France Books

Ever since I read it in my language's translation (Romanian), I longed for the original. Finally bought it in the children section of a french bookstore; Pergaud is a terrific writer and his charming french spices up the story-telling. I felt that the translations (both Romanian and English) lost a little of the rustic feeling.

I see that this print uses "francais facile", which I suppose means removing the flavorful patois and may be OK if it's for small children. However, if it's for you and you can, get the un-abridged version, you'll enjoy it so much more.

Two Irish groups of young boys are going to war, not for gold, or land, for pride. No booty is taken in this war just buttons.Who wins? How? It is a wonderful well written book.

The War of the Buttons is generally considered a book for children but the truth is that it is also a book for adults. Anyone who likes to remember what it was like to be young, free and get excited over the samllest thing should read this. The story is an allegory of war and makes very obvious how ridiculous human beings can be and how unnecessary wars are.

Beautifully written with incredible expressive slang worthy of every teenager.

I've been wanting to build model of Eiffel Tower for about 20 years. I've been drawing the main structure from bits and pieces I was able to collect over the years, and a lot of guess work. Then I came this book, and it was everything I've been looking for. It has all the dimensions and details you need to build an acurate model. It has details of the base of legs, the tower structure, original floor layouts and mechanical plans.
This book is worth every penny, I wish I would of found it 20 years ago.

This is a wonderful reproduction of Gustav Eiffel's original design. Every detail of the Eiffel Tower is represented here. The book is HUGE, though, so make sure you have room for it.

What can you say? You got all the original drawings, the explanations, and also the calculations.
It is amazing the way they did things in the past.
Also if you like history, the book is full of it.
The book is a complete review of all the facts of the Eiffel Tower.
You don't need to be an engineer to enjoy the book, but if you are, I bet you'll enjoy it even more.
The pictures are excellent.

For the last eight years, a group of aviation history enthusiasts in Mexico have done much research about one of Lafayette's pilots: Didier Masson. Dennis Gordon has obtained much more information, both in quality and quantity, that in the end has become an inspiration for our museum project. (And he did 38 times! ...Shame on us!)

Dennis Gordon's comprehensive look at each of the Lafayette Escadrille's 38 pilots, from birth until death, shows what outstanding personal devotion these brave Americans with diverse backgrounds had for a just and honorable cause.Also included is information on influential persons associated with the squadron, personal aircraft markings, memorials,and the lighter side of the pilots wartime lives.

This is the best book on the Lafayette Escadrille. Compiled as separate biographies on every pilot who served with the escadrille, there are also sections devoted to interesting subjects I had always wondered about such as aircraft markings, squadron locations, the lion mascots, fun in paris,etc. Dennis Gordon did a fantastic job on this book. The time and effort it had to take to thoroughly investigate each pilot as well as the history of the squadron must have been monumental. The book is very well written and put together. You can tell it was a labor of love for Mr. Gordon and fans of the Lafayette Escadrille (like me) will never be able to thank him enough.

For years I have been searching for wine from this region, as the quality is amazing virus the amount that you have to spend. Paul Strang's book clued me into the politics of the region from the Greek and Roman times to now. It was during the Roman times that the natives of Languedoc were known for their "proverbial drunkeness." After reading this, not only do I understand this region better and am planning on visiting as soon as I can, but I am also a much more informed wine consumer. Forget the overpriced Bordeaux's, Paul guides you through some of the best wine for the dollar.

I think I was the partner of Paul Strong/Strang in his law firm in London. Our partnership meetings, or more correctly dinners, convinced me that here was a man who is so multi talented, that I was embarrassed to be his partner. Although, as memory serves me, he poured more gin than wine down my eager, but inexperienced throat, even some 30 years ago I knew that he was a 'professional' in the region of France that he loved. This region is to the west of the Languedoc-Roussillion area where I have had a home for 12 years, but his analysis of the local wines is 'spot-on' and any newcomer to our area needs to heed his advice. He covers many of the vineyards that I have found, faut de mieux, and I think he understands how the local vigneron are struggling, in this competitive market, to exploit the huge advantages they have in climate, terroir, and centuries of experience, brought up-to-date by modern wine-making expertise from all over the world,both old and new.

It is rare to find a book devoted to the Languedoc Rousillon region, and rarer to find one devoted to that region's wines. Paul Strang does a great job of explaining the recent changes in the Languedoc wine industry and focuses on the pioneers of excellence in a region known more for its bulk table wine. His commentary is interesting and enlightening. His reviews and simple rating and pricing guides for the top wines of selected producers are easy to understand. His recommendations are rarely disappointing. On a recent tour of the region this book was invaluable. Discovering new producers, different grape varieties and interesting, often excellent wines, made the visit more enjoyable. In a region that produces thousands of different labels of varying quality, this book will help you to avoid disappointment in buying and enjoying Languedoc wines.

this book was exactly what I needed for my french class. All in French, and the supplemental materials were very helpful and easy to understand, as were the footnotes.

