life, and how it affected his paintings, and the paintings themselves. It is not "deep" but that is because this the type of book that doesn't permit that kind of introspection by the author. However, you will be able to have some sense of Monet's contradictions and complexities by the end of the book. It is a really lovely book that shouldn't be missed out on.

The moon is tempted to earth to see what the bogels are up to. She gets captured trying to save a boy from their clutches, and the moon disappears. The boy must figure out how to save her. The artwork is wonderfully creepy, and the clutching, grasping, creaking, slurping descriptions bring to life the will o' the wisps and the bog-filled countryside. Not overly firghtening but thrilling enough (especially the bogels) to introduce an old, spooky, English folktale to youngsters.

The book was so well illustrated and colorful. Story was real scary. What a unique book.
Sally Molock

My husband, daughters (4 & 5) and I all loved the book. Beautiful art work. A little more sophisticated story line.

LeMoines' imagery is a subtle music and a bitter tea. Simply haunting, and I loved the cover art.

I had read a few of Ms. LeMoine's poems in various journals and was impressed. Having read her latest collection, I am awestruck by the power of this writer to evoke rivers of emotion with dry ink on the page. I highly recommend this collection and am trying to find out more about her and her work.

thumbs uppppppppppppppppppppppp
i love the reality, the metaphor. frances is a brilliant writer.

My sister and I recently toured Burgundy and even though we were born and bred in France, we saw the region anew. The photos in this book are lovely and for once, do a place justice. If you plan to travel to Burgundy, and may I suggest that you do, you certainly can't go wrong with this book as a traveling companion and tour guide.

I have to agree with the two previous reviewers, Burgundy is a very special part of France, and a very special part of the world. It is worth seeing just for the vineyards alone, but there is so much more to Burgundy than just wine. If you're lucky enough to go there, take this book along. It will be an invaluable guide to the restaurants and hotels in the area as well as to the festivals, concerts, etc. And if you must stay at home, then this book is the next best thing to actually being there. The photos are gorgeous and the text informative. Five stars is not enough!

France is a magical place and Burgundy is one of its most magical regions. The premier wine-growing region of France, Burgundy is also the center of fine cuisine, Romanesque architecture and lazy canals bordered by meadows of wildflowers. This book, with its more than 260 color illustrations, shows Burgundy at its finest. A region dominated by water, the book begins in the north and travels through all of Burgundy's four departments. From the Yonne, a land of peaceful river valleys and almost 1000 canals, we travel southward with the author to visit little Romanesque churches and learn how the Benedictine and Cistercian monks spread the Romanesque style. We finally arrive in the southernmost department of Soane-et-Loire and the city of Macon, the border to the Midi and the South, where we sample some of the finest wines in the world, such as Montrachet and Pommard. Burgundy is one of the most beautiful places on earth--unspoiled, unhurried and faithful to its past. Whether you plan to actually visit the area or are just dreaming of a visit, this is the perfect book to accompny you and your dreams and perhaps even make make them come true.

This book is one of the best I've ever read about Napoleon's death. I came by this book during my recent visit of the United States. I was discussing history and unsolved mysteries with a relative of mine when he introduced me to the book. He told me that for the first time a researcher had decided to challenge all the known theories about Napoleon's death. And what a challenge!! According to the author the great Emperor had been poisoned by arsenic during his exile in Saint Hélène. At first I was quite sceptical. Could that be the solution of this mystery? However, the more I read the more I was convinced by the author's argument and by the researcher thourough 'enquête'. Although we might not agree with the identity of the murderer we can't not sweep aside such scientific facts. The book is a real page-turner and I rest assure that all the fans of the subject (and even those merely interested by the scientific aspect of the theory) will find this book extremely interesting and disturbing (in a positive way, of course).

The infamous Napoleon Bonaparte died while imprisoned on the island of St. Helena. Until very recently, it was widely believed that he died of stomach cancer, which was prevalent in his family.

This book investigates the case made by Swedish dentist Dr. Sten Forshufvud. After learning the details of Napoleon's final days, Dr. Forshufvud began to suspect arsenic poisoning. Along with Ben Weider, the two delved into sources of available information regarding Napoleon, his imprisonment and those close to him. The authors present a very likely scenario of what really happened based on results of this investigation, along with an analysis of Napoleon's hair confirming arsenic poisoning.

Despite the hair analysis, the case is not completely solved, as Napoleon's final moments on his death bed did not indicate arsenic poisoning. Instead, the authors argue that arsenic was used to make Napoleon ill and then another method was used to finish him off. A likely suspect to the murder as well as a motive are also named.

This is a fascinating book for anyone interested in European history during a turbulent time.

Napoleon felt entitled to rule Europe and cheated to secure the necessary esteem by threats or show of power; but most Europeans did not acknowledge his title; `the Emperor'.
To protect its interests Britain planned, manoeuvred and worked in the dark to achieve one main goal: " preserve the British Empire". Britain's lust for power has placed, as the first priority on its policy, the `extermination' of Napoleon.
The distaste was reciprocated. Napoleon detested England's alliance with Russia and Austria.
In the end Napoleon was beaten at Waterloo.
Napoleon's captivity in Saint Helena, the island of volcanic origin in the South Atlantic Ocean, squeezed his health like a dry lemon. The island was infested and muggy; knout climate was already like a pogrom to massacre the ex-Emperor.

