France Books

Oman is the definitive tactical and operational description of the British and French campaigns in the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. It's also among the best descriptions in the English language of the realities of early 19th century ground combat.

My reading was of the original volumes in the 1970s; I'm most pleased that these unmatched references have been re-printed.

This is a reprint of the first of Charles Oman's masterful seven volume History of the Peninsular War, and covers the period from the initiation of hostilities to Moore's retreat to Corunna. Quite simple, this is the definitive English language reference on the Peninsular War, and nobody can call themselves a serious student of this era without having read this series. This first volume was published in 1902, the seventh in 1935, and although there has been mountains written since about the campaigns, the battles, and the soldiers in English, French, and Spanish, this is still the undisputed masterwork, and the standard by which all others are compared.

Virtually all of the political, military, and economic issues related to the campaigns are presented in these volumes. Every major battle is described in minute detail by Oman. He personally travelled to virtually every battlefield in Spain and Portugal to better understand the lay of the land for himself. Even more than in central Europe, the terrain played a critical role in the Peninsula, and Oman made every effort to understand how it affected the outcome. There are detailed orders of battle for all combatants and maps for all battles. The maps are large, color foldout format for the more significant battles. Political events are also described, particularly as they relate to the military sphere.

There are some drawbacks/limitations to all the books in this series. First, there is a HEAVY pro-British bias in outlook in all these books. I got the impression that Oman considered the French to be largely incompetent. These books to not present a balanced view, or even seriously try to explain the French perspective of the campaigns. The Spanish are also presented as largely irrelevant, although most of the fighting was in Spain! Second, there are few details of the guerilla operations. This may be the first war in which guerilla operations (what we would today call fourth generation war) played an important (decisive?) role. Oman doesn't omit discussion of these entirely, but they are certainly downplayed. I think that a more detailed discussion of guerilla leaders, operations, and their relationship with the larger military campaigns would have been a great addition to an already long series. Third, like virtually all English military historians, this is a virtual hagiography of Wellington. Don't let this in anyway prevent you from buying these. This series is certainly not the end all on the subject, but it is still, after 70+ years, the best that has ever been written about it.

The original typeface (from the early 20th century editions) has been preserved in this modern re-publication. This really give the text an authentic feel. Seven volumes of 600+ pages each may seem like a lot of reading, but Oman wrote with a easily readable and absorbing prose. This series is obviously a bit of a time commitment, but I would recommend this to even someone with a passing interest in the epoch. I should mention that I first read this serious about 15 years ago, I decided that I didn't know enough about the Peninsular War and borrowed each volume from the library. I've since bought the reprinted volumes (a complete collection of the original volumes is a wee-bit expensive, if you can find them), and re-read sections regularly. If you can believe it, I felt that even after seven volumes, there were many topics that Oman didn't cover in enough detail (see above)!

In short, if you are a serious student of the Napoleonic Wars, you must read this series of books. You will not regret the money or the time spent. I would give this series 6 stars if I could. Outstanding.

Sir Charles Oman's comprehensive seven volume history of the Peninsular War is the yardstick by which any other history of this theatre must be measured. It is exhaustive in detail and in breadth of coverage. If it happened, it is in one of these volumes. Napoleon may have considered Spain a side show, but as results turned out it was a bleeding ulcer. French losses here, combined with the 1812 campaign, placed a strain on the Empire which could not be overcome by even the best generalship. Any true student of the Napoleonic Wars should find these books and read them. They are essential to a complete understanding of the conflict.

This is the first of a seven volume history of the Peninsular War in Spain and Portugal between the forces of Napoleonic France and Great Britain, Portugal, and Spain. Oman's account, although dated, is still the definitive account of this long conflict. This first volume recounts the background to the French invasion, the French conquest of Portugal and Spain, and the results, which included insurrection in Spain and British intervention in Portugal. Arthur Wellesley, later the Duke of Wellington, makes his initial appearance in the war at the head of a small British expeditionary force which ultimately displaces the French from Portugal. A larger figure in this first volume is Sir John Moore, who took over leadership of the British expeditionary force and led the ill-fated campaign in Spain. Oman does a superb job capturing the complexities of the conflict at the strategic and operational levels of war. In particular, Oman does an excellent job laying out the conflicts within Spanish ranks which seriously hamstrung their resistance to French occupation. His tactical narrative is adequate; those fascinated by the cut and thrust of battle narratives will do better with other authors. This first volume provides much necessary but sometimes tedious background to the War; although Oman's interest in the British intervention is obvious, he is evenhanded in covering events in Spain. Those undertaking the whole series will find that Oman's writing quality improves with each succeeding volume. This volume is highly recommended to the serious student of the Napoleonic Wars and of the history of the British Army. Possession of a good map of the Iberian Peninsula will supplement the smaller maps included in the text.

