France Books

I've owned this book for years & I return to it regularly. There is something magical about this book. Although most of us will never experience living in a Provence villa, the photography takes you away & it is absoultely wonderful to look at. Every page offers delightful discoveries. This book has it all and is by far my favorite interior design book in my collection.

I have never been there, but through samplings such as this treasure of a book, I have seen on print what I most want to see: Provence! This "gift" presents the reader with the best views of interiors that I am aware of. I have combed my library and bookstores for views of Provence for almost forever. This book almost makes me cry, I long to see it so! Until I do, this sumptuous look at this magical region is availble in this outstanding book. I am SO glad I have my copy!

In this rich photographic essay of interiors in Provence, Lovatt-Smith captures the design, style, essence, texture, life and breath of this magical location and its occupant's beautiful interiors.

This book is a gorgeously photographed journey into the homes of wealthy and/or very stylish residents of Provence. Not a book of typical 'French Country Interiors', it covers a wide range of styles from super modern to 17th century grandeur, from 'to the manor born', to gypsy caravans (stunning). As with all things French I adore the way they so gracefully combine the old and the new. These are for the most part not homes that were 'designed', but instead homes that 'grew' with thier owners over time. This book is one of a series of books by this publisher/editor team and they are all wonderful. I have this one, the book on Indian Interiors, the book on Moroccan Interiors (my favorite) and the one on Tuscan Interiors. Each of these books is pure quality. The photography, the variety of well chosen homes, the layout and design of the books, including paper quality, binding etc. is superb. There isn't one aspect of any of these books, including this one, that is run-of-the-mill or poorly conceived. If you are interested in Provencial style, creative interiors, use of colour and texture, and French Culture, you will adore this book. It is without a doubt the best book on French Interiors that I have found.

I have never seen any 'postmodern' theorist who writes with such clarity and wit. This will help you understand Freud, in a whole new light, and shows that autobiography is much more complicated than "the truth." I have taught classes using Flieger's books and articles, and my students always really profit from and enjoy them.

Tired of trying to figure out what the poststructuralists mean? Here's a nice, clear account, reading the likes of Derrida through Freud's joke theory! I learned a great deal about Freud (beyond 'phallic symbols' and 'Freudian slips') as well as 'postmodernism' in literature.

I recommend this book to anyone interested in the theory of laughter, or in the high-falutin French theorists.

This is an important rereading of Freudian and Lacanian theory as anticipations of poststructuralist philosophy and aesthetics. It also stands as an evaluation of Freud as a major theory of literature and culture, through a striking rereading of the Oedipal configuration not as "family romance" but as aesthetic structure. Highest rating!

I have seen references to this book, and to Jerry Aline Flieger's work, by some of the top theorists and critics writing today, including Slavoj Zizek and Sander Gillman. She is without a doubt one of the best theorists of this generation, because her writing is deeply intelligent and insightful, but also CLEAR. I always recommend this book to people who want a really original take on humour.

A book that finally provides a history (and excellent coverage via footnoted documentation) on a long forgotten and overlooked occupation and its accompanying attrocities. The cynicism of the time had prompted many to dismiss these atrocities as propaganda. Let the cynics of the present and the future not be so blinded as to dismiss the crimes against humanity being committed worldwide today, especially in distant and far-off lands such as Darfur.

Growing up in Post WW2 Belgium, I never understood why those who lived through the war could not stop recalling their experience.
Couldn't they just leave the past behind?
And then I grew up and I began asking questions?

My father's parents lived on the Dutch border, by Vise and so were some of the first to witness the invasion. My grandfather was deported to Bavaria for 5 years. His wife was left to fend for herself and their 6 year old son.

My mother's parents lived a few days' walk from the border, in Jauche. They, along with many others, fled Belgium with only the clothes they had on their backs. Watching the horizon for advancing German troops from the second floor of their homes, those who had survived WW1 had encouraged their adult children to just run. Why? Was that not cowardice?

I found the answer. It was not cowardice. It was survival instincts.

In its horrifying retelling, the book presents a sort of play rehearsal for the Holocaust.
The invaders' total disregard of the law and treaties but most of all their ability to get away with it all, set the tone for the next war. A German population, lulled by false propaganda, believed they had been victimized by the Allies. When the 'right' leader came along how could they resist seeking what they felt was righteous vindication.
How wrong they were though!

How Belgium and the Belgians ever managed to get back on their feet amazes me...

