France Books

Contemplations visual, intellectual and spiritual. In 1891, French painter Paul Gauguin fled to the island of Tahiti - "a sixty-three days' voyage, sixty-three days of feverish expactancy;" begun as an unofficial visit regarding the imminent death of the island's king Pomare -- and resulting in a profoundly moving sea-change (spirit, observation, happiness). The Tahitian theology, natural history, and especially the progress of his relationships - a gift. This is a good book to read BEFORE embarking on your "desert island" voyage, but beware! Hard to top once you're there on some other island. An exceptional journal, with a graceful translation (it seems) by O. F. Theis from the French. Rated 9 (needs more color plates of paintings! but a lovely, portable paper edition) Other recommended travel/discovery books: Off the Map: Bicycling Across Siberia, by Mark Jenkins. 1993 HarperPerennial pb. Letters from Iceland, by W. H. Auden & Louis MacNeice. 1990 Paragon House pb. Why Come To Slaka? by Malcolm Bradbury. 1991 Penguin Books pb. Travels With Lizbeth (writing/homelessness), by Lars Eighner. The Starship & the Canoe (Freeman Dyson & son George) Bird of Jove (falconry), by David Bruce. 1994 Texas A&M pb. The Earthsea Trilogy, by Ursula K. Le Guin Ishi (anthropology/Native American history), by Theodora Kroeber

Very readable translation. This is not the best edition if you want good reproductions of drawings. But in terms of getting a good text for a good price it's great.

I'm not really going to review the book itself as I assume most people who are here know that this was Gauguin's attempt to put together a what he hoped would be a best selling travelogue that would promote his art. He was hoping to cash in on the success of Pierre Loti's best seller the Marriage of Loti which was set in exotic Tahiti. It never made any money, but this is mostly because of it's idiosyncratic style. But for anyone interested in Gauguin's Tahitian experience it's great. Also check out his intimate journals which came out posthumously and cover also his life before Tahiti.

Typically considered a journal or memoir, Gauguin's book is in fact an early type of experimental multimedia novel. Thematically, Gauguin burlesques Pierre Loti's "Marriage of Loti", while structurally he interleaves narrative with his own highly-inventive Post-impressionist woodcarvings. It's a fine book: Gauguin could have been a great novelist, if he weren't already busy.

Though you may quarrel with Guaguin tactics or motivations, his art stands alone--brilliant, moving, subtle. It is always intriquing to hear the voice of a master painter and "Noa, Noa," affords that opportunity.

Jeff and Fargo are in a skit publicizing the Metropolitan Museum's newest acquisition, the replica of Marie Antoinette's necklace. This necklace is really a time/space travel device that sends whoever is touching it into an almost random place and time. Albany, Fargo's girlfriend, Fargo and Jeff are all touching each other, so they get sent into 18th Century France, into the workshop where the real necklace was made. Albany is still wearing the time travel device when she picks up the real necklace and then disappears. Jeff and Fargo are sent to the Bastille.

History is changed when Albany disappears with the real necklace. Jeff, Fargo and Albany might not even exist if they manage to get back to their own time. They are marooned in a false time!

Will they ever get back to their own time?

Read the book to find out.

Jeff and Fargo are in a skit publicizing the Metropolitan Museum's newest acquisition, the replica of Marie Antoinette's necklace. This necklace is really a time/space travel device that sends whoever is touching it into an almost random place and time. Albany, Fargo's girlfriend, Fargo and Jeff are all touching each other, so they get sent into 18th Century France, into the workshop where the real necklace was made. Albany is still wearing the time travel device when she picks up the real necklace and then disappears. Jeff and Fargo are sent to the Bastille.

History is changed when Albany disappears with the real necklace. Jeff, Fargo and Albany might not even exist if they manage to get back to their own time. They are marooned in a false time!

Will they ever get back to their own time?

Read the book to find out.

Norby and the Queen's Necklace

To date the series contains the following books, not including the omnibus editions which have their own titles:

* Norby, the Mixed-Up Robot (1983)
* Norby's Other Secret (1984)
* Norby and the Lost Princess (1985)
* Norby and the Invaders (1985)
* Norby and the Queen's Necklace (1986)
* Norby Finds a Villain (1987)
* Norby Down to Earth (1988)
* Norby and Yobo's Great Adventure (1989)
* Norby and the Oldest Dragon (1990)
* Norby and the Court Jester (1991)

The three Omnibus Editions are:
The Norby Chronicles (Books 1 &2)
Norby Robot for Hire (Books 3 & 4)
Norby through Time and Space (Books 5& 6)

In Norby and the Queen's Necklace you have the fifth adventure of Jeff Wells and his robot, Norby
In this one you get a brief history lesson, of sorts, about Marie Antoinette and the French revolution. You, also, get to meet the "Others" at last!

As usual Norby gets them into a lot of trouble, but, never fear; in the end it is Norby, the awkward little robot, who discovers the answer to their dilemma

Highly recommended for beginning Science Fiction readers. Say about eleven or twelve years old.

Gunner March,2008



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This is the fifth volume in the humorous Norby science fiction series for children about a space cadet and his unusual robot Norby. In this tale, Jeff and his friends are accidentally transported back in time to pre-revolutionary France in 1789. Jeff discovers that somehow the timeline has been altered and he has to fix it with the help of his robot Norby. Benjamin Franklin also makes an appearance in this novel. This novel is a nice way to introduce some history to young students.

