France Books

I had to read and review this book for a class, and I thought it was great. I had not read any of the books referenced by Ms. Marcus, so it was difficult to tell how sucessfully she represented the authors, but thats really my problem, not hers. I would say that I don't like such heavy use of literary sources in these types of books, but it is usually because I haven't read the books.

I'm happy I chose this book to review, between the nasty review and its mention on the board, (and Ms. Marcus's rebuttal) this will be an easy book review to write.

In Apartment Stories, Sharon Marcus takes the reader on a stunning tour of the interior spaces of the nineteenth century novel. The views that Marcus offers are always exciting. Following her from behind as she weaves her way through dark regions of apartment houses is often exhilirating. Particularly pleasurable is the way she bounces around London. And although sometimes she seems to bend over to make her point, even this rewarding

In an elegantly written and persuasively argued volume, Sharon Marcus uses the idea of the apartment building as a tool to comb out two sets of terms that tend to clump together in discussions about the 19th century: man=city=public, woman=home=private. In a work made pleasurable to the general reader through her clear and careful writing and her judicious use of footnotes, Marcus proposes a world of 19th century men, women, homes, and cities, that interact in more messy and interesting ways than we've learned to expect. I enjoyed it thoroughly.

There has been a recent interest in theories that undermine the undertakings of the Enlightenment and Modernism toward presenting a world made up of clear definitions and distinctions. This trend has thrown light upon those cultures and periods of history previously dismissed as irrational, decadent, or retrogressive. Further, owing to Post-Structuralist interests in language, scholars have increasingly turned towards realist novels and literature from the period being studied to unearth peculiar social environments that have remained concealed in the purely formal analyses of historical accounts.

Sharon Marcus in Apartment Stories identifies the novel as a significant mirror of everyday life. Literary criticism and cultural history, for Marcus, are intertwined disciplines that feed on each other. In Apartment Stories she uses an analysis of the nineteenth-century realist novel to illuminate a discourse about (not `on') apartment houses of the time. Employing texts that she calls `atypical', as a heuristic device for exploring the range and complexity of nineteenth century debates on domesticity and urbanism, Marcus sets herself the ambitious task of questioning conventional conceptions of the distinctions of private and public, interior and exterior, as well as masculine and feminine. She probes the text not only in terms of seeking social and physical implications of the described spaces but also in terms of the manner in which the narration itself inscribes spatial relations and establishes zones as exterior and interior, private and public, mobile and fixed.

Apartment Stories is divided into three parts. The first part, "Open Houses", discusses the apartment house as a space that refutes readability as a private, opaque, and interior space. The second part, "The City and the Domestic Ideal", discusses the cultural preference for the single-family house over the lodging houses (that resembled apartment houses) of Londoners. The third and concluding part, "Interiorization and its Discontents", deals with Paris during the Second Empire. The author claims that Paris became interiorized after 1850 and thereby challenges the established interpretation of the Second Empire Paris as one of spectacle, flânerie, and circulation. She also questions the famous notion of the Goncourt brothers that "the interior is going to die. Life threatens to become more public". Marcus, in view of the Parisian apartment house, explicates the impossibility of ever fully interiorizing the home.

Sharon Marcus's Apartment Stories provides interesting insights into the world of the bourgeois in nineteenth century Paris- though her ideas are not always convincing and not always substantiated with documentation. Her elaborate endnotes that occupy 81 pages at the rear of the book fail to provide the convincing evidence that more architectural drawings and photographs might. The book leaves the readers constantly searching through the text for `real' images of the physical character of the apartment houses to which they may correspond the analysis of the novel. In the absence of such documentation, the author herself feels the need to stop every now and then in order to summarize and locate within the overall scheme of the book what she had just written (which is also what makes the writing of the book-review easier). These impediments that occlude the understanding of her new insights are further assisted by what could be considered a methodological oversight. Her structure of discussions of the interior and exterior space rest upon the individual descriptions of interior and exterior space. The discussion does not flow from one to the other and that, I feel, strengthens the distinction between the two. A discussion of the in-between transition spaces, apart from perhaps the character of the portière, between the street and the house, that one would expect in a discussion of interior and exterior spaces, is also absent.