WW2 might not have happened had the issue of War Crimes been taken seriously. Millions of lives might have been spared. But hindsight is 20/20.

A must-read for anyone truly interested in learning from the Past.

I have long held the view that the United States should have stayed out of World War I. Larry Zukerman is making me think twice about our involvement. Germany was guilty of war crimes against he people of Belgium. Its behavior during the invasion simply cannot be explained away. The German military did indeed seem to deliberately terrorize the population. Unfortunately, the shabbily put together Bryce Report encouraged outsiders to dismiss all reports of atrocities as mere exaggerations and outright lies. I consider this current review as incomplete. Am I perhaps too reluctant to admit being wrong in the past? Whatever, I strongly recommend The Rape of Belgium to all those interested in the history of this savage war. I will also be adding future insights in the comment section.

The propaganda wars in the First World War produced a strong reaction against the distortions on both sides. But, as the author shows, the result in the case of Belgium was to forget the reality of the German invasion and occupation, which in many ways was the first episode of the twentieth century savagery of warfare against civilian populations. The term 'totalitarian' had not yet entered the language, but the war system created to plunder and repress the Belgians was in many ways the first instance of the type. Sixth place in the ranks of industrialized nations, Belgium was plundered of its industrial capital and infrastructure. This history was a premonition of the tactics of the Nazis to come. Sets the record straight in an area where it is difficult, short of the archival research provided, to maintain objective judgments.

There are certain stories you read in childhood that stay with you forever; I don't know exactly why this story has stayed with me so, but certainly it has. Hedwig's uncertainty and her desperate need to find a place to feel loved and safe were very well portrayed. I can remember reading about her loneliness even now, a good twenty years later.

This book had a profound effect on me as a child and I have never forgotten how it made me feel. Would recommend for any young girl between 9 and 12.

Ready Made Family and Runaway Alice are the type of books you read as a child, and remember as an adult, I recently reread Ready Made Family and I enjoyed it just as much.

Hedy and her brother and sister have been bounced around by their aunts, uncles, cousins and other family members until they no longer trust that anything good will ever happen to them, learning to be a family and for Hedy to just be a kid takes time.

Read it if you can find it.

Hedwig Kowalski isn't sure she wants to be placed out. With her brother, Peter, and sister, Mary Rose, Hedwig had been passed from one relative to another. Things are better in the state home, and besides, nobody wants Peter. Hedwig's aunt had said that he was a natural born thief. He tells lies, and breaks things, and causes trouble. Hedy is afraid Peter will be sent to reform school. Then thier family will be split up.

Hedy likes thier new home with the Kennedys. So does Mary Rose. But Peter, well, Peter is still Peter. Why does he have to be such a problem? Why can't he behave? And what will happen when money is found missing from Mrs. Kennedy's handbag?

My mother read this book in grade school, and we still have her old paperback book. I don't know how many times I have read it, but it is a great story. If you can find it, I greatly recomend it.

I find it laughable that people are charging over $30 for a used, older version of the book, when it is available new from the publisher (SRI) for $20.00. Smells like profiteering to me.

I am writing this review after finding my previously misplaced copy of 'Recipe for Reading'. This book is the missing piece in the phonics instruction puzzle. Although information abounds regarding the sequence of phonics instruction this book is truly complete. It offers a solid multisensory approach and continued reinforcement (both crucial for struggling readers).

I have a deeper knowledge of the book because we went through the entire book for my Orton-Gillingham training but I can say that it, and my training manual, are the backbone of my reading program. The sound instructional methods and clear systematic, sequential approach to phonics instruction are simply excellent. This book is truly a sequential phonics program (some of you may be familiar with the disappointment that the plethora of 'phonics' books elicit from unsuspecting, yet good intentioned, buyers). The sequence chart alone is fantastic. From the basic alphabet to multisyllabic words with blends this book will cover the entire reading sequence in a truly systematic fashion. You do not have to piece it together and it makes complete sense. Having the words for spelling and sentence dictation and reading means that much of the work is done for you. The alliterative sentences are also an excellent addition to this book.

If you want to teach children to read utilizing a systematic, sequential, multisensory approach this book will prove invaluable. I am so happy my copy is no longer misplaced!

As a special education instructor, I have found this book to be a useful tool to form a succinct pattern for teaching reading to the reluctant student. Nina Traub's book starts out with the teaching of consonants and proceeds to short vowel sounds, etc. Each section requires the student to recall prior learning, therefore ensuring mastery of material. This is a great tool for not only the reluctant reader but also children with learning disabilities.

