France Books

A mini, armchair vacation by Thomas Kinkade, the painter and sketch artist,and his brother Patrick, the writer and professor, recounting the travels with their father through the England, Ireland, France, Belgium, and Germany. This literary trip traces many of the sites their father saw during his World War II tour of duty. Each chapter is short and perfect for a brief, relaxing, and often humerous escape to another part of the world. This is one of those rare books that one will want to keep in his library for future re-readings.

This book is nicely written and makes you feel as though you are along as a silent partner on the journey. The pencil sketches and the oil paintings within are such an added bonus! The comradeship between the brothers and the father is simply to be envied....and the new abbreviations for the foibles of the father are hilarious--we all know them! It makes you want to grab your bags and book an adventure of your own (or at least go on their next one!)

Ignoring the typo's and the reminders of dad's knee replacements, this is a fun way to explore some of Europe and learn about WWII from an aging veteran as he passes his legacy on to his talented, albeit delightfully juvenile, sons. One can relate to many of the author's memories of his youthful pranks and escapades, appreciate the beautiful sketches and oil paintings included by his famous brother, Thomas Kinkade, and appreciate and admire his father's service to his country. The misadventures of these 3 on their trek through Europe had me laughing out loud while also encouraging me to "go off the beaten path" that tourists normally take, appreciate the stories of the locals, and experience what's down the alley and over the wall.

I read MANY books in a year and so many of those miss the mark of giving me exactly what I want from a story. This book simply and sweetly went straight to my heart! It was a pure joy to read and was made so much better in that it was REAL! I not only envy the Kinkades for the depth of talent that runs in that family (Patrick is an exceptional writer!) but their closeness and love as a family is very inspiring. Everyone should read this book!

This is without a doubt the best book on the chateaux of the Loire Valley that I ever ever read (and I have read dozens). Given the superb quality of the pictures and the descriptions of the various chateaux, it is quite a bargain even at the full list price. Now that I think of it, this book is so enjoyable that the coffee table (or the night stand) would be an excellent place to keep it, not for show, but to have it handy to read whenever the mood arises.

This is a superb book and a great purchase. I was happily surprised at the excellent quality of the book itself. This chateaux collection is by Jean-Marie Perouse de Montclos author of 'Fontaineblue', which I had bought earlier and enjoyed thoroughly. Perouse de Montclos is obviously an authority in this so interesting and imposing a realm. 'Chateaux of the Loire Valley' is beautifully captured pictorially by Robert Polidori, this treat alone unfolds like some magical visual biography of France, and the world. I can't begin to tell you how much charm this book brings. The architectural relics and historical wonders are each detailed in the accompanying text. The history of Chinon, for example. There is a preface with the best chronology of the Kings of France I've ever seen. Never ending information and art photos about the castles, one better than the other. Including a profile of the unique Chenonceaux, with it's haunting echo of the fascinating Diane de Poitiers. With it's modest price this has to be one of the most satisfying books I've ever come across. You might also look up 'Fountainbleau' a literary and visual collection about the legendary French chateau by the same author.

We own this beautiful book. It is filled with high quality photographs, portraying the true beauty of the Lorie Valley. We are purchasing one more copy as a gift for a dear friend who traveled with us to Chenonceaux, and Chambord. Our personal photo's did not do justice to the true beauty of these castles.

This book will be on our coffee table, to remind us of the breathtaking experience we had, while being in the presence of such lovely architecture. I highly recommend this book!!

We have visited France in 1997, 1998, and 1999.

The book Chateaux of the Loire Valley by Jean-Marie Perouse De Montclos and photographer Robert Polidori is definitely the nicest coffee table book on sale about the beautiful castles of the Loire Valley. Besides being a superb wine growing region, the Loire River south of Paris offers a unique combination of beautiful landscapes and castles, which makes it one of France's most attractive regions. You should take at least a week or ten days to do a round trip. This book gives you an excellent idea of what to expect - or you cannot make it - what you are missing!