Marcus works from an impressive bibliography, one that partially compensates for her deficiencies in documentation and illustration. Apart from a slight error in quoting the publication date of James Stevens Curl's The Victorian Celebration of Death as 1872 instead of 1972, the bibliography, along with the book, becomes a wonderful resource for any scholarly study of nineteenth century France and England in the fields of feminist theory and criticism, geography, urban studies, architectural history, literary criticism, and interdisciplinary research on everyday life.

Louis Kahn would have loved this book. Silence and beauty permeate its pages. Intense.

Architecture of Silence is a finely wrought volume of exceptional interest and beauty. Its temporal actuality immediately evokes the devotional themes which are contained within its pages. The book feels like a sacred text which was printed and bound by hand, out of love.

Cistercian cenobites understood that interior spaces were at least as significant and meaningful in the natural order of things as surface manifestations. They believed that divinity resides in places that cannot necessarily be seen or immediately sensed. Architecture Of Silence conveys splendidly the essence of this belief as expressed through the physical monuments they created in worship.

Heald is head photographer for the Guggenheim Museum of New York. He is far more than an expert photographic technician, however. The book exemplifies uncompromisingly conscious, staggeringly sensitive image making. As he composed and developed these images, Heald must have had a vivifying rapport with the same extraordinary source of energy and insight that infused the psyches of the original builders of these Abbeys. Wonderful. Inspiring. Awesome. Excellent essay too.

I was on a spiritual pilgrimage in France in October 2000, and I toured most of the abbeys that are featured in this book. I did not see this book until after I returned from France, and I must admit that the photos in this text are the most impressive of all the books that I have viewed on Cistercian architecture. I love this book ! The photographer has been able to capture the peace, simplicity, and soul of these medieval monuments. How many photography books actually bring your spirit to a deeper level of tranquility? This one surely will. The introduction is beautifully written and was composed by The expert and scholar of Cistercian architecture. I also recommend another excellent book on this subject: Cistercians: Monks and Monasteries of Europe, by Stephen Tobin.

I have made numerous trips to Paris, armed with several guidebooks, including a Frommers, a Lonely Planet and an Eyewitness, and this is by far my favorite. It's fun to browse through and it makes it easy to find something you want to run out and see. It's a relief to find a guide that's not trying to be an exhaustive list of every possible restaurant, museum or hotel. It has just the right amount of practical info to get you where you want to be and ready for the reality of it when you get there.
Until I used this guidebook I didn't realize that guidebooks are often jammed with too much (boring) information.

The graphics and photos are terrific -none of those grainy 80's pictures of people eating croissants under the Eiffel tower.

Without a doubt, the best travel guide I've ever used. I've been to Paris many, many times, and this guide led me to places I'd never even heard of. Particular strengths are in the areas of Clubs/Bars & Nightlife, Live Music & offbeat museums (who knew there was a Musee de l'Erotisme?) This book is a great choice for the fun-loving urban traveler. I'd highly recommend purchasing this in conjunction with "Time Out Paris", which is exceptionally good for restaurant recommendations.

Bon voyage!

I have an absolute infatuation with Paris. I travel there about once a year and now own over 40 travel guides on Paradise, err, I mean Paris. This book is my absolute favorite. Sure, the images and layout on the pages are totally hip, but more important so is the information. Anyone who's read a few travel books on Paris knows about FNAC music shop and Virgin Megastore, but through this book, I also learned about Boulinier, Crocodisc, Chez Sanchez, Monster Melodies, La Silence de la Rue, and Parallèles, which all specialize in a focused area of music. I discovered some incredible boutiques that I've never seen listed elsewhere. A few sights are mainstream (how can one visit Paris without seeing the Eiffel Tower or Arc de Triomphe?) but what makes this book unique is the listing of sights, restaurants, and shops that are totally cool that I haven't seen elsewhere. And if you want up-to-the-minute changes to the text, one simply travels no farther than their website. The book also has a "bite" -- raw, honest opinions. One problem with my book, however. I have read it and carried it around so often that my copy is getting quite tattered. For anyone with a true sense of adventure or who wants to explore some unique French spots where you won't encounter dozens of other tourists, this is your book.