I am ashamed to say, after studying the Napoleonic Wars for quite some time, this is my first reading of this excellent volume. It is an exhaustive, authoritative account of the Peninsular War that is without peer in English. Oman spent years researching and writing this multi-volume epic, and it is invaluable both as a reference and a research tool on its own. The only way you will find like information is by going into the archives yourself.

Oman does somewhat over simplify 'column versus line' in his study, but the detail, and the sweep of these campaigns that he so meaningfully tells more than make up for that.

This book, and the series it introduces, are highly recommended for any and all enthusiasts and historians, and it has an honored place on my bookshelf. The price may be somewhat steep, but it is definitely worth it.

This reissue has an invaluable introduction by Col John Elting, the noted authority on the period, which is helpful in understanding how and why Oman wrote the series. This book, and the series, is a definite keeper and is without peer for the study of these critical campaigns.

How To Wow is spot on about how to burnish you presence in the world. Spoken with a humorous and a non condescending tone, Frances Jones easily presents and diffuses some of the most basic yet vexing conundrums of the business of life. Whether you are titan of industry or intern with your first toe in the door "How to Wow", like any good encyclopedia, reminds you of what your mother, teacher or mentor taught you and more importantly explains what they didn't.

Excellent read, open to any page and walk a way a little sharper for it.

I really appreciated how the author cut to the chase with much of her advice. It's all very practical and, though I'm just getting started implementing the advice, it gives me confidence just knowing that I have her tips to get me started when I think about presenting or business-socializing in an unfamiliar environment.

Loved the book! Its SMART. Its witty, its sharp, a direct how-to handle/manage/approach business that is fun and interesting to read. Frances is brilliant at teaching the obvious and not so obvious, while being humble at the same time. I am a better person having read her book. Thank you!

Having tried a large number of such books (my livelihood depends on making a good personal impression), I can say without reservation that How to Wow is the best book of its type available: the advice it contains is hard-hitting, fresh and straightforward. Unlike other volumes I have tried about self-presentation, the advice offered is unique, and the author's examples are drawn from a variety of occupations. At the same time, her methods and advice seem to be applicable to almost anyone: no matter how good you are already, the day after you read this book, you will be making better impressions.

Most refreshing is the fact that How to Wow avoids the trap of so many of its peers, which can be summarized as "Things your mother told you about how to make a good impression that you've forgotten or let slip".

In my view, How to Wow will become a modern classic, and is indispensible to anyone in a trade that requires either presentations or public appearances (or their handlers).

I only wish that I had had this advice fifteen years ago!

This is not so much a book as it is a thrown together stew of ideas, suggestions and advice. Most of it pretty tasty. On listening? She tells us listen to learn and keep that your focus. On meetings? Don't pass out a handout because there will always be those who read ahead. On asking someone to do something? Say 'I request" or "My request is", more professional, less adversarial. She offers good advice on cold calling and how to follow up with people you have met---be specific, not general, try to move the process forward(if they say they can't meet, don't just say sorry to hear that but also ask when would be a good time). Also, her book does not, like so many books, start off with a 30 page throat clearing. She gets right to it. Good for her. Take a read.

Sumption continues the same excellence in Trial by Fire that was started in Trial by Battle - an integrative and authoritative look at the Hundred Years War. As opposed to other histories if this period, his approach is detailed and authoritative - no greater praise can be made of a piece of historical work covering an "event" of such scope and length. My only disappointment is the delay in release of future volumes.

I would not recommend this book to individuals who are looking for general history or discussions of battles. On the other hand, for those with interest in the 13th to 15th century, it is highly recommended.