A superb study that is as engrossing as it is elegantly written and lavishly illustrated, and a sensitive inquiry into the aesthetics, the history and the philosophy that underpin an ancient and majestic civilization's view of mankinds's place within the cosmos. Both unique and profound. An essential work.

While the attitudes and examples of Japanese gardens abound in books and in cities around the world, very little has been written or photographs of the unique concepts found in the Chinese gardens. Maggie Keswick repairs that paucity of information with this very beautifully designed, photographed and written monograph on the spirit of the subtle beauties that abound in the Chinese garden.

Keswick offers an in depth analysis of the history of gardens in China and even if the reader is not an avid horticulturist, just the amount of information about China alone is reason to read this book carefully. But in addition to the history and the architectural elements of these gardens here considered, there are many graceful photographs and accompanying illustrations that keep pace with the narrative while providing an encouragement to return to the book purely for the art of it.

Keswick has found the middle ground in creating a volume about the elements of the Chinese garden and a volume that stands strongly as simply an art book. Highly recommended for repeated readings. Grady Harp, April 05

I've been a garden designer in Portland Oregon for twenty years and have spent over a year in China visiting gardens . This book is a very good place to begin if you want to understand , on a basic level, Chinese gardens . It is however, not the place to stop if you really seek to understand them . To do that you have to try to understand the culture and times which produced them. Fruitful Sites by Craig Clunas is the best work which I have found so far as it analyzes the gardens at Suzhou over the course of several dynasties. Chinese Classical Gardens of Suzhou (Hardcover)
by Tun-Chen Liu, Joseph C. Wang is also a very good book . It is a critique of most of the principal gardens in Suzhou and it punctures the illusion the every Chinese garden is equally great and every feature wonderful. And if you are actually going to travel to China to see gardens you really should read both of Peter Valders books . They will help you understand Chinese plants and to find gardens in many Chinese cities. I don't always agree with Valder's assessments . He is quite restrained at times . And if you are planning to travel to Suzhou consider visiting Tongli as well. I also consider the gardens of The Slender West Lake in Yangzhou and other gardens there to be equal to many of the gardens in Suzhou. And if you are going to go to China I recommend you start reading The Orientalist online and purchase Beijing by Peter Neville Hadley so that you will not be shocked when you travel China . It is by no means an easy process if you want to travel beyond some air-con rip-off tour.

How great Chinese garden are!From north to south ,east to west,royal to normal,fancy to simple,you could see all of the best gardens in China.Especially two cities that must visit:Beijing,my hometown,and Suzhou,a wonderful small town built beside the river.The spirits of Chinese gardens were focused on how to combine nature and humanity together.The gardens in Suzhou absolutely rendered an ideal level without artificial fixing,you might called it "Eastern Venice".On the oher hand,Beijing seems much more luxurious since it used to be the capital of China for 5 dynasties.The best known garden named Summer Palace ,which settled in Western part of Beijing,belong to the royal family. A fire desaster ruined most valuable garden named Yuan Ming Yuan,if it still being there,Yuan Ming YUan might be the most gorgeous garden in the world.However we pitifully left a waste garden,morely a Country's shame.You luckily better read this book before you visit China.<>is a helpful tourguide take you a preview.

the book was in excellent condition. and i would recommend the seller to others. i am satisfied with the service i got.

Frances Densmore lived with and studied the Chippewa people of Minnesota for several years. Her research has proved an invaluable resource for anyone wishing to know more about this fascinating cultural group. This book is chock full of information, from naming ceremonies to marriage customs to burial rites. If it were not for Mrs. Densmore, many valuable facts on an important people group would be lost

Chippewa Customs is a detailed and facinating book, containing extensive information that will assist in my research on the history of the Chippewa tribe. This is my first tool to begin my search for distant ancestors. God bless the Author Frances Densmore.

