France Books

Cathar Castles does not go into overwheming detail about the Albigensian Crusade, nor should it...it does supply a nice and very complete background however. It centers, quite sensibly on the Castle's themselves.

Expert artwork by Peter Dennis breaths life into the old Southern French Fortresses, the works are clear and vivid...and magnificently detailed. A very descriptive narrative by Marcus Cowper complements the illustrations...or they complement each other, that would be more to the point. Everything is explained including a nice conclusion on visiting these Castle's today.

A very nice 'fit' into Osprey's rather large collection of Castle's, Forts, Strongholds and Defenses that existed in many lands through the centuries.

Crusades were not all in the Middle East. These crumbling remnants of fortifications from the 1200s bespeak a time of Christian v. Christian warfare as the Catholic Church tried to stamp out the Cathar movement the establishment considered to be heretical. Today, one can visit all these places, some with short walks, others after more difficult hikes. Part of a now more than 50-volume "Fortress" series from Osprey, this combines an informed text, photos, wonderful color reconstruction (and cutaway) diagrams, data on the places today, and a short reading list. There is not a lot about these structures published in English, making this even more useful. As one who has been in many of these castles, I recommend the book to anyone traveling in the region.

In less then 62 pages, Macus Cowper does a fantastic job going into the details and structures of the major fortresses of the Albigensian Crusade that took up most the 13th century in southern France. The short book centered itself around the castles belonging to Cathars, a heretical movement that took hold in that part of France and subject to a major crusade to wiped it out.

The book comes with a decent background to the Albigensian Crusade how the castles affected the entire campaign as they withstood the crusade before finally falling. Looking at the photos and the illustrations, it took a lot of determination by the invaders to take some of these places. The book comes superbly well illustrated with detail drawings and diagrams of some of the castles, photographs and map of their locations. The text is well written and nicely researched. The author obviously got a pretty good command of the subject and it looks like he visited the actual locations himself.

The book also could serves as a nice historical travel guide as well since the author was kind enough to put in visiting hours and other such material into this book. The book come well recommended and should provide a good companiion piece to a more scholarly work on the Cathar that often come with a lot of words but little illustrations or photos.

When Anna and her classmates go on tour to see the famous cave paintings in Lascaux, France, she gets separated from her group and meets a tour guide dressed as a caveman who explains to her some of the wonderful things she see's in the elaborate cave system. Then Anna and the tour guide meet someone else dressed as a caveman -- and he's the real thing! He is one of the artists who drew the famous paintings of humans and animal life on the walls of the cave. Their new acquaintance tells them what life was really like back in the Stone Age. Eventually Anna is able to rejoin her classmates and has learned a great deal about not only the cave paintings, but the people who made them. A superbly written and illustrated picturebook story by Roberta Angeletti, "The Cave Painter Of Lascaux" is further enhanced for young readers with a section about what archaeology has taught us about people of the Stone Age with respect to who they were, where they lived, what they wore, what we speculate they believed in, and how it's thought that the beautiful cave paintings in Lascaux were created so long ago. "The Cave Painter Of Lascaux" is as entertaining as it is informative and a welcome, enthusiastically recommended addition to school and community library picturebook collections for young readers.

I am very happy with the product and the speed of delivery.

I purchased this book last year and read it to my Kindergarten students when we were learning about cave art (I teach elementary art). They enjoyed the story and it gave them a good introduction to cave art. Today I was browsing on this site and happened to click on this page to see if anyone had reviewed this book. When I read the editorial review, I was puzzled. It seems as if the reviewer read a different version of the book than the one that I have. The book I have is about a girl whose class goes on a field trip to the Lascaux caves. This part of the story is not realistic, because the cave is closed to the public. While there, she gets separated from her group. As she is wandering through the cave the flash on her camera goes off and she catches a glimspe of the fantastic paintings of animals on the cave walls. All of a sudden, she feels a tug at her camera strap. It is a caveman who is trying to keep her from falling. It turn out that he is not a real caveman. He is an expert on the stone age and a tour guide. He's dressed like a caveman for the tourists. While they are talking, a real caveman appears and tells them about how real cavemen dressed and lived. When the girl hears her tour bus honking and realizes that she has to leave, the real caveman gives her his necklace, she says goodbye to both cavemen, and she hurries to catch her bus. There is absolutely nothing in the story about a caveman attempting to start a fire with two sticks or the girl giving the caveman matches. I wonder if the reviewer read an earlier version of the story that was changed before it was published in the United States.