Sumption's bulky, detailed study of the Hundred Years War and its antecedents is a model for modern narrative history. His research is truly extraordinary, his writing clear, his story compelling, and his judgment almost always sound (if rather pessimistic). He is better on politics, administration, and finance than on strictly military topics, however; in my opinion he fundamentally misunderstands the battle-seeking nature of English strategy in this period (cf. my article in the 1994 _Transactions of the Royal Historical Society_, or my forthcoming monograph, _War Cruel and Sharp_), and his battle narratives, while as good as any others yet published, are open to dispute.

A truly outstanding series on the players, economics, politics and strategy (or lack thereof) of the Hundred Years War. To describe it as definitive is perhaps insufficient praise.

According to correspondence with the UK publisher, Faber & Faber, the demands of the author's day job as a QC (lawyer) will likely mean a 2-3 year delay before volume three (I write this in July 2005). It will almost certainly be worth the wait though.

The book is everything it promises, with one exception - it is volume two of the series. Mr Sumption is an extraordinary advocate, historian and writer, but he wrote volume one before this one.

This is not a review. I simply wish to point out that you have Volume II of Jonathan Sumption's (probably excellent to judge by the previous volume) book on the 100 Years' War on one of your pages, but the review below it is not of that book at all, but of Volume I. I hope this is helpful.

This is a really good story about a brave girl. I love this book and I read it more than once and I never get tired of it!

This book is the best book i have ever read.it makes me want to read it over and over again

After reading this book I can honestly say that I learned something about history as well as getting the enjoyment of a good adventure by a Canadian author. Although some parts could be offensive the truth sometimes can be that way. It is shocking that someone could be treated like less than an animal over a piece of fluff. I will read more books by Virginia Schwartz now because she writes in a way that people from 10 to 90 can enjoy her books.

This is an amazing book. I would recommend this book for all ages, it can touch hearts of young and old. Basically, its about 5 friends trying to get to the free country of Canada, away from slavery in Alabama. They go through rough times, happy times and hard times, but I will let you see what happens in the end by yourselves. It has everything - sad moments, intensifying moments, happy moments and heart warming moments.

This well-researched book is the story of Phoebe, a teenaged woman born in slavery on an Alabama plantation. A map in the front allows readers to follow the route taken by Phoebe, her friends, Liney & Jake, and Liney's 2 little girls as they use the clues in lyrics of the old slave spirituals to guide them on their way along the Underground Railroad. These characters are wonderful role models for our kids--strong, empowered young women & a young man who protects and sacrifices himself for the safety of the group.

This is exactly the book I was looking for and wasn't sure existed. Even if I don't get back to Paris for years, I can still feel a little closer to its streets because of this guide. This little book can not serve as a introduction to Impressionist art, but to those who already love Impressionism, this is a delightful addition to that appeciation.

There are many books about Paris, many about the Impressionists, and several about Paris and the Impressionists. If you're obsessed with Paris and Impressionism, buy them all. However, if you're not willing to build a new wing for your library, or simply want a book you can actually take with you and use while you're in Paris, this is the one. It's a true gem.

If you love Paris and the Impressionists' work this is a must have. Taking the walking tours was the highlight of my last trip to the city of lights. Williams helps you see through 100 years of change into a different Paris.

This and a Metro map will take care of me for a week. A little about Paris, a little about the period, a little about the artists... "The Impressionists' Paris" is a learning experience, even for a student of impressionist art, and even if you're not planning a trip to Paris soon.

All but one of these 3 walks are on the right bank, which is otherwise somewhat impressionist-deprived since the good paintings moved from l'Orangerie to Musee d'Orsay. Combine Walk 1 with a visit to Orsay one day, then combine Walk 2 with an excursion to Giverny on another day.

Work the cafes into the rest of your visit to Paris. If you're into art and food, this book is a great companion to "The Historic Restaurants of Paris" by the same author.

Don't expect to find all of the locations intact, and there's the ever-present reality of construction and scaffolding. I hardly recognized the Pont de l'Europe from Caillebotte's painting, and Cafe de la Paix is closed for renovation (9/2002).

I'd love to meet this author sometime. She did this book like I would have (if I knew nearly as much as she). Each tour has a good map, and about 14-18 pages (each) of descriptions and pictures. Walking directions are in bold.