I wasn't sure what I was expecting when I picked up "Chippewa Customs" by Frances Densmore. Written in the early part of the 20th century, it's a book that has remained readable and certainly enjoyable throughout the years.

Frances Densmore paints a very vivid picture of the Chippewa/Ojibwe people, from how they picked their names, to what they wore in winter, to the fact that they liked fish-heads as a delicacy, or the sleeping arrangements inside the family wigwam. It's absolutely screaming-full of all those little details that you're constantly trying to find but never can seem to put your finger on.

They're right here, of course! My only complaint is that the ceremonies (Marriage, births, etc) are only touched upon barely. I would have liked to hear more about those particular aspects.

Focuses on the romance and idealism of the artist and his art rather than just functioning as a clinical review of his work... as of this review date (2001), new hardcover copies are still available from the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Online Store. I've purchased two.

This is a portrait album of a sampling of Christian Dior's masterpieces shown in the 1996 New York Metropolitain Museum of Art's retrospective. Every garment is beautifully captured. The detail photographs are exceptional.
But this is more than just a picture book about the 11 years Dior designed under his own name. The text offers a balance of historical costume references that Dior used in his creations against the social and economic era he designed in. It is both interesting and informative--two words that usually don't co-exist in most fashion references.
As a coffee-table book, this is a must-have for fashion afficianados. For those who can visualize and appreciate the complexity of drape and construction in some of the garments, there is no excuse not to own this book

The photographs of Christian Dior's magnificent creations are breathtaking. But the writing is unbearably pretentious. Unfortunately, this characteristic is a hallmark of most academic writing. But get the book anyway. Dior was an artist, a seeker of Beauty, and we're all the richer for it.

This book is gorgeous--fabulous photography, lots of detailed shots (I love the way they concentrate on the dresses and don't feel obliged to get the manniquin's head in every shot)--glorious! Get this book now!

Christmas in Paris is an exquisite study of Joseph Steiner's sublime slide into mid-life. Set in the period after 9/11 but before the Iraq invasion, Steiner faces the quiet bubbling of resentment simmering in Europe while wrestling with the redefining of his own identity. The book produces wonderful moments of originality, humor and psychological revelation that describe a parallel shifting of the main character's interior landscape with the geo-political upheaval around him. The book ends with refreshing clarity, that only traveling outside of the country can bring.

Ronald Fried's newest book is an insightful, beautifully written tale of a self doubting mid-life soul, told against the joys, memories and frustrations of a classic American in Paris holiday. Like his favorite author Balzac - some of whose 19th century characters provide leitmotifs for this 21st century tale - Fried has a wonderful eye for behavioral details: be it for overbearing journalists, competitive friends, knee-jerk French anti-Americans, a genteely nagging wife, forcefuly polite French shop clerks or perfectly charming French children. Fried weaves all into a delightful and moving read. Bravo !

CHRISTMAS IN PARIS: 2002 begins with a taxi ride from Charles de Gaulle airport to Paris. I've taken that taxi --- if you travel to Paris regularly, it's like a trip through your past, rushing you by hotels you've stayed in, reminding you of the person you used to be.

So it is for Joseph Steiner, a New Yorker who first came to Paris thirty years earlier. Now he's married, living in Manhattan, with a 20-year-old son off at college. Steiner may not be a star, but he has good connections --- he and his wife are staying in the apartment of married friends who are, like him, in the TV news business. (One was "in a place where there'd just been a war." The other was "on her way to a place where war was coming soon.")

The war that everyone knows is coming is a large presence in this book; it's a bookend to 9/11 and to the general question of American heroism. Steiner's wife, Mary, runs a small publishing imprint and has commissioned a book about Islamic radicalism. It's been selling briskly --- Mary is savvy and quite successful. Steiner is less so; he's just lost his job.