I learned about this book through a special education teacher. I have used it for the last five years, and the truth is, it's a great way to get to those kids who just can't '"get it". It is very flexible and adaptable to each student's needs.

How this book came to be is as fascinating as the story within its pages. Eighty-one year old Red Wells always felt the need to share his life story, especially his experiences during World War II. Likewise, his daughter Sharon always wanted to write a book, and learn more about her father's service during the war. In the time honored method of oral tradition, dad and daughter would spend leisurely hours together, drinking coffee, fishing, or going for a drive in the country. Red would tell stories, Sharon would listen, mentally take notes, and frantically try to organize them later sitting at her computer. It was a last minute decision to attend the dedication of the National World War II Memorial in Washington DC that prompted both Red and Sharon to agree to turn their efforts into book form. The result is one of the most beautifully written testimonies to emerge from the soul of a greatest generation hero through the diligent hands of a loving, caring, sympathetic daughter.

Writing in the first person, Ms Wells-Wagner turns Red's childhood and teen years into a captivating adventure, every bit, if not more interesting that his later war exploits.
Diagnosed with spinal tuberculosis as an infant, Red spent the first years of his life in a body cast, confined to a hospital bed, hundreds of miles from home. His physical defect would eventually heal itself, but not in time to save his parent's marriage. Wells-Wagner's choice to use such un-politically correct phrases as "crippled children's hospital," and "Tubercular Sanitarium" brings the bleak reality of those trying times to light.

Red's mother died prematurely and Red was sent to live with a series of relatives. Wells-Wagner's pen flows effortlessly as she introduces a cast of real life characters all struggling against a backdrop of hard times. All, especially aunt Margret treated Red as their own but having missed out on those formative years of nurturing made Red feel not wanted. By age fourteen, like a depression era Tom Sawyer or Huckleberry Finn, Red was fishing the local streams, wandering the streets of Reading, smoking Bull Durham cigarettes, and sleeping at a local mission.

Red soon ran away from home, lived a Hobo's existence, hopping trains and sleeping under bridges from New Jersey to Kansas. Along the way he honed the survival skills he had developed on the streets of Reading. A stint in Idaho with the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) would give Red a taste of the structure he so desperately needed in his life, and would soon find in the Army.

The United States was not yet at war when eighteen year old Red joined the Army in the summer of 1941. Red was assigned to the 33d Infantry Regiment stationed on Panama Canal duty. Red alternated between guard duty aboard ships passing through the canal, and jungle warfare training in the hot insect infested jungles of Panama. From there it was on to Port of Spain, Trinidad to build a base, and more jungle warfare training. The author makes the transition from depression era narrative to military history smoothly. Her weaving of anecdotes about Red's encounters with tarantulas, giant pet snakes, a pet monkey, and a stubborn mule named Devil adds humor to this little touched topic of early American involvement in World War II. Yet to quote a trite expression of the time, Red had "found a home in the Army!"
Soon after the Allies had landed in France on D-Day, Red volunteered to join the 99th Infantry Battalion (Separate). Made up primarily of Norwegian-Americans, the 99th was one of four ethnic units formed during the war. From Cherbourg to Aachen, the 99th was a mop-up unit, clearing pockets of enemy that were by-passed as the front moved on. Little is written about this unit, or the deadly business of digging out hidden enemy troops, many of which preferred death to surrender. The 99th became a part of General George S. Patton's Third Army and participated in the Battle of the Bulge. In the spring of 1945, General Patton utilized the 99th unique mop-up skills to hunt down Nazi SS troops and guards that had fled the Buchenwald concentration camp. Red recounts tales of fanatically defiant Nazi SS horribly wounded but still attempting to kill with any remaining strength. In one personal encounter (which Red requested be omitted from the final draft), he confided to his daughter, "One even had red hair like me."

Red remained in the Army for three years after the war ended. As a member of the 474th Infantry Regiment (Separate), Red formed an Honor Guard for returning exiled King Haakon VII of Norway. On the GI Bill, Red took flying lessons, later became a Drill Sergeant, and participated in Task Force Williwaw in the Aleutian Islands, a Cold war training exercise in winter warfare. Red's last mission was to escort returning war dead to their hometowns and attend the funerals, which required him to fold the American flag and hand it to the fallen soldier's spouse or mother.