What sets this book apart from the usual book of beautiful paintings is the text. Every painting is accompanied by a statement from the artist addressing some aspect of the creative process, ranging from why the scene was chosen to difficulties encountered in executing it. In addition there is a statement by a professional naturalist giving interesting natural history information about each location. You would expect a book of paintings to be a pleasure to view, and this one is. But it is also a pleasure to read.

Door County, Wisconsin, combines the natural beauty of bluff-defined shorelines, northern forests, quiet meadows, secluded wetlands, and an astonishing array of wildflowers. This coffee table book features the work of 70 artists who set out to capture the wildplaces of Door County. Most of the paintings were selected by a nationally-known jury. Some invited works are by well-known artists such as Charles Peterson, Karsten and Ellen Topelmann, James Ingwerson, and Gerhard Miller. Paintings represent the artist's impressions of the special wildplaces of the peninsula, and there's not a painting in the book that I wouldn't wish to frame and display in my home. A truly special book for a special place.

An outstanding variety of fantastic work. Any Door County fan will appreciate the true beauty of Door County and the incredible talent of the artists in the area. Charles Peterson, Bridget Austin, Jack Anderson, and other talented artists contributed to this awesome book. Worth double the price and for a great cause...

I have read many books on Cezanne over the past 10 years and in my opinion this is the best. For a combination of well-written text and excellent reproductions of the paintings this book cannot be beat. The text is jargon free. Mr. Rewald was a wonderful writer and he gives you a warm and sympathetic biography of a great artist and complex and difficult man. Cezanne was very neurotic. He had a fear of women and would not use nude models. His famous bather series was worked up from photographs and plaster casts, etc. He could be very anti-social: he sometimes would cross the street to avoid meeting someone he knew. He was very emotional and struggled to keep his emotions under control. This was reflected in his work. His early work was full of violence and shadows and you feel as though he barely was able to keep himself in check as he coated the canvas in a thick impasto. The later, carefully controlled and beautifully harmonized works are the more familiar to the general public. The cover gives you some indication of the beautiful reproductions which are inside this book. This is a great addition and in my opinion a must have for anyone's art library.

Rewald's biography of Cezanne is a very fine piece of work. It is beautifully written with substantial information about the artist & his work. As for all reputable art books, the paper quality is very good to render lovely reproductions of the paintings.
It is very nicely presented & a pleasure to read. . . or just look at the paintings.

I really enjoyed this wonderful book about a wonderfully delightful artist. I would recommend reading it if you are a Cezanne admirer, absolutely a wonderful book!

This is one of the most beautifully done catalogues I have purchased recently. The color and clarity of the reproductions are excellent. The paper used has a dull mat finish which enhances the quality of the reproductions. If you love Cezanne's painting (which I do), then this is a must have addition to your library.

Great prints and a number of well done articles on Cizanne's work.

This book is a lovely accompaniment to the Cezanne in Provence exhibit. The narration is beautifully written and describes the beautiful landscapes that Cezanne painted. It provides an interesting chronology of Cezanne's life and works.

Although this is a great book for any art lover it is a must for the plein air (outdoor) painter. It demonstrates how Cezanne transformed his "motif", the scene he has selected, into a painting by showing photos of the motif side by side with his paintings. Machotka, an artist himself, discusses the artistic problems presented by each scene and Cezanne's various solutions as they vary over his development as an artist. Machotka is knowledgeable, thoughtful and writes well. This book will certainly extend your appreciation of Cezanne and if you paint plein air, will likely make you a much more observant and better painter. As a painter this is one of the few books on composition and technique that I recommend to other painters.

Cezanne's influence on Cubism and later abstract styles can make the viewer forget just how important looking at his native landscape was to the painter. This wonderful book helps us see the fascinating ways Cezanne succeeded in "realizing his sensations" in front of nature and landscape. A book to return to again and again.

This is by far one of the best books I have ever read and had. Machotka details Cezanne in a great way. I was never a great fan of Cezanne before purchasing this book, now I'm a devoted fan! Cezanne would be proud to have someone like Machotka writing about his work.

Another great collection, this book shares stories from mothers and daughters about the special bond between mothers and daughters. From funny to poignant, this title has just what you're looking for in any mood. Again, the Chicken Soup authors always know how to compile a book that is the perfect blend of amusing, moving, startling, miraculous and all the other goodies that go into a great series of stories.