The book has nice color plates of selected paintings, matched loosely with period photos of Paris taken from old postcards, some with their 'timbres' quaintly intact. Lengthy captions add colorful trivia. She even finishes off the book with a tastefully written list of Paris cemeteries where the impressionists are buried.

Bon Voyage!

I think my students will love traveling in the footsteps of the impressionists. Seeing what the artists saw is worth a 1000 words in explaining they why of the subject painted.

I became interested in this short book because I admired Julian Barnes' earlier work ("Flaubert's Parrot", "A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters") and because of my own pain. I have neuropathy (nerve damage) in my hands, legs, and feet because of diabetes. Although my situation is not as dire as Alphonse Daudet's, I found myself nodding my head over and over at the accuracy of his perceptions. Daudet had ataxia: pain and progressive paralysis due to end-stage syphilis. He was a very popular comic writer in his day (the French late 19th century) but has been mostly forgotten except for this little book, which Barnes translated into English for the first time. Barnes also provides excellent commentary. This book combines lightness and literary weight in perfect proportion.

Daudet's weapon in his decade long struggle with his pain were his notebooks, which were filled with precise description and irony. (He finally died at age 57.) This sounds like a recipe for self-absorption, but there is very little ego in this book. Daudet approached his pain almost as a puzzle to be solved, not as an invitation for people to feel sorry for him. Barnes provides descriptions of Daudet's gallant response to his illness. Barnes quotes Philip Larkin: "courage is not frightening the others" and Daudet seems to have believed that as well. He was haunted by the thought of burdening his devoted wife and children, but agrees that his family responsibilities actually help him cope.

The effort of writing seems to have been cathartic for Daudet, and the reader is filled with a similar feeling of cheerfulness at having faced things squarely. Daudet had little use for religion: but at one point he admits that most people are not made happy by either good fortune or good health. He sighs, "all we lack is a sense of the divine." He carried on anyway, and this small, grim book may also help you too, in a way more sentimental books can't

You can approach this book in two ways, first as a looker and secondly as an insider. For all you malady of the month types, this will certainly satisfy your curiousity and would please any gothic type. For those looking for something deeper, you will find substance in this book. As a person with tardive dystonia, a motor disorder, I can empathize with the pain and muscle spasms that the author of this book describes and how every moment of each day is spent trying to fend them off. People have mentioned that the author's neurosyphillis could now have been treated by medication. But I see something of greater importance. It would be almost a century before people began to think of themselves as "disabled" instead of sick and the shame attached to being in a dysfunctioning body would no longer place you in a seperate category of almost an untouchable, perhaps starting with F.D.R. rehabilitating from polio. In the Land of Pain, vividly depicts the gradual lose of humanity that was part of entering the world of people with disabilities that plagued humanity for centuries. This work is more significant than all the after the fact pseudo-scientific works that want to attribute syphillis to everyone from Napoleon to Beethoven to Hitler. This is a first person account of what it is like to be faced with a disorder that you know will eventually destroy your life. To quote from the book,
"I only know one thing, and that is to shout to my children, 'Long live life!' But it is so hard to do, while I am ripped apart by pain."

ALPHONSE DAUDET SAID: "My poor carcass is hollowed out, voided by anemia. Pain echoes thru it as a voice echoes in a house without furniture or curtains. There are days, long days, when the only part of me that's alive is my pain."

Schadenrelief is a word I coined myself. (Somebody had to.) Schadenrelief is a slightly less sinister version of schadenfreude. Schadenrelief is the selfish relief you feel in reaction to someone else's suffering. It's the relief that's expressed whenever you internally say to yourself those 5 magic words: "I'm glad it wasn't me".

ALPHONSE DAUDET SAID: "Very strange, the fear that pain inspires nowadays--or rather, this pain of mine. It's bearable, and yet I cannot bear it. It's sheer dread; and my resort to anaesthetics is like a cry for help, the squeal of a woman before danger actually strikes."

Julian Barnes's own stuff suffers from a surfeit of Anglo-Saxon stuffiness. He's pretty much a parody of a stuffy Englishman. So this translation comes as a well-needed boost to Barnes's reputation. I'd be curious to see him translate Cioran's aphorisms and compare them to Richard Howard's translations.