The fifty-two years old Emperor of the French knew he would die there. He had already encountered tuberculosis - facing the harsh winter weather conditions - during his campaign on Russia and the ruinous retreat in 1812.

He never recovered and remained frail for the next nine years. What started in the lungs, at the final stages affected the bones and joints accentuated by damp weather and feelings of despair.

This book was given to my husband and I, along with many other books, when we announced our pregnancy. The practical suggestions and real-world advice that this book provides far outshines many of the highly publicized books that are currently so popular. When preparing to stock our nursery with the essentials needed upon arrival of our baby I literally took the book into the store and purchased my much needed items off the list entitled "Predelivery Essentials." It was helpful beyond words and I highly recommend new parents to obtain and actually use this book. It has made preparing for our new bundle of joy a much more focused and empowering experience than had we gone it alone. I look forward to using it as my baby grows and for having it as a keepsake for this precious time in our lives.

My husband and I were thrilled when we received this baby book as a gift. Not only is it a great place to record your baby's milestones, but a invaluable resource as well. It will help you get organized, and provides you with essential checklists that no parent should be without. For example, there's a Feeding Record, Medical Record, Child Care Record and many other helpful tools. It is also beautifully designed!

This book is just phenomenal! When you are close to becoming a parent, everybody makes you believe that it's so complicated, that you have to read everything or you won't be ready, and there is so much information out there, plus you get bombarded by magazines and subscriptions that you never signed up for ... anyway, it's easy to get scared, you can't find the right answer, you feel you are not going to be prepared. Well, the only book which we felt really helped us with practical tools and checklists was France Posener's. All you need is in there, she streamlines to the essentials, she even includes reassuring little anecdotes that will make you feel better. Thanks a lot France!

At last count I have 350+ chess books, and probably 35 of them are games collections by GMs. My favorites are, in no order, "Secrets of Grandmaster Chess" by Nunn, Korchnoi's recent two-volume work, Kasparov's "The Test of Time," Tarrasch's "Three Hundred Chess Games", Timman's Best Games, Alekhine's Best Games, and Taimanov's Best Games. But over time, one book has emerged for me as head and shoulders above all of them, and this is Tartakower's "My Best Games of Chess, 1905-1954." It is a shockingly brilliant work, on every level that matters to me. It contains 210 games, annotated with brilliant wit, humor, and chess insight. Tartakower was so placed historically to have crossed swords with the old masters, the hypermoderns, and some of the modern Soviet era post-war players. He saw it all, and created some of it. His opening repertoire was varied and interesting. There are Catalans, Frenches, of course his namesake variation in the Queen's Gambit, Retis, Blumendfeld Counter-Gambits, Nimzo-Indians, orangutangs! (which he invented after 'consulting' with an orangutang during a pre-tournament visit to a zoo with other players), and many more. He talks often about static versus dynamic action, of critical moments, coordination of forces, outposts, etc., in a wonderfully instructive and enlightening manner. But it is his writing style that really stands out. One reads Alekhine's annotations and pictures this severe man, chain-smoking cigarettes, pounding the table to make his point. One sees Nimzowitsch as the slightly deranged mad scientist, fascinating but obscure. Tartakower comes across as the brilliant and kind professor, who holds you spellbound as you soak up everything he says. Many games collections ebb and flow. Sometimes I get bored with them or decide to only play through certain openings. This massive book (450 pages) has me glued to every game, not wanting to miss a thing. The games are introduced by little stories of the setting that shed humorous light on many figures in chess history. He gives personalities to many of the secondary lights, whose names we have only seen in books. For instance, check out his introduction to game 57 against Mieses (I have babbled enough and it is better to give you a sample of his writing): "As was said by the French master, Alphonse Goetz (who had come as a journalist representing several French newspapers) in a fine speech during the opening ceremony, one could not find a place more idyllically suited for a tournament than Baden-Baden. In the first week of this tournament, although I ran all sorts of risks, I only succeeded in drawing my first five games. Relying then, on this 'law of series,' Master Mieses facetiously apostrophised me on the eve of our encounter with these bantering words: 'Have you had sufficient preparation for obtaining your 6th draw?' These thoughtless words must have evidently provoked Destiny, who sleeps (according to a Homeric phrase) 'on the knees of the gods,' and here is how this anticipated 'draw' turned out." Here are a couple of remarks from that game: "7. QxP P-K3 Giving himself up to passive defence, Black shelters behind bastions that still seem intact."; "13. 0-0 B-Q2 Asthma-breathlessness-suffocation: as usually occurs, the germ of an incurable sickness does not stop spreading, and so gradually leads to catastrophe." The book also explores critical variations at length where appropriate. This book may be hard to find these days, but I cannot recommend it enough. It is may favorite chess book.

Dr Tartakower, poet, chess master, romantiicist, gambler(!) patriot, was born in Russia, migrated to Poland and then to France. This book brings his almost 50 years of top class chess together in one volume. Great Chess and a bargain price! You can build an opening repertoire here; get the sense of proper endgame play; and see how a Master plans to beat other Masters. Descriptive notation; plenty of good diagrams.

Tartakower had tremendous flair, as a player and as a writer. He played the hypermodern openings, but he was around before and after their heyday too. He saw it all and played it all. This book is better, in my opinion, than Alekhine's collection of games, but it is not as famous since Alekhine was a world champ. Tartakower was a tremendous writer who poured himself completely into his work. I consider this book to be an essential part of my collection, and I will never part with it. I am pulling it off the shelf constantly. Get it.