I am having a hard time getting through this book--it is very hard to read with tears in your eyes. I just bought it, and have only read a few entries, but it is great. I am not a "Chicken soup book" fan. They have over-saturated the market in my opinion. However, this title caught my eye, and was hard to resist. I now plan to order copies for my dear friends for Mother's day gifts.

As always, I delight in reading Chicken Soup for the Soul. I can tell you without reservation, this book, Chicken Soup for the Soul "Celebrating Mothers and Daughters" is truly unique. The stories are from the heart, a genuine bond only a mother and daughter could hold or understand. So tender while tears of elation, sadness and hilarity pour down the cheeks. This is a must read for all mothers and daughters as it hammers hard the love we share. Kudos, Chicken Soup for the Soul...you've done it again!

If you love art deco sculpture, you will love Chiparus. This is one book I actually bought! (i am poor, so most books are borrowed from the library)

If you love art deco, you will love these beautiful figurines. I'm an Erte fan, and these figurines are as energetic and graceful as anything that Erte has done. The book's large format is perfect for the large, full-color photographs with one figurine per page. The only regret you'll have is if you don't buy this book. I came across it at the public library, and I had to have it. It's worth every penny.

I found this book to be an excellent research source for the art of D. H. Chiparus. In addition to accurate and detailed information of his work, included is an interesting, detailed personal history. I especially enjoyed the many photographs of his chryselephantine sculptures - great source guide.

Christian Dior: The Early Years 1947-1957 by Esmeralda de Rethy (daughter of Princess Liliane of Belgium who was one of Christian Dior's very first clients) and fashion historian Jean-Louis Perreau is an incredible, superbly illustrated and informative coffee table book providing a vivid fashion record perfectly capturing the founding of an empire of style in the post-World War II decade. Full-page photographs, some color, some black and white, many nearly half a century old, adorn the pages along with Dior's original sketches and commentary. The text traces the travails, efforts, and world-class achievements in clothing, style, and love of life in this high society treasury. Christian Dior is very highly recommended reading for students of 20th Century fashion history in general, and the influential contributions of Christian Dior in particular.

Born in a small village in Normandy, Christian Dior did not hesitate to disobey a parental injunction to undertake a "serious occupation." He knew what he wanted and fled to Paris where he became a designer at Robert Piguet.

The City of Lights was gray in 1946; there had been the war, German occupation, and rationing. But, luck was with Dior. He met the country's richest and most powerful industrialist, Marcel Boussac, who offered to back the young designer. Space became available at 28-30 Avenue Montaigne, an address well known to fashion aficionados today.

In 1947 Dior introduced his first collection, and the world was ready for his innovative return to the feminine figure with narrow waists, long skirts, and an attractive bustline. The rest, as they say, is history.

All interested in the world of fashion will delight in this detailed history of the workings of Dior's fashion house, and the remarkable people who worked for him in developing a boutique and perfume which would enjoy worldwide acclaim. Also included are stories of his famous clients, such as Marlene Dietrich, Lauren Bacall, Rita Hayworth, Ingrid Bergman, and the Duchess of Windsor.

Enriched with some 100 illustrations this keepsake volume concludes with "Monsieur Dior's Fashion Vocabulary" and a timeline noting events after Dior's death in 1957 to the present day.

- Gail Cooke

Christian Dior: The Early Years provides the inside story at the House of Dior, from its introduction of the 'New Look' to 1957, upon Dior's sudden death. When Christian Dior presented his first collection, the young designer presented clothing which featured narrow waists and beautiful evening dresses: a new look for the fashion world of the mid1940s. He drew each dress himself and his designs would change the fashion world of his times. The oversized presentation of this volume allows for fullpage displays of his works accompanying a biography of his life and achievements.

My wife and I have bought most of Barbara McClintock's books for our daughters, and all are of extremely high quality in terms of the art and writing. This version of Cinderella is especially good and will not disappoint, even for those who already know and love Disney's version (of which I am a fan). Highly recommended!

My 4-year-old daughter selected this book at the library one day, and when it came time to return the book, I didn't want to take it back. It is beautifully illustrated and the story is a wonderful lesson about true beauty and kindness. I enjoyed reading it to my daughter over and over and plan to buy a copy soon.

This is a beautiful Cinderella book with the most amazing illustrations you will find anywhere! Illustrations make or break a book for me, and this one does not disappoint. My daughter is almost 3 and wants to hear this story over and over, and I love to read it to her.

VERY highly recommended!!