I've read every kind of guidebook, from Let's Go in the 1980's to Lonely Planet in the 90's and this refreshing addition to the multitude is just the answer for the young (and not so young) adventurous traveller. The graphic design is fun and reveals a smart editor - hire a good graphic designer. The writing is witty and irreverant at times - perfect for those who seek a good experience without the hype. The maps are inadequate - but who travels with one guidebook these days anyway? That's what tourist maps are for.

I particularily liked the photographs, certainly not your average "Gee, here we are in front of the Eifel Tower" standard fare. They capture everything you dream Paris would be: classy, cutting edge and just plain gorgeous. The writing gets to the point quickly with all the necessary facts, yet does allow for some subjectivity that I found refreshing both before our trip and during our stay.

Buy this book if you're a repeat visitor to Paris and looking for another experience beyond the three day quickie when you have barely enough time to see the big league sites. The nightlife and eating sections are worth the price alone. Sure, we carried our Michelin Green Guide because we're architects and enjoy knowing the details, but for a cover to cover guidebook, this is the best yet.

As much as we tend to "tip-toe" around end-of-life matters with family and friends, Parker however takes the reader on a warm and touching journey with "loud and clear" steps about what she calls, "The Other Side of Through." Throughout the book, you can't help but reflect on your life situation wherever you may be on life's timeline. It is a must-read for those thousands of "baby boomers" like me because 1. We are entering that phase of our life where, quite frankly, we begin to seriously think about our own mortality and all that that means, and 2. Many of us have had to be, or will face the very likely possibility of being, a care-giver to a loved one. "Being Dead Right" answers so many questions on the issues of hospice care almost from A-Z and is told in a very readable, informative and humane way. In her book, Parker indeed lets full sun shine on a topic long lain hid. Excellent job.

Let's face it: Becoming Dead Right is a startling use of double entendre. It grew on me as a reader, since ultimately there's no time that straight talk is more required than at, and about, end of life. Placing judgement aside, "wrong" ways of dying have detrimental effects on patient-families; "right" ways of dying make end days as humane as can be, for both the dying and their survivors.

Humaneness is the critical quality that is often misplaced or absent from critical care. Parker's humanity is palpable. Every school principal must imbue it (even if half her kids may go to their own graves in denial of their school principal's humanity), so it's no surprise she would manifest it as a hospice worker and writer.

Yet I was surprised, and touched, and bolstered. As a writer on end-of-life matters, I expect others who write on dying and death to do so with great dignity, empathy, and poise. The subject requires it. So why my surprise? I think it stems from several directions.
- Poetry. If inuendo has no place in end-of-life conversations, and metaphor ignites understanding as it relieves duress, poetry occupies a middle ground. Parker's inclusion of personal poems throughout adds a a poignant, exploratory dimension to her narrative.
- Cultural mileu #1: Inside the Looking Glass. Reading messages that emanate from inside hospice differs from reading information about hospice. Parker gives us the real deal, distinct from intellectual abstraction (no matter how important the latter may be when the subject is end-of-life choices). Parker's "person-studies" help explain, in a very accessible manner, what hospice offers.
- Cultural mileu #2: Race. For those of us outside the black community, Becoming Dead Right offers a glimpse into the human fabric that makes Black America rich in ways that are intrinsic to their unique identity as a people. The glimpse arises naturally, through the telling. It's subtle, and probably unintentional--making this book all the more valuable.

And if Parker can help manifest her vision of Boomer Haven on a national scale, I'd queue up when it's my turn--even if I wasn't already predisposed.

-- Bart Windrum, author of Notes from the Waiting Room: Managing a Loved One's End-of-Life Hospitalization

This book was enlightning and a pleasure to read. I found it difficult to put down. Each of many patient related stories told was captivating and conveyed significant and often imperative messages. Comprehensive, insightful, empathetic, amusing, comforting and instructive are all applicable adjectives. Becoming Dead Right is a gift of sagacity to us all.