ALPHONSE DAUDET SAID: "Pain has a life of its own. The ingenious efforts a disease makes in order to survive. People say: 'Let nature take its course.' But death is as much a part of nature as life. The forces of survival and destruction are at war within us and are equally matched. I've seen impressive examples of the skill with which disease manages to propagate itself. The two TB cases who fell in love: how passionately they clung to one another. You could almost hear the disease saying to itself: 'Now here's a perfect match!' And just imagine the morbidity it would give birth to."

Barnes has a mixed opinion of Harold Brodkey's book about Brodkey's illness. So I guess I'll take a look at Brodkey next. It's funny how Daudet doesn't say much about the temptation of suicide. It's too bad they didn't have barbituates in the 1800s. And it's too bad we don't have them now in the 2000s. (Barbituates have been replaced with non-lethal sedatives and it's just a darn shame.)

ALPHONSE DAUDET SAID: "You have to die so many times before you die."

Books about pain can be excruciating to read, and this is one of them. It is fragmentary, brutally honest, and as direct as an uppercut to the jaw.

Other works in the same genre include Montaigne's long essay "Of Experience" and Tolstoy's novelette THE DEATH OF IVAN ILYICH. Somehow we would all like to think that we will escape pain and die softly like a snowflake evaporating in pure air. If we were all Zen masters, we could die like the sages in Yoel Hoffmann's brilliant collection, JAPANESE DEATH POEMS:

Inhale, exhale
Forward, back
Living, dying:
Arrows, let flown each to each
Meet midway and slice
The void in aimless flight --
Thus I return to the source.
-- Gesshu Soko (d. 1696)

Though not well known to English-speaking readers, Alphone Daudet was considered one of the greatest French novelists of the late 19th century. A full forty years before his death, he contracted syphilis around the age of 17. Around the age of 40, Daudet's illness reached the tertiary stage; and he was bedeviled by a symphony of pain that attacked his various organs, sometimes with brief remissions before new and more awful symptoms appeared.

It is ironical that, were he alive today, Daudet would be cured by antibiotics; and Montaigne's kidney stones, possibly by medications, possibly by a routine surgery.

British novelist Julian Barnes edited this collection of fragments. It takes only a couple of hours to read, but I guarantee that this book will leave echoes in your mind about the battles you yourself may face as you reach the endgame.

Third stage syphilis is an unlikely subject for an enchanting book - but this it is. First, one is impressed by the precision of observation and expression. While the symptoms are shared with other patients, this is always the description of a particular victim of the disease. Second, one is impressed by the ever-changing attitude of Daudet to the progression and feared progression of the diease. Third, one is impressed by Daudet himself in his concern for those around him. The result is an enjoyable, informative introduction to Daudet as a person and as an example of human response to continuous pain.

Julian Barnes' translation is excellent - footnotes are provided that identify people, places, medicines that are unfamilar. Two short essays on Daudet and syphlis complete the book.

While this book may not appear to be high on the to-be-read-list, it deserves a place near the top.

This work speaks for itself. It is a must have for any transpersonal psychologist and transpersonal psychology class.

Vaughan has written a super book with much to offer. She essentially presented integral psychology with this book in that it integrates body, emotions, mind and spirit. She uses many of the concepts of Ken Wilber's earlier works, but unlike him, she is not merely a theorist. She has been a psychotherapist for many years, and allows the reader to choose for themselves what is true. Refreshingly, she does not have an agenda like so many writers, except for one to discover who they are at a deep level in their own way. This book is probably the best applied book in transpersonal and integral psychology available. If you have to own only one book, this is that book.

The Inward Arc by Frances Vaughan

This is a book ahead of its time. First published in 1985, with a second edition in 1995, it is a gift of service.

“The Inward Arc” refers not only to the individual’s spiritual journey through states of consciousness, but to the ultimate unity demanding conscious attention to our relationship with all that is. Hence, suffering in all forms, including our environment, is intimately bonded in the maturity of spiritual unity. Its subtitle “Healing in Psychotherapy and Spirituality” aptly describes the three parts – historical, philosophical, and spiritual - that provide a sound foundation for those new to the transpersonal world, the curious, and those long familiar with a variety of transpersonal experiences and thought.