That gloomy fact looms even larger for Steiner than the drumbeats announcing impending war in Iraq. He has some money saved, but the loss of a vocational identity is a body blow --- and it isn't helped, in the borrowed Paris apartment, when he plucks some books from a shelf and discovers they're signed by the authors. There's also a framed picture of the cast of a popular TV show. Everybody's somebody. But, Steiner has to wonder, who is he?

The Steiners go to dinner with friends. The conversation is a deadly accurate portrait of accomplished people talking shop. Later, they pause in front of a store with a display for Karl Lagerfeld's new diet book. Steiner is astonished by the designer's weight loss; Mary wonders if the book has an American publisher. Not large events. But the right ones --- hey, the Steiners are on vacation.

Which means we spend a fair amount of time in Joseph Steiner's head. Reliving the experience of being fired. Thinking about Balzac, his favorite writer, who reminds him that "money became more important as you got older; it cushioned you from the world." And musing about Paris, a city he's visited as often as possible, because going there "was a bit like cheating on your wife without the burdens of deception or the pleasures of young flesh."

Paris is a theme park, a stage set --- a spread-out shopping mall for people who hate real malls. Mary springs for a leather jacket. (In a book of small incidents, this has the effect of a gun going off.) Steiner, though unemployed, does his share of shopping. "If Fitzgerald was correct and character was action, Steiner was in big trouble: he'd done almost nothing. But if shopping was character, then Steiner was a Hemingway hero."

You could easily conclude that this is a book about a small man and a shaky marriage. Wrong. It's the story of a real man in a real marriage --- it's like journalism tricked up to read like fiction. Because Steiner does "know" a few things. "He knew that his wife was beautiful and Lord knows she always tried to speak the truth....And there was still something beautiful within America, though darkness was falling all around."

These are not the exciting truths of the young. They're the home truths of middle age. They acknowledge loss but not defeat --- they're the guiding principles of people who lead middle-management lives. Put another way, they're the truths that power the lives of people we know --- of the people we are.

Reading Ron Fried, I began to think he could read my mind. He doesn't miss a beat --- he's terrific at describing worry and pride and vanity. He can do bitterness. He can recreate sadness. And in what looks like a little book about a ho-hum week in Paris, he can deliver a rich, satisfying portrait of two people who will make you think in a whole new way about yourself and your choices.


--- Reviewed by Jesse Kornbluth

this is an intense stream of concousness novel that defines the ambiguity that americans felt in a foreign land in the run-up to the united states invasion of iraq. this is seen through a middle-aged american who has returned to paris,where he had lived as acollege student.
this is a literary novel that enthralls with its references to balzac and other french writers of the 19th century, but most of it makes yoou think in broader terms about america and its place in the world and and how the perception that america may be falling from grace as the worlds leading hegemeny to the role of an agressor.
the narrator offers us incitful perceptions of paris and also the counryside nad rememberence of things past in relationship to the ambiguous future

Now here's an iUniverse book well worth their otherwise high price for a paperback. I found it hard to put down for long. The battle which the title's event commemorates is dealt with clearly enough to understand why it went the way it did. But who could have guessed the French troops would decide to have a coffee and pastry break beforehand? I never realized just how inept the French commanders really were in Mexico, though Mexican president Juarez and his loyalists would have been tenacious combatants for any such unscrupulous invader. I knew the installed "Emperor" Maximilian was out of his element, but not that he was so truly foolish--or that his more realistic wife had a nervous breakdown. Austin, Texas author Miles has a great eye for colorful detail, and a lot of it is fascinating, such as that a former colonel of a volunteer New York regiment in the American Civil War almost was executed with Maximilian, until the colonel's resourceful wife talked Juarez into sparing him. It beats the dry histories, while being a respectable, well-footnoted history in itself, and with a nice bibliography for further exploration. Except for a few typos, a misleading blurb on the back cover, and some needless repetition, this is a great read.