I studied this text when I was 18. Moliere is witty and humorous, which actually made reading this text a pleasure. He has lovely usage of his language.

I read this in my French class... the play is hilarious, well worth reading, and if you can't read French, you should read a translation or go see the play! It's funny, and although it is like many of Molière's other plays, it's a nice deviation from the normal play.

The book was in the French original version. The price was expensive but worth it.

Very Moving story of J-D B., who was a founding editor, I think, ofthe original Elle magazine, in France. He had "locked-in syndrome" and could hardly move a muscle - except for his eyes- or at least one of them. With said eye and eyelid he was able to manage to communicate and dictated this book....He founded a charity for this condition in France and if you google it you`ll find it. Some proceeds of the book may go to this charity ....
It has been optioned to be a film with the lead role said to be going to Johnny Depp.....

This book was written by a middle-aged man who had suffered a devastating stroke. After the stroke he was only able to move one eyelid, and so the book was laborously dictated letter by letter, using the blinking of his eye to choose letters from a computer screen. In the book he talks about his condition, and meditates about his life, both before and after the stroke. It's a compelling read. It gives you insight into the kind of life that few of us would have any access to. It's upsetting simply because you can't help thinking about how you would react in the same situation.

Where does genius come from? What are the motives? What are the stars that guide?

Picasso was arguably the most original and influential artist of the 20th century. In volume one of four planned volumes (three of which have been produced to date), John Richardson collaborates with Marilyn McCully to establish the detailed record of how Picasso developed as a man and an artist through the early Rose period. The book is made richer by Richardson's friendship with the artist and his access to Picasso's memories of key events. But he doesn't slavishly accept Picasso's version (except in damning Matisse as inferior to Picasso) but rather checks out the different versions and picks what seems to make the most sense.

Picasso's fanatic desire to succeed was fueled in part by his contempt for his father's failed career as an artist and his father's views that Picasso should follow in his footsteps. Picasso also needed to be treated as special, more than most of us. Groveling before exploitive dealers built a lifelong passion to be in charge. Picasso also knew that Paris was where he had to shine and suffered greatly to make his success there. His struggles will impress you.

Where the book is unequaled in my experience is in tracking down the sources of Picasso's images, gestures, styles, and innovations. The book is filled with black and white images from the works of other artists, Picasso's notebooks, photographs of the scenes and subjects, and related works that Picasso did. From these, you get a better sense of Picasso as a synthesizer of styles and modes.

In closely examining Picasso's work from these years, it's easy to develop superficial impressions of what sort of man did those paintings. For instance, the paintings of women show someone who feels compelled to alternately adore and dominate women . . . especially sexually. Learning later that he locked his mistress into the studio even on the hottest days when he left adds to that impression.

The book provides other powerful insights of this sort by relating the heavy use of opium by Picasso and his circle of artist friends during the Blue period. A lot of the models seem stoned in those paintings. Could it be that they were? Picasso loved to paint the circus performers and one of his first mistresses was one. Could it be that those performers are really emotional self-portraits? The book isn't clear on that point, but the possibility of the interpretation will occur to you.

A few central mysteries are left undeveloped. Why did Picasso stick so long with styles that he later abandoned and which didn't sell well when he was very poor? Picasso admitted to Richardson that the Blue and Rose periods had been mistakes. Why did Picasso slow down his production at times when he had contracts and shows upcoming? How did Picasso incorporate his love for poetry into his paintings?

At times Richardson is over the top in his fawning. Here's an example. Picasso is described as clearly one of the great poets of the 20th century, but Richardson doesn't reveal any evidence . . . nor was Picasso doing any poetry writing at the time of this volume. I suspect that the fawning was the price of admission for his access which rewards us in other ways.

Ultimately, the book's main weakness is that the images are not in color. Fortunately, color is less important to Picasso's work during this period than in later periods. Perhaps there will be another edition at some point that will bring the full dimensions of the work to bear at least for the masterpieces.

Enjoy your immersion in Picasso's chaotic world.

Great work, done by a real scholar, beautifully written, as fascinating as a novel. Keeps away from myths and tales, impressively documented, meticulously illustrated (too bad it is not in color).

Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) was born to a mediocre painter and his good wife Maria on October 25, 1881. His family was poor but well connected. One uncle was a priest; another a prominent medical doctor. Picasso's father was easygoing eking out a living as an art teacher. When Pablo was a boy the family moved to Barcelona where his father taught in an art school. His mother was beloved of Pablo who had her tenacity of character and eager desire to learn. His younger sister Conchita died in childhood and he was close to his remaining sister throughout their long lives.
Pablo loved to paint from birth! He did not like formal schooling. He did attend the art school in Madrid but grew bored and left. As a teen he was wild and enjoyed chasing girls and hanging around with his bohemian chums. In these early years Pablo developed his routine throughout life: hard work, lots of sex (often in brothels!and smoking. Picasso drank very little and never had an alcohol problem.
As a young man he made three trips to Paris finally staying for good in the City of Lights on his fourth trip. He became friendly with several artists and writers most notablly the poet Apollinaire. His first true love was Olive Ferdinand a fetching Parisian who was also a minor painter.
Picasso had countless mistresses.
During these early years he went through his "Blue Period" in which he portrayed tragic and erotic figures in gloomy and sad modes. He later entered the "Rose Period" of colorful harlequins, clowns and street folks. He also enjoyed sculpture. His work began to sell.
Instrumental in his success were the dealers he relied upon to majrket his avant garde art. Among the influential people who bought his paintings were the American expatriots Leo and Gertrude Stein. Picasso was popular with Russian buyers. He preferred private sales rather than exhibiting his art alongside other salon artists. It was during these years he produced such masterpieces as "La Vie" "Old Man with a Guitar" and several works portraying androgynous bathers. As the book ends he is on the verge of moving into cubism along with fellow painter Braque.
Richardson does a good job of keeping his text balanced between sapient art assessments and Picasso's personal life. The crammed text is filled with such characters as the Steins, Matisse and the fetching Olive
Ferdinand. We see how Picasso was influenced by such masters from the past as: Ingres, Cezanne, Velasquez and El Greco. Richardson is insistent that we see Picasso as a Spanish artist heavily influenced by his Andalusian roots and the luminaries of Spanish art.
The book is well illustrated with hundreds of black and white photos of Picasso's works and snapshots taken of Picasso and friends. Richardson knew Picasso in his old age and is a brilliant critic of his work.
What kind of man was Picasso? He once told an interviewer "Truth is false!" In other words he was a paradox. He could be kind or cruel. He could abuse lovers forcing them into unnatural sex acts or he could be a gentle lover. He loved and hated Spain. He was apolitical at this early juncture of his career. Picasso hated pretense and liked common people.
He is complex and unique in art history as a protean master of many different types of art. This is the best biography ever written of Picasso and is the first of the four volumes to be published on a 2oth century art icon. Essential.

I am so glad to find these books again. I used to check them out at our local library and they looked pretty old back then (I am almost 37!). I cannot wait to share them with my little girl, I hope she enjoys them as much as I did.

The Little Pear stories are fabulous. My four year old daughter loves them and we read them over and over. They are perfect for this age and older.

These little pear stories are just good clean fun. Not many books are written like this one these days.

Little Pear is a young chineese boy. In this chapter book he has many adventures. In these adventures he learns newthings such as ice fishing and baby sitting.

this classic isnt the original but it is still wonderfull. It is about how a girl lives in india and has to move to new york because her father cant take care of her since her mother died. She is sent to an all girl school and Miss. MInchin the teacher is really mean will she be able to get used to it and live like a princess again?

Sara Crewe is a girl that lives in India but had to move to New York because her father had to go to war. In New York, she stays in a place called Miss.Minchan's Seminary for girls. One day when it is Sara's birthday, she is having a fun time with her friends. They have a big cake and they are very happy until Miss Minchon comes in. She takes Sara away and tells her that her father died in war. Sara has to go in the attic to live with the servant Becky because she has no money to live on. It is very cold in the attic. The end is for you to find out when you read it.
I liked this book because it has a very good ending and a supprising middle. It's not one of those books where you can tell what is going to happen. I think that you should read this book whoever you are.

I think that the book A Little Princess was a very good book . The reason that I thought that it was so good was because they made it sound really real by making some people mean,some poeple nice, and some people anoying. I thought that Mrs. Michin was too mean.

I purchased this book because I had seen other books with paintings by Fabrice Maireau, and really liked them. I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed this even more than I thought I would, before I purchased. I hadn't realized the area has been classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, and the sketchbook helps provide an insite to the area.

thank you very much!!!!!not only the book arrived in a reasonably short time, but it was in perfect conditions, really as new!I'll buy again from this seller.

we were in the Loire valley May-2005, we took a lot of pictures, but the drawing in this book are even more close to the images left in mind.