This is a work of powerful authenticity, informed by solid scholarship in comparative religion on the one hand and formal psychology on the other. The two are integrated by the direct spiritual experience of the author as well as the psychospiritual growth she facilitates with her psychotherapy clients. Vaughan herself continues to be a potent force and spokesperson in shaping the visibility of the transpersonal movement and humanistic psychology. Newly discovered by mainstream academic psychology as “positive psychology,” the tenets of the evolution of the human psyche and transcendence beyond ego are offered by Vaughan as a map for the spiritually emerging individual and collective psyche. Here is the confluence of spirituality, psychotherapy, and healing in our time – Vaughan’s aspiration and passion as well as a vision of the possible.

This seminal work is a masterful example of the very principles the author is delineating. With generosity she shares her knowledge, her thoughts, her experience, and her hopes for us as individuals and as a global community. Her liberal use of direct quotations and meticulous credit to colleagues and predecessors, as well as citing original sources, is a model of integrity. This further enhances the credibility and usefulness of the work in its accuracy and access to information.

“The Inward Arc” is thoroughly satisfying and inspiring across multiple levels. Read it. The time is now.

5/13/01

I first read this title while a student of Vaughan at JFKU in 1986. I found it to be most informative and well written book on transpersonal psychology published at that time. Now re-reading it, it is still the best title on the subject. I highly recommend this book to anyone learning the ropes in the field of psychotherapy. My newest book "An Inspirational Guide for the Recovering Soul" compliments Vaughan's work in self-healing and spirituality -- please review at www.drsinor.com.
Dr. Barbara Sinor, Psychospiritual Therapist and Author

This book is absolutely incredible! It explains the development of human consciousness in such a comprehensive way that it is a must read for people interested in personal growth from a transpersonal perspective. Many writers have written about transpersonal experiences before but this author brings it all together and presents it as a very nice package. I also found the author's application of these ideas to psychotherapy very interesting and thought provoking. As a psychotherapist using the transpersonal approach, I find this book quite exquisite! The only other book on this topic that I would really recommend is "The Ever-Transcending Spirit" by Toru Sato. Sato explains these ideas in the simplest ways that it makes us think, "Why didn't I understand that before?" He uses the most creative analogies to explain our experiences, including transpersonal ones that you are simply left in awe.

The subject is touchy for many people, but if you are not one of them then I recommend this book. Simmans brings a lot of scholarship and research into the question of Jesus' early life, His possible marriage, His possible survival of crucifixion. That said, Simmans doesn't force the reader to wade through pages of esoteric data complete with comparisons of Egyptian, Greek and Hebrew hieroglyphs to make his points. He cites his references, but he impresses with his ability to meld the thoughts of various scholars with his own "on-the-site" insights. I found him to be the most plausible of all the writers currently being published regarding this somewhat implausible subject. Worth reading if you have an interest in this field.

I felt the book was well researched and well presented with regard to references and bibliography. At a time when the traditional truths are under scrutiny, this was a well reasoned and thought provoking book.

unfortunately this is the last book from Mr. Simmans to be published.
he died too soon and unexpectedly.
i happened to know Mr. Graham Simmans for almost 3 years.
and still remember the discussions we had with Mr. Simmans being a good listener and a wonderfull person to have dfiscussions with.
i rate his book with 5 stars not because i knew him - but because it is a great book.
some day all secrets and what is hidden will be revealed - when the time is right.

Jesus didn't die on the cross: instead he survived and went to southern France to live with wife Mary: this radical and thought-provoking idea proposed by researcher Graham Simmans offers up a new reason for the spread of Christianity - by Jesus himself. Chapters consider Jesus's survival of the crucifixion and use Coptic and Jewish sources to examine Christian philosophy and how it spread through Europe.

This was a bombshell of a book -- it goes way beyond The da Vinci Code (book) and since I have personally investigated the Rennes-le-Chateau issue for several years, I was amazed at the accuracy of his info and also pleased that he didn't compromise the remaining secrets that need to be protected to this day. Eventually the Truth will come out, however, and this book will help prepare people to accept (via a better understanding) what has really been going on.

Related issues, truthfully handled, are Gnosticism, Cathars and the Knights Templar (who you will find are involved with that Tomb of Jesus' Family 'revealed' in March on the Discovery channel -- but you have to read the corresponding Tomb of Jesus book to see that). He even explains how the rumor got going that Jesus died in Kashmir -- but he neglects to point out that Jesus had a twin brother (see person 2nd from the left end of the table in Da Vinci's painting The Last Supper... Because he had a twin, it was necessary to pay someone to point him out -- the authorities did not want to arrest the wrong man.)