Award-winning radio journalist Donald W. Miles presents Cinco de Mayo: What Is Everybody Celebrating?, a historical account of the events that sparked the annual Cinco de Mayo holiday in Mexico. Nearly 150 years ago, when the emperor of France ordered his generals to take over Mexico and use it as a "base" to help the Confederates in the American Civil War against the Union Army, Mexico fought back. On May 5th, 1862, Mexico won a decisive battle against French forces, preserving its independence and preventing foreign interference in the American Civil War, yet it would take Mexico another five years to expel the last of the French soldiers from its borders. Cinco de Mayo chronicles the war between Mexico and France in plain terms, accessible to readers of all backgrounds; notes and an index round out this excellent historical primer especially recommended for public library collections.

Reviewed by Leslie Granier for Reader Views (4/07)

I must admit I had no clue what the celebrations for Cinco de Mayo (May 5) were all about before I read this book. Miles provided an insightful and intuitive book that concentrated mainly on the French and Mexican forces. He also effectively included the ways in which the Civil War that was simultaneously occurring in the United States affected the events of the war in Mexico. It truly made me wonder how history might have turned out differently if the United States had been able to intervene more on Mexico's behalf.

Interestingly, the accounts of this war from France's point of view are similar to what many believe is occurring today in Iraq. As stated on page 81, "the government was concealing the real purposes for going to war, the invading army was led to believe they would be welcomed as liberators" and "there was no plan to deal with the responsibilities after a military victory." He also effectively showed how the U. S. Civil War influenced the war in Mexico."

I appreciated the inclusion of an epilogue that told what happened to many of the major players after the war ended. I enjoy finding out about people's fate after their roles in historical events are lessened with time. For me it provides an end to what would otherwise seem to be an unfinished story.

I think it would be interesting to see this same chain of events written from the French army's point of view for comparison. For me it provided an understanding that there were health issues and food issues involved but I would think the army of a world power would have been more prepared and more successful, especially since other nations did not offer help to the Mexican armed forces.

"Cinco de Mayo" is a comprehensive account of the war between Mexico and France and the role played by the United States. Through the use of vivid descriptions at times I felt I could picture the scenes and see the carnage. This book is an excellent portrayal of the events of May 5, offering immense insight into what happened both before and during the fighting. While not the turning point of the war, the Battle of Puebla inspired the Mexican forces to persevere and accomplish their mission."

... very readable ... story on the French intervention in Mexico ... great usefulness to readers who want to want to know how ... Cinco de Mayo fits into the ... struggle to keep Mexico from becoming a European colony. [Don Miles] brings out many human and colorful aspects ... often lost in traditionally technical histories. His intimate knowledge of the Mexican culture is reflected in all that he writes.
--Dr. Robert Pierce, Professor Emeritus, Journalism & Communications, University of Florida

Cinderella is, in my opinion, the all-time favorite classic Disney story for little girls. There's got to be a reason why there are so many grown-up books and movies referred to as "Cindarella stories!"

Don't settle for immmitations -- get the original for your kids!(And enjoy re-reading it yourself!)

This is a good, short adaptation of the Disney movie version of the classic "Cinderella" story. Keeps some of the new characters that the Disney crew created, including Lucifer the cat and the mice that Cinderella protects. Touches on all the main points of the movie, and sticks pretty closely to the movie's plotline. Perfect tool for encouraging kids who like the movie to also pick up a book and read.

We have this golden book and it is one of my 3 year old daughter's favorite books to have read to her. It is the perfect length (not too long of a story, and not too condensed). The illustrations are also nice. I highly recommend this book and your princess should not be disappointed!

-Cinderella is the best young girl story there is! In my opinon it's better than snow white, jazmin's aladin, and the little mermaid. It's a classical story with young romance! It's a definite happily ever after story!

We have used the Fodor's pocket-size guide for travel to Rome, London, and now Paris. They are always our favorites for hitting the highlights of what we want to see and do. I don't know why we keep buying the other ones, because all of the relavant stuff from those is usually in the Fodor's guide. And the maps are great (if a bit travel-worn by the end of the trip).