I really enjoyed the book, "Becoming Dead Right." The book was powerfully written and allowed the reader to feel the joys, frustrations, excitement and pain of the men and women in Hospice Care. My favorite part was the poems that were peppered in throughout the book that gave the book an extra special touch. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a book that puts a story and face with the people in Hospice Care.

An amazing biography. A work such as this will most likely appeal to only 1 out of 100,000 Amazon customers, but those who read it will never forget it, and once having read it will listen to Berlioz's music with a knowing insider's grin.

Cairns has done what is extremely difficult: he has created an easy-to-read, engaging, yet methodical and thorough modern biography in English of a composer who was born 200 years ago and whose paper trail was written entirely in French. The book has good humor but is not fawning or hagiographic.

A little note (pun intended): this is about Berlioz the man, and not about Berlioz as an ethnomusicologist's project. In other words, this is the study of a young man and how he came to know and create music, but not about that music per se.

Bonne lecture!

This is a wonderful book both for the lay reader and for the musically knowledgeable. It says a great deal about how well written this book is that someone like me who knows nothing about music could still enjoy the book so much. Mr. Cairns takes the tale from the birth of Berlioz in 1803 up until 1832, when he was in his late 20's. You learn about his relationship with his parents, who were opposed to his choice of composer for a career, and his sisters. We are very fortunate that this was a great age for letter writing. Mr. Cairns makes judicious use of the correspondence between Berlioz and his family and friends to the point where you almost feel yourself to be a friend or family member. You get inside the young composer's mind as he tries to convince his parents that his desire to write music is not just a "whim", but something that he is absolutely passionate about and must do. Berlioz was also extremely sensitive and romantic. After seeing the English actress Harriet Smithson perform on stage in several works by Shakespeare he developed an obsessive love for her, even though he had never met her. He had an apartment across the street from where she lived and would longingly watch her comings and goings. He eventually wrote her several notes expressing his feelings but she rebuffed him, quite understandably one would think! (She had also heard a rumor, which was untrue, that he was an epileptic.) Shortly after coming to the realization that Smithson was unattainable Berlioz met the virtuoso pianist Camille Moke and they fell in love with each other and eventually got engaged. Alas, when poor Hector had to go to Rome to live in order to receive grant money from winning the Prix de Rome, Camille dumped him and opted for security by marrying a wealthy man. This soured Hector on women for awhile but did not diminish his love for music, nature and life. Mr. Cairns has been a professional music critic and is also a scholar, so he understands and ably explains the technical aspects of Berlioz's music. I was totally lost in these sections but my ignorance did not diminish my enjoyment of this sympathetic and wonderfully written book.

David Cairns is a great Berlioz scholar. Like to meet him someday. His translation of "Memoirs" is much superior to Newmans.I bought the 1st volume of the biography some years ago when it first came out and the second a couple of years ago when it was first published. I revisit these volumes frequently. Berlioz was one of the really great romantics. At least 50 years before his time. Glad to see SF opera is planning on staging Cellini & B & B over the next few years. Sixtus Beckmesser

This really is one of the best biographies of any subject to come my way.I didn't know a lot of Berlioz's music before approaching this but it didn't actually matter.All the elements of a gripping novel are here only for they're true!-fighting paternal disapproval,living in poverty in Paris,eloping with a virtuoso pianist-it's all here and Cairns paints such an intimate picture that you can't but fail to admire Berlioz and his dogged determination to be a composer and write HIS music only to be continually rebuked in his native homeland.The efforts that the man had to go to just to hear his own music is truly heartbreaking.Biography doesn't get much better than this-especially if you're only even remotely interested in music or art.

My daughter loves anything "Cinderella" and this book is her favorite one plus the fact that the cover and illustration is really pretty.