When Red returned to Reading, Pennsylvania and married Helen, a local girl who had always had a crush on him, he had left behind him a trail of adventure no literary author could duplicate. He was twenty-five old.

Red's military career was as unique as the life he led. Fortunate for us, Red undertook one final mission, to relate his life experiences to his daughter. The book is a family effort: Sharon's husband drew the maps, her son proofread the manuscript, and a generous sampling of photographs brings the narrative to life. Her labor of love is evident; the honesty of her prose will delight. Of the dozens of World War II memoirs I've read, this is one of the most inimitably fascinating. If you read one memoir this year, read this one! Five stars, Bravo!

This book is much more than an accounting of a soldier's action in World War 2. This book is a life story of Red Wells and it's an incredible story.

The story begins with a family history, the birth and early childhood of Red Wells. The childhood portion of the book is just so inspiring. The teenage years and his many adventures at such a young age really set the stage for what the next 10 years of his life would be like. Basically it's adventure after adventure.

The World War 2 portion of this book is very introspective. If you want graphical descriptions of gore and mayhem you'll need to look elsewhere. What is covered are lots of descriptions of what he saw and how he felt about it. This really shows you the emotional side of the soldier and is something missing in many books.

In brief, here's what I liked most. The book is VERY well written. The narrative flows like a novel. The length of the chapters is short, only a few pages each so I could read a chapter or two each night before bed. The material is so interesting that you just want to keep reading. And it's all true.

I highly recommend this book.

I finished this book in one day because I was drawn in by the important, inspiring, and dramatic story. This is the history of an American soldiers life and how he was profoundly changed by WWII. We have much to learn from the personal sacrifice of the people that lived and served in our armed forces during this era.

From the beginning of this book I realized the Patriot Red Wells had given much to a thankful country. His life was one of hardships and numerous trials. One of his defining moments in life was when he decided to join the military. From his various experiences during training, to the development of his many strong friendships, to the accounts of the horrific realities of the battlefield, I along vicariously learned from Red's life journey. The journey is itself is amazing but the master story teller Sharon Wells Wagner, Red's daughter, kept me en-rapt with each page.

Red's journey demonstrated to me valuable life lessons including:

1. No matter how bad a situation could be it could always be worse. The guy with his leg shot off in the battlefield is having a worse day than the soldier who is still walking.
2. Friends are important in our life and cannot be taken for granted. Red discovers the bad news of his military buddy losing his life during a battle. This story which caused me to reflect on the friends I need to kept in touch with.
3. As Red mentions he is very much a survivor. Through his actions during battle and in his personal life I learned that we must rely on others to succeed. Most importantly we must rely on our self determination.

Most people from a strained familial relationship with no permanent father figure normally do not succeed in life. Red Wells proves that you can overcome many obstacles, but most importantly you can become successful even if you don't have the best start in life.
I enjoyed hearing the stories of Red's life because I am able to vicariously through him. More importantly I may learn from Red's life lessons without having to live them myself. Red Wells is a noble man for sharing his life experiences, even if those experiences are painful to relate. It takes a truly brave man to let us live the triumphs and pain in their life, such has Red Wells has done in his history.

It is important to have people we can look towards and continue the legacy of this proud and diverse country. We need more heroes like Red Wells to stand up and tell their story. Red Wells has become one of my heroes. I will always remember the story of Red Wells, An American Soldier In World War II, and an American hero.

Very simply written, as a simple recitation of the facts, this book is amazingly emotional. Mr. Wells's life is almost unbelievable in the number of obstacles thrown in his path from infancy onward. His very survival is remarkable, much less his bouyant attitude. All of us should be inspired by having such a man as a fellow American.
History buffs will be enlightened by his very personal story of his life as a soldier throughout World War II. There is no better reference than the personal story of a participant. And all of us should be made aware of the trials facing ordinary people during the Depression, before the welfare, social security, unemployment compensation, or workers' compensation that we take for granted now.
This should be put on recommended reading lists in schools throughout America.

It really is between joyce and proust....

Where as Joyce's Masterpice takes place in one day proust's Masterpiece Swans Way is only the begining. In the first Part Swans way we have the world of le boheim Part 2 or Guermantes way Opens the world of the bougios. A world of the rich in which image is everything...sex, obssesion, grandmothers...ect ect.. If you are reading this then you are familar with the obsesive beatuty that is proust's writing. Equally great however, personally there is a satifaction after Swans way,(first time with Proust's writing)that make the first volume my favorite.