A fascinating book that is a great source for anyone wanting to research
this subject more deeply. The connection with Egypt and France is quite well documented, as well as where Jesus could have gotten his 'training', as well as the marriage with Mary Magdalene, and her ministry. It may make some people angry, but this is NOT a woo-woo book containing wild speculations! Enjoy.

What a beautiful book. Full page, full color photos, with many of the pieces being shown larger than life. Original drawings of the same pieces are shown on a facing page. I wish that some of the photos of people and places had been reproduced larger, but the original old photos may have been very small to start with, and may not have blown up well bigger than they were originally printed. All in all an absolutely drool-worthy book.

I ordered this book from Half Price Books from Texas, as Amazon did not have it. The book arrived very fast, and very well wrapped and boxed. The book was listed as used-good with dented corners and scuffed dust jacket. Wrong. It looked brand new. I would order from them again. And the book was half the price of the other sellers.

This is by far the best book ever produced on Lalique's jewelry. The photographs in the book document nice close up details as well as front and back shots of his jewelry. Also nice to see is photographs of his beautiful jewelry renderings and nature studies. This book is a must for any Lalique fan. I highly recommend it.

For lovers of the Art Nouveau movement, this book is a must! Lalique was an amazing artist/jeweler, and this book covers the jewelry portion of his career well.

So you missed the exhibit in Dallas? True, this exhibit is possibly the only time these items from private collections will be on display. But do not despair. There is still a wonderful catalog out there to be had.

When my friends and I went to see this exhibit, we were so enamoured by the beauty of the jewelry, we wanted to carry it all home with us. The catalog was the best we could do.

The items in this exhibit that were designed and made by Rene' Lalique moved classicism to modernism. Although the luminosity of the jewelry is certainly lost in the book's photographs, like the sheen of the perfectly matched opals and the glow of the glass enamels, the level of detail is not.

The exhibit was set up to light the plique-a'-jour from the rear of the pieces as well as from the front. Plique-a'-jour is similar to cloisonné. Both techniques use glass enamels separated by cells created from metal, but cloisonné is applied onto a metal surface, whereas plique-a'-jour is openwork, more like a stained glass window. The difference in effect is that plique-a'-jour has a glow that lights up the jewelry, whereas cloisonné receives its shine from the metal behind it.

The plique-a'-jour technique was not new, having been used during the Renaissance but had been virtually forgotten. The influence of the relatively new trade with Japan opened up the eyes of those artists who were participants in the new arts & Crafts movement centered in London. In fact, Lalique studied in London and picked up on the Japanese influences. In addition, there was also a religious movement centered in Germany at this time that centered more upon appreciation of nature than a single deity.

These influences combined in Lalique's jewelry that stunned the world when he unveiled over a hundred pieces of bijou at the Exposition Universalle in Paris in 1900. Critics of his work charged that he was merely trying to provoke the public. The public crowded around the exhibit during its run nonetheless, although not all of the items in the exhibit sold during the Exposition. The opal necklace that all of us loved when we saw this exhibit in Dallas was one that did not sell, surprisingly enough.

So, if you simply could not get to Dallas, then the catalog rates a good look so that you can study Lalique's breathtaking style. He was never matched and, in fact, abandoned making jewelry for glass when cheap, shoddily made knock-offs began to appear. Lalique felt he had gone as far as he could go with jewelry and became a direct Tiffany competitor.

This book is a great resource for anyone interested in not just art nouveau jewellery but master jewellers of this period.I had not seen lalique's work before and was completely besotted with the pictures in this book,it includes intial design sketches alongside the finished pieces and discusses his work in great length.Great book when I need inspiration.

I bought this book in my position as church librarian, seeking stories for preteens about people whose lives were changed by God. There are very few books for kids like that out there that don't send a heavy fundamentalist message. There's also the old joke that Noah's wife was Joan of ARK. I needed to set that piece of ignorance straight, too. So I found an excellent book about St. Joan in this illustrated copy. The text is preteen level with historical information like a timeline of Joan's life and map of medieval France, along with the text of Joan's life. This is a nice volume and I would recommend it if you wish to buy it for medieval history, religion, feminist issues, French history or all of the above. The illustrations are well designed and in soft colors, to express the femininity and grace of Joan.