You really can't go wrong with SS! All the books and movies are wholesome and entertaining. I love reading them to my daughter and watching the movies with her. Actually, my son loves them too but would never admit it to his friends (he's 9). Good thing he has a little sister ;)

We had this book in soft cover and lost it. We purchased this hard cover book and we found the book we had lost the next day. My daughter was happy so it made us happy.

Thanks!

Okay, I admit it. My daughter received this book as a present and I rolled my eyes. I expected this book to be way too saccharin to stand reading it... BUT it is really cute and my daughter and I both enjoy it.

[Btw- don't know what is wrong with the front cover shown above. It is, in fact, in full color and not a line drawing.]

In this book the premise is that Strawberry Shortcake and her friends are going to play dress up and act out the story of `Cinderella'.

Most of the storyline is kept. The stepmother and sisters are mean. They keep Cinderella too busy to get ready for the ball; and they try to keep the prince at the end of the story from meeting Cinderella and fitting her with the shoe, etc.

Where the story deviates is that the girls are vying NOT for the princes hand in marriage, but for the chance to live at the palace and care for the `royal berry crop'. Decidedly better, in my opinion, than all the emphasis being on marrying someone one hasn't met yet.

Four Stars. [B+]. Very Good Read-aloud. Drawings are what you would expect; large and colorful, simple and sweet.

The familiar text is augmented by brightly colored illustrations reminiscent of modern stained glass windows. This is an outstanding holiday book to add to collections in church and public libraries or for personal giving to Christians of any age.

The familiar text is augmented by brightly colored illustrations reminiscent of modern stained glass windows.This is an outstanding holiday book to add to collections in church and public libraries or for personal giving to Christians of any age.

The glorious stained-glass cathedral windows of England inspired Fiona French to create this wonderful celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. The words, directly from the book of Luke from the King James Bible, are brought to life with bright beautiful designs. Although the traditional words may be too advanced for very young readers, they will be drawn to the book for the illustrations. This concise version of the Nativity would be an asset for personal collections.

The familiar text is augmented by brightly colored illustrations reminiscent of modern stained glass windows.This is an outstanding holiday book to add to collections in church and public libraries or for personal giving to Christians of any age.

Billy Whiskers, An Autobiography of a Goat is a wonderful book that
still makes children giggle. I heard about this book as a child from my dad and was so glad to still be able to find a copy. I learned that it
was Robert Kennedy's childhood favorite book as it was my dad's.
I am sharing it as a storyteller. If you would like to take your children back to America 1900's and teach them about life then, this
fun story is a good one to share.

The old fasioned wording and phrases only helped to improve the vocabulary of my 10-year old child. It didn't take long before he got the feel for the longer sentences and how to read them. He thought it was great and wants to read the other books in the series. Very humorous and exciting!

I'll add to the commentary above -- an excellent book from the rural and innocent beginnings of the 20th Century....

Billy Whiskers, a goat, is always getting into trouble -- and in this way is endearing to children who feel that they too are always in trouble. But Billy perseveres and stubbornly holds his ground.

This is a very amusing book, lots of fun for children and the adults who might read it to them. However, your "age level" is incorrect. You state that the age level is 4-8. A 4-year old could not possibly read this book, and neither could any but a very bright eight-year old. This would be a good book to read to an early elementary child, but not for a child to solo read until third or fourth grade. There are a lot of old-fashioned words and phrases.

This is a wonderful guide, with clear maps and smart buying tips for the Flea-Market Junkie and Occasional Peruser alike.
I don't even particularly enjoy Les Puces, but at my home in Paris I have a copy of this guide for guests. When visitors come to stay, I put a stack of reading material on their bedside table (French magazines, books about Parisian history, guidebooks, etc.) and "Bit by the Fleas" is always one of the favourites. A guaranteed crowd-pleaser!

I've been to the Marchee aux Puces many times in Paris and wish I'd had this book with me before! The photos are gorgeous and helped identify different parts of the huge market and types of furniture. I've enjoyed reading through it over and over since my return. It's so interesting and there's so much to learn. Not just what to buy and where, but how to ship it home and how to recognize value or ... non-value. This book is a real treasure for those serious about antiques or just browsing the market for interesting finds.