Volume I of this Vintage series was a little bit overwhelming as a reading experience. Proust is dense, difficult and the diction takes quite a bit of getting used to. It was a relief for me that the reading experience got much easier by the time that I reached this volume. Nothing is going to leaven Remembrance or make it less dense, but if you make it as far as The Guermantes Way then you are bound to have come to some peace with the language.

The Guermantes Way and Cities of the Plain are full of both broad humor and deep sorrow. The treatment of the death of the Grandmother, particularly the way that she slowly retreats in dreams, is one of the most real and affecting sequences of its kind that I can remember in fiction. On the other hand, the comedy of manners at the society parties plays out like a kind of Belle Epoque Sex & the City. Proust skewers the foibles and fables of the relationships of the rich, and often left me chuckling to myself as I read.

The farther I go, the more I find these books to be one of the most memorable reading experiences of my life. Nothing in these books makes me lessen the recommendation that I read after reading Volume I. In fact, I find that my admiration is only increasing as I read.

If you can, try tackling Volume II as quickly as possible after finishing Volume I. It really helps a lot to treat Remembrance as a single book, rather than a series. It also avoids time re-learning the feeling of the Proust prose.

Moncrieff/Kilmartin's translation is still the best. Proust's life-work is the most psychologically acute novel ever written, and a perfect match between form and content. His form is the memoir, conceived as a piece of music, with themes and variations, codas and recapitulations. The content is a list of evolving concerns, from love (in all its forms) to aesthetic creation and appreciation, as well as a sort of living autopsy of the aristocracy of his time. His motives were manifold, but it seems Proust primarily wanted to get in the final word on those people he knew throughout his life, and show he both understood them (better than they themselves) and that they had little inkling of his amazing inner life. For all his encounters with and criticisms of snobs and poseurs throughout the work, and his tendency to fully absorb himself in his experiences, Marcel the narrator risks coming off as a snob himself; but quite the opposite, he denigrates himself constantly with reference to his own writing abilities, up into the very last section of "Time Regained" when the structural idea for the novel we have just read comes to him. He's disappointed many times by his own experiences, when they are is measured and conditioned by the background of his keen aesthetic imagination. His salvation is both the Idea for the novel, and a theory of time/identity which has been "calling out" to him with his famous episodes of "involuntary memory" (the most famous of which is the tea-dipped madeleine). As one reads on, there are times when it seems Proust has suspended all action and narrative in favor of impressions which resonate against one another. It may seem gratuitous or self-indulgent, but he is "performing" his theory at the same time he's telling you about it. They each have a purpose, and it seems he's trying to enact a philosophical theory of identity and experience: as if we the subject are nodes of activity that blend memory and present conscious experience.

"Remembrance of Things Past" can be a difficult work to read, but it is so very much worth it. One needs no guide to read this work; it's not as allusive as "Ulysses" nor esoteric like "Gravity's Rainbow". Proust's style is very reader-friendly (albeit he spins very long sentences). He respects the reader, and wants her to understand exactly where he's coming from, for this novel is like the map Borges once described in one of his "Ficciones": it's a representation so large and subtle and complex that it is as big as what it depicts.

If Proust were alive today, he'd probably be kibbitzing with Hollywood stars or the world's billionaire elites...And not much of this book would change!

Been teaching this book for 3 terms now: one of the few important "war books" both men & women can participate in, respond to. As one student (Karl-Erik Karlsson) responded: "Gajdusek has written a very good book - no, it is a splendid book... it casts you between hope and despair...he uses the contrast between official military records... and the actual happenings...always searching for the right expressions.... a man so in contact with his imperfect language, it feels perfect...he plays with words, turns them around and studies them carefully...I REALLY enjoyed this book. I dare not call it a novel or anything else genre specific, because it is a transcendental text, crossing the borderlines of genre."

Robin Gajdusek's extroadinary account of one soldier, wounded and captured, enduring and prevailing, moving through death to rebirth, is one soldier's story that is powerfully told for all soldiers, on all sides, in all wars. Structurally complex, stylistically elegant, this narrative flows through a richness of forms and modes. The terrain of Gajdusek's World War II is a landscape and inscape as luminous palimpsest, as an intricate and compelling act of narrativity where all is redeemed in knowledge carried to the heart. And Gajdusek makes the reader see and feel and believe the facts, the horror, the magic and the mystery, and the great white bird descending and ascending, soaring over the numinous landscape of this remarkable book.