The illustrations are very fairy-tale looking, lending a mythical quality to the long text. A great example of historical events turned into a stunning picture book. Even high school kids would be inclined to read this one cover to cover; I'd use it in middle school without hesitation! Compare to the new biography of Ann Frank by this team!

I had read this book before, and I loved it. Children will fall in love with this book. This book tells about the heroic story of Joan of Arc, the French maid that helped France win a war against England, and died a heroin. I think children will think she is a saint, and she is a great role model for children. Here children can learn from Joan, about bravery, courage, and patriotism. My favorite quote is, "A saint is like a star. A star and a saint shine forever." Parents, you children will like this book. Plus they learn a little history too on a level they can understand.

Regine Pernoud, the most respected twentieth-century biographer of Joan of Arc, noted that everyone can find a reason to love this saint. This book helps children begin to understand why she still haunts us 500 years after her death. I bought a copy of this book for my three-year-old son to introduce him to Joan of Arc's story, and it has been a pleasure for both of us. Now that it is available in an affordable paperback edition, a lot of parents will want to add it to their child's library.

Angela Barrett's illustrations are striking and memorable. In particular, I like the painting of the English bombarding Orleans, as it shows what a siege was like in those days. The cover picture (displayed above) shows Joan on her horse surrounded by the hopeful residents of Orleans who wanted to touch the maiden that God sent to liberate them. Without being heavy-handed, the fire engulfing the banner hints at Joan's ultimate fate, and her face reminds us that she was in many ways a child. This was a true incident, and Joan was said to have been masterful in guiding her horse to water to douse the flame. There is also an outstanding two-page illustration of Charles' coronation, in which Joan is shown standing in a position of honor as befits the liberator of the kingdom. The depiction of angels visiting the imprisoned Joan while she was on trial at Rouen captures the spirit of her faith in God and certainty in her quest. Remember that this uneducated peasant girl held her own for two months in a contest of wits with masters from the University of Paris. The illustrations alone make this book worth having.

Any biographer of Joan of Arc must find a way to explain the inexplicable. Josephine Poole's text is good, beginning with the simple statement that this is a true story. Ms. Poole offers Joan's story more-or-less at surface value. As is appropriate for her audience of children, she simply relates that Joan was a country girl working in a field when she heard voices that filled her with overwhelming happiness. The author includes some details of Joan's story that one could quibble with, but overall the text is solid as biography. I was frankly glad that she did not go into details of Joan's terrible death, concluding instead that a saint, like a star, lives forever. Indeed, Joan of Arc will always live in the hearts of all of us who love her.

Perhaps my son's actions speak loudest about the value of this book. We never go on a trip without "Joan of Arc," and I have heard him tell his friends, in his own way, that Joan of Arc tried to warn Classidas to go home, but that she ended up having to shoot and was sorry when he died. This book has helped my son begin to love St. Joan, and that is the strongest recommendation for it that I know how to make.

Josephine Poole and Angela Barrett's provide a compelling portrait of an ardent and spiritual Joan of Arc in this illustrated juvenile biography of the 15th-century peasant girl who led a French army to victory against the English and was later burned at the stake for witchcraft. Author Poole emphasizes that this is a true story, which is what makes the story of Joan's courage and humanity more compelling, especially with Barrett's illustrations, which provide a sense of both the time and the import of the story. Poole does an especially nice job of presenting the political complexities of the time in simple terms, yet provides a poetic touch to her text. What comes across is a story of a simple girl who was empowered by her beliefs to accomplish great things, that treats the triumph and the tragedy in equal measure, and underscores how after her martyrdom Joan went on to be named a saint by the Church.

Young readers will understand how Joan's beliefs could inspire her troops at the siege of Orleans, but they will have trouble understanding why there were those who abandoned her or why the English made sure she would be convicted at her trail. However, ultimately this look at "Joan of Arc" is more interested in providing a look at the story of her life without really trying to explain the motives of anyone beyond Joan. Within that context, the illustrations by Barrett make it clear that although she is dressed up in armor and carrying a colorful banner, Joan was a young girl. Young readers will definitely have a sense for why the story of this particular young girl has been a dramatic and compelling one for centuries.