Stuart Hough saved me thousands of hours of research with his incredibly efficient reviews. I was able to save a ton of time at le marche des Puces by carrying this handy pocketguide with me while touring - and saved some money by knowing who to talk to and how to approach them. It is written with both style and efficiency - if you are into antiques, this is a MUST READ.

Anyone who cares about French antiques knows that there are many good deals to be unearthed at the marche aux Puces, but the place was always somewhat intimidating to me because it's known to be an "insider's" market. It's hard to know where to go and who to trust. I was delighted to come across this book because it demystifies the process very effectively and is written in a no-nonsense, discerning and user-friendly manner. It is not designed as a comprehensive guide to the Puces but rather as a "short list" of the stands that the authors have found to be most worthwhile (be it in terms of selection, quality, price and/or reliability). It's a bit like having a Zagat's guide to the Puces. I also liked the format, which is compact and practical to carry around Paris, as well as the design and graphics, which are tasteful and up-scale. As a result, I've also found it to be a very appropriate gift for friends who share my interest in French antiques.

The two greatest land battles of English/British arms are universally thought to be Waterloo and Agincourt. Charles Spencer and others (including Winston Churchill) would add Blenheim as the third greatest battle in the list. Louis XIV (the "Sun King" of France) was dominant in European power and had been for a couple of decades. He was an imperialist at heart, taking land when it suited him, on the flimsiest of pretexts. When the inbred and sickly Hapsburg king of Spain died without direct heir, Louis decided it was time to put a Bourbon king (i.e. his own family line) on the throne of Spain. This naturally angered the other Hapsburg monarch - the Holy Roman Emporer (leader of what was later known as Austria-Hungary) and would result in Louis's power increasing significantly, both in Europe and the Americas. Thus, the Emporer and the British, whose Dutch-descended King William III had long fought Louis as Prince William of Orange, formed an alliance to combat this new threat from Louis.

Charles Spencer is known to most as the 9th Earl Spencer, sister of the late Diana, Princess of Wales. His well-spoken and eloquent eulogy of his sister is an indication of his ability as a narrator. Fortunately, Spencer does not herein rely on his titles, nor on the fact he is a descendant of the winning British general: John Churchill, Duke of Marlborough. Instead, knowing the book will only be judged by his ability as a writer and historian, he presents a very readable and enjoyable depiction of the battle between the two Allied armies - commanded by Marlborough and the Imperial general Prince Eugène, and the opposing Franco-Bavarian forces. Taking place in and around the Bavarian village of Blindheim (Anglicised to Blenheim), the Austro-British forces are outnumbered and facing a foe that has not lost a major engagement for a generation. Included in the French ranks are a number of highly-decorated regiments (both of infantry and cavalry). Unfortunately for the French, they are badly outgeneralled, especially in the centre of the line where Marshall Tallard faces Marlborough. The English general has rapidly gained a reputation for initiative, timing, and daring only equalled by Prince Eugène, who is left to pin down the flank against a second French army and the Bavarians.

Spencer wisely takes a third of the book to set the scene - i.e., the politics of the age. No account of the battle would be complete without a detailed look at the people involved, of course, so much of the narrative alternates between the setup of the political situation and the personalities of the people involved. John Churchill was much maligned by both parliament (because his anscestors fought for the crown in the Civil War) and the protestant King William III (because he so easily switched allegiances to himself from the Catholic Charles II after Charles was deposed). It was not until Anne, protestant daughter to Charles II and sister-in-law to William III, came to the throne that Churchill rose to become commander of the British army. This did nothing to placate his detractors, of course, and he was dogged continually by his enemies. Spencer manages to avoid sounding the champion of his anscestor, instead presenting these facts in a straightforward but very readable fashion.

Similarly, when we move into the campaign phase of the book, and that of the Battle of Blenheim itself, we get to see the conflict from all sides - in the camps of all five armies present, and from the generals to the non-commisioned officers, many of whom kept diaries of the events (presumably many in the lowest ranks were illiterate and couldn't keep diaries).