This book is the literary equivalent of Spielberg's cinemagraphic "Saving Private Ryan". Mr. Gajdusek takes you with him on the battlefield with a realism that is frighteningly palpable, yet simply and honestly described. It is a compelling story of the extraordinary mental and physical hardships of the footsoldier in combat. Most valuable, perhaps, is Mr. Gajdusek's treatment of the bizarre emotional conundrums faced by a wounded prisoner. Every soldier and marine should read this book. I dare you to put it down.

Gajdusek's Resurrection astoundingly re-creates his wounding and survival of the World War II battle of Metz. What begins as a garnish of genres--memoir, short story, narrative essay, war history, becomes a smoothly transitioned psychological shocker. What Gajdusek postponed for fifty years to write gives the reader the real thing--war emotions and war imagery. Within a beautifully crafted style, several nights in a shell-hole with frozen and broken legs, an incredible piggy-back ride on a Wehrmacht sergeant's back, and a German operating table in a school hospital under bombardment come alive. The ironies of war and a 19 year old GI's gutsy unwillingness to die become rare and compelling gifts indeed for the reader of these wonderful pages.

The Ripening Sun is a restful trip into the charming life of rural France.
The author's detailing of the everyday running of a vinyard is complete and gives you a good understanding of how much work is involved with this age old process of winemaking. It is a soft book to read anytime of the day and leaves you with just a little peaceful smile.

This is a "must read" for anyone dreaming of owning a vineyard or wishing for a winery! It is the story of Patricia's journey from a novice to a wine expert in 15 short years. She has an ability to tell her story in a way that won't allow you to put the book down until you have read it through. Her characters are fascinating and the best part is that they are real people. You will want to visit Patricia in France and tour her vineyard and winery after reading this book. Book 2 promises to be even better!

This was such a wonderfully spellbinding book that I couldn't put it down but at the same time did not want it to end. I really felt like the author was sitting down with me telling the story of her life. Unlike other books of this genre, there is some real life stuff going on, some of it truly heartbreaking. I would highly recommend this book over some of the others like "Bon Courage." I hope Patricia Atkinson is writing a sequel between all her other busy moments in life.

Faced with a formidable challenge of single-handedly turning an overgrown vineyard into a economically viable operation, the heroine of this real-life story has the tenacity to beat the odds and go well beyond what most of us would consider an acceptable workload. Of course, the village setting and the many neighbors whose friendship shines through are the real stars of this wonderful book.

Some years ago I rented this book from my local library - and it was good enough that when I saw it here on Amazon, I decided right away I should own it! For anyone wanting to know more about the fascinating life of Empress Josephine - born Marie-Josephe Rose Tascher de la Pagerie - this is the book. It's engaging and informative - and a wonderful read. The imagery of Martinique is lush and the descriptions of life in France are abundantly detailed. You won't regret purchasing this book!

Even after visiting the birthplace and burial site of 'Josephine', I realized I knew next to nothing about her that was favorable. Most biographies focus on Napoleon. This biography offered some more insite into the world she lived in and how it shaped her. I found one superficial innacuracy of the decscription of Martinique and the book did not really mention much about the re-institution of slavery in the French colonies after the Revolution message of 'egalitie', which is usually blamed on the Creole Josephine. All in all, this is a superb piece of history and I am glad to add it to my library.