If you only have a day or two, this distills the major landmarks/things to do. Map is excellent and includes ALL arrondisments and surrounding areas. Has info for all ages and interests and the book & the map are in a plastic cover that is small & light enough for a purse or (large) pocket. Useful, easy to read format is well-organized with accurate information. Only useful as starting place for hotels if you are on a tight budget or need to stay in a particular area, though.

The Fodor City Guides are perfect for cramming into a camera case and setting off to explore a new city. When I scan the travel section of my local bookstore, I am overwhelmed by the increasing spine width and decreasing print font of travel guides. I want a fun vacation -- and I don't want to study too hard for it! (Let's save those brain cells for learning the language!) The City Guides give me just the "big picture" overview that I need to help me make the most of my limited vacation time. Also, the City Guides have wonderful, big, detailed, full-size maps. It is no fun to try to piece together a cohesive map which is divided across several pages inside of a book, but the Fodor's guides include a full-size folded map which is tucked inside the book jacket.

I particularly like the plastic book jacket because of three reasons: 1) It protects the book from splashes from fountains or spilled bottled water; 2) It contains Fodor's wonderful full size map; and 3) The front pocket is a handy place to store those souvenir ticket stubs to remind me of my adventure when I look back at the City Guide in the future.

Last -- but certainly not least -- the Fodor's guides have the most accurate information that I have seen regarding ticket prices, times and dates of sites that are open for tourists, and metro/bus routes. Such information is always changing, and therefore it is reasonable to expect some discrepancies. However, I have found that if, for instance, three different travel guides have three different sets of information, the Fodor's guides are usually the most accurate.

Fodor's has really done an excellent job producing this guide book. The map was informative and up to date. The book is great for carrying around in your purse or knapsack. You can just whip it out anywhere and find the appropriate Metro stop for each point of interest. Buy it!

This book was a lifesaver for me this Passover. Every year it's usually the same bland food, so hard to get creative - especially when I'm the one cooking, but not the one who's been Jewish my whole life! Keeping Kosher when you're not strict year round is challenging and frustrating, but there were so many fabulous, delicious, and flavorful recipes. And the charts and tables in the back for substitutions, measurements, and categorized alternatives for dishes was so helpful. My husband's family has many food sensitivities, and this book allowed me to make a feast that everyone could share in. I got compliments that they had never had a Passover like this before and I was never allowed to give it up as hostess. I even got a standing ovation (which was a little weird, but my husband and in-laws insisted it was well-deserved.)

I would recommend this book to any,any,anyone wanting to knock the socks off their Passover guests.

This book could be subtitled "The Joy of Passover Cooking" because it does for Passover what the "Joy of Cooking" did for food in general. An incredible variety of recipes, suitable for both gebrochts and non-gebrochts (in 10 years I haven't yet tried them all), with conversion tables and recommendations for substitutions if you live, as I do, in a place where the choice of kosher-for-passover ingredients is limited. My family tells me that each Passover gets more scrumptious than the last, and my husband, who always regarded Pesach as something of a trial because of the restrictions, now eagerly anticipates the Pesach rolls and other delicacies I whip up. No Passover-observing kitchen should be without this book!

This book is full of creative recipes that taste delicious. I used at least one recipe from each chapter this Passover. Especially helpful were the conversion and substitution charts in the back of the book. The Seder menus were helpful too. This book is a must if you have a lot of cooking to do for Passover.

Every year I spend Pesach/Passover at someone else's house. This year I made my very first Pesach/Passover. We had people coming for both Sederim and during the week as well. I was petrified. Then I bought and read this book. It was the best Pesach/Passover I have ever had and I received outstanding compliments on the food. All the meals all week were from this book. It was clear, concise, easy and most of all reassured me that I wasn't going to kill anyone with my cooking. Thank you, Frances Avrutick, where ever you are!