There aren't a lot of accounts of the Battle of Blenheim (compared to, say, Waterloo), but this is a good read for anyone interested in the era, or in European history in general. Especially for those shy about tackling Winston Churchill's mammoth biography of Marlborough (which is also hard to find), this book gives a good description of the man, his age, and the battle he is most famous for winning.

At the end of the 17th century Louis XIV of France was at the peak of his power, the most powerful sovereign in Europe whose power was enforced by an victorious army with a reputation for being unbeatable. With the rise of his relative to the throne of Spain and his coercion of Bavaria into his sphere of influence it seemed that total dominance of Europe was within his grasp.

The fact that this did not come to pass was the result of the formation of the Grand Alliance by William III of England, combining the forces of England, the Holy Roman Empire and the Dutch free states.

The leadership of the Anglo Dutch forces was entrusted to John Churchill the Duke of Marlborough a handsome dashing General of only limited military experience. It was Marlborough who devised and implemented the daring plan to march across Europe to attack Frances ally Bavaria thereby relieving the threat of invasion from Vienna the capital of the Holy Roman Empire. A march which would ultimately see him join forces with the Imperial army commanded by the proven and driven General Eugene of Savoy to confront the Franco Bavarian forces near the village of Blenheim.

The resulting battle displayed the qualities of both of the allied commanders, Marlborough's dash and daring, his command of the battlefield, his husbanding of resources and the judgment which allows him to unleash them to the greatest effect and Eugene's tactical genius, charisma and steely resolve to achieve victory no matter the odds or the cost.

Overall this book provides a well written narrative of a battles which has been largely forgotten, which changed the face of Europe.

Based on diaries and letters of the participants and other sources, Charles Spencer gives a very readable, informative account, not only of the Battle of Blenheim, but of a whole period of history. BLENHEIM, BATTLE FOR EUROPE, is the story of how two friends and military geniuses, the Duke of Marlborough and Prince Eugene of Savoy spoiled the Sun King's splendor. Louis XIV's army, considered invincible for forty years, was crushed at Blenheim, a small Bavarian village on the Danube, signaling that the Sun King would not conquer the Continent. Mr Spencer describes not only the everyday lot of the common soldier: his arms, medical treatment and food, but he also delves into the personalities of the major participants involved, from the Sun King to the field generals to Sarah, Marlborough's wife. This is popular history at its best, although the term "popular history" somehow seems dismissive; would it be that all history was written as well and as entertainingly. The book comes with color reproductions of portraits, three maps, including two battle maps showing positions and movements of troops, and order of battle and unit strength tables, useful for those who might like to recreate the battle as a simulation. He also describes the battlefield terrain quite well and the morale and quality of certain troops. Valuable as a reference, once read for pleasure, I recommend BLENHEIM highly.

"Blenheim: Battle for Europe" by Charles Spencer is a riveting account of that great battle fought between Allied forces under the command of John Churchill, Duke of Marlborough, and the French Army of Louis XIV on August 13, 1704. This is a splendidly told story, not only covering this pivotal battle but the events leading up to it and the main characters involved, including my favourite, Prince Eugene of Savoy.

This battle possibly changed the course of European history with the near destruction of Louis XIV's army. Up to this point the French Army under the command of many capable marshals had never been beaten. It was virtually unstoppable until it met Marlborough, the Captain-General of the armies fighting against France. In this book Charles Spencer describes the outcome of that meeting at Blenheim.

The story telling is first-rate, the narrative flows fast and smoothly, is packed full of information but never over-loads the reader with too much. The colour plates are excellent and the maps sufficient for the story however I would have appreciated maybe a few more.

The account of the fighting is excellent and once you start reading it's hard to stop. The narrative drags you into the fighting as the allied infantry assaults the villages of Blenheim and Oberglau and then mass in the centre for the decisive offensive that was to break the back of the French forces. In the end the allies lost 12,000 men killed and wounded but the French lost more than three times that number.

This is an excellent account and adds much to the military history of this period, no decent library should be without a copy on their shelves.