Andrea Stuart's new biography on the life of Napoleon's most famous mistress, Josephine, is a complete and captivating story of one of France most powerful women at a time of social and political upheaval as France sought to reestablish its identity at the heart of Europe and the New World. It is a rich biography, expanding to discuss in depth the political and social reality of the time and the nature and actions of those personages that influenced Josephine the greatest.
The story commences with the birth of Marie-Josephe-Rose de Tascher de La Pagerie on the island of Martinque, After delving into her childhood, Rose's life truly commenced with her enagagement and subsequent marriage to Alexandre de Beauharnais - often pointed to as the galant, de Valmont, of Laclos' Les Liaisons Dangereuses. After a rocky marriage as her overly florid and highly unsuited to marriage husband took a multitude of lovers, charmed his way through Parisien society and ended up accusing the innocent Rose of adultery whilst he on a trip back to Martinque and she in Paris, Rose found herself with two children, separated and in a the convent of Panthemont. It was to prove a turning point as, just before the French Revolution ignited she returned from new new home at Fontainbleu to Martinque. Whilst there she did not escape the violence of it as Martinque was one of the first colonies to follow the mainland and she was forced to flee the island of her birth forever.
She returned to a Paris where republicanism was the new `word' . In the meantime her husband, Alexandre, had risen to prominence amongst the new wave of political power and was actually President of the National Assembly the month Rose returned. As a result of her husband's fame, so Rose grew in recognition by association. As Alexandre presided over the capture of the fleeing King the event polarized the camps into the Feuillant party against the Girondists and Jacobins and Alexandre, for a time became the de facto ruler of France.
It was a fortunate time for Rose as her husband's position enabled her to make friendships with France's new elite and to find time for amorous pursuits. However, come Louis XVI's execution and England's declaration of war, Alexandre's ineptitude in his new position as commander of the Rhine armies and his libertine nature led to his downfall under the Law of Suspects and Rose's subsequent arrest. After several months of imprisonment at Les Carmes Alexandre died at the guillotine days before Robespierre and days after Rose was released.
By 1795 she had come to meet the man who would eclipse her - Napoleon.
At his point Stuart digresses onto a quick recount of Napoleon's life and career before Rose engaged on her relationship. Napoleon was smitted and proposed, Rose only accepting after realising Hoche was no longer available to her. It was at this point Napoleon renamed her Josephine. What follows is a period as Napoleon swept all before him in Italy whilst all the time writing letter upon letter to her in fits of passion alternating between over-eloquent expressions of love and frustration at her seeming coldness. It was a reversal of roles from Josephine's first marriage, but as Napoleon's fame and power grew, so did hers. Stuart does well here to interpose love letter text with historical action and emotional frenzy, sweeping the reader along on the tides created by the future emperor.
As Napoleon aged and his power increased there came the inevitable shift in power each held in their personal relationship forced along by Josephine's relationship with Hippolyte Charles eventually culminating in the very public knowledge of the problematic state of their marriage while Napoleon was in Eygpt and the now somewhat embellished episode at the house at rue de la Victoire.
What follows is a recount of Napoleon's rise to fame, Josephine's active participation in the conspiracy that secured his position within the Consulate and her transformation from `decadent Directoire godess into virtuous, restrained statesman's wife" (p270). Josephine's social skills soon translated into the highest political weapon as she presided from her Yellow Salon providing support for the emigres but not yet extending to the exiled Louis XVIII. However, she retained a loving family atmosphere with her two children and Napoleon despite their lack of children together.
Eventually, Napoleon acclaimed himself Emperor of France in 1894 and Stuart treats us to a lengthy discourse on Josephine's battle with Napoleon's family, her final spiritual marriage to him and their coronation.
As Empress of the French the rest of her life was played against the tumult of several legendary European battles with conquests of great nations, yet done in a manner that meant she retained her regality. As Empress her life was rigorously dictated, protocol dominating her every move, her life peripatetic. Stuart illustrates this with a detailed look at a typical day following with how she influenced French society, patronaging the arts and acting as the gentle foil to Napoloeon's rudeness.
However, it all fell apart when Napoleon divorced her on Dec 15, 1809 and she spent the rest of her life either touring France or at Malmaison. Acclaimed as a generous host she spent four years playing this part as Napoleon's Grnad Empire began to fall apart and it all ended suddenly in 1813 with Napoleon's exile on Elba and Josephine succumbing, aged 51, to her final moments.
Andrea Stuart's biography of France's most celebrated Empress is effortlessly written, evoking an emotional reponse full of admiration for this woman who transformed from the rose of Martinque to one of the most powerful and loved women of the time. Whilst popular history may relegate her to the boudoir with the infamous phrase of `Not tonight, Josephine' from Napoleon, what this effort has done is draw attention to a woman who place in history is very much assured.

Highly recommended.

Andrea Stuart's telling of the life of the Empress Josephine is wonderfully entertaining and very telling. I have been fascinated by the story of Napoleon and Josephine since I was 13 years old am always looking for new information on the subjects and their lives. As a history major at UK I very much appreciated the research that Ms. Stuart obviously did on the times and circumstances in which Josephine lived. Especially in regards to the issue of slavery in the 18th and 19th centuries. She obviously cares deeply for the memory of the Empress and has done Her Majesty a superb honor with this work.