I was lucky enough to work half a block from the restaurant "Now and Zen" in San Francisco. It became my regular lunch destination. I loved all of the dishes including the deserts that I tried. In fact, the strawberry shortcake was the best I'd ever had. I have not yet received the cookbook but am so excited to know I will be able to make these delicious dishes in my own home and I know what they should taste like. Once the restaurant closed I knew I had to get the cookbook.

This is a great cookbook for anyone who is interested in exploring vegan cuisine. The recipes and techniques are truly inventive and can be adapted to recipes from other sources. I think this cookbook should be on the shelf of every person who takes the art of cooking seriously!

I'm a longtime vegan who loves good food. In my efforts to spare animals from suffering, I don't want to make myself a victim at the dinner table. This book helps enormously. The savory dishes can't be beaten, particularly for special holiday fare. I make the dairy-free "cheese" ball for New Year's parties every year. I highly recommend "Now and Zen" for elegant, taste-satisfying appetizers, main dishes, soups, etc. I consider the dessert section to be weak relative to the rest of the book. I may be vegan, but when I want a sugar fix, only the best will do. Whole wheat flour and rice syrup just don't cut it. Don't let these comments discourage you because the rest of the book is truly gourmet.

Miyoko Nishimoto studied french cuisine before turning vegan and has managed to maintain the satisfying flavors of "dirty" cooking with her creative and sometimes mysterious recipes. Some of the unorthodox flavor combinations seem downright whacky but the result is always a pleasant surprise. Many of the dishes in this magnificent cookbook are as pleasing to the eye as they are to the palate and make quite an impression at dinner parties. I have served her Savory Tempeh and Vegetable Stew to die-hard meat eaters who ended up practically licking the bowl. A must for vegans and vegetarians but this book could also be inspiring to anyone who appreciates innovative cuisine.

This is an amazing book for doing care plans. Think of your patient and what characteristics they have. Then apply the nursing diagnosis. If they use a walker, have unsteady gait, think of a fall risk. This book will help you identify patient characteristics and apply it in a logical way to your care plans. Very beneficial to nursing students. Also referenced for specific disorders. What nursing diagonsis are applied to patients with diagnosis of pneumonia or edema. The will be the best care plan book on your shelf.

The book is kind of old-school so somewhat hard to follow, but the shipper is great -- I got it quickly!

NANDA, NIC, NOC and beyond ! Written by the "Lewis and Clark" of Nursing Diagnosis.

This Nursing Diagnosis Manual is a complete reference that will help nursing students and clinicians identify interventions commonly associated with specific nursing diagnoses.

Considerations for the entire life span of the client. Cross references disorders and health conditions with associated diagnoses.

If you are confused about how exactly NIC and NOC work and fit into care plans, this book will be a great asset for you. It reallly helped me understand and begin forming care plans. It is a little bit different layout than other books of this type, but it is very helpful.

If you're in a leadership position, try this book. I found it very helpful when leading my organization through a transitional period; it doesn't happen on its own.

This book contains a great collection of articles. I enjoyed it from cover to cover. I highly recommend it!

Dr. Michael Beitler
Author of "Strategic Organizational Change"

All of the books in this series are excellent. They are a collection of the best of the best--there was not one chapter I didn't want to read. This book focuses on change and how to prepare for it and make the most of it. Considering how quickly things change, this book is an important one.

I'm a fan of the whole Leader to Leader series. This book presents luminaries such as Peter Drucker, Peter Senge, Rosabeth Moss Kanter, William Bridges, Frances Hesselbein, and Jon Katzenbach. They address in short simple chapters the challenges of leading change. Who could provide you with a better supply of insight and inspiration?

I first read the sample chapters on the Drucker Foundation Web site. Now I'm sharing this book with my friends and children.

This little book came my way at Book America Expo. When I saw how unusual it is, I thought I'd write a review. That's sort of a thank you for many who have done ths same for my books. The gift of a few minutes time. A thank you of sorts.

The illustrations in Toulouse the Moose are simple and adorable. They have a continental feel about them that fits the story. The story hints at something real in the life of a child, memories--perhaps those of the author. The European settings. A smattering of castles and unicorn tapestries. Tables set with what appears to be Brussels lace. Everyting feels designed for a child with romance in her heart, adventure in her bones and a curious mind. The story feels right for the child who is a bit sophisticated for her age but still likes fuzzy animals come alive.

Mmmmm. Maybe it is perfect for any age, for I, too, loved the velvet cushions, the game of croquet and all the other unexpected details.
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Reviewed by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, award-winning author of the HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers and other books.

This is a charming story, with a European flair, of Toulouse the Moose and his cat friend Menou. The drawings, done by the author-artist, are delightful. There is a brief introduction about Toulouse's childhood history and then he embarks on two fun adventures.

There is a sensitivity about life, animals, and relationships of the characters that expresses kindness, courtesy, and politeness, setting a good example for children.

The story is simple and easy for children to relate to. I liked how it ended, leaving you with the idea there might be other stories to come. I hope there will be more stories of Toulouse the Moose.

This book of French-raised Toulouse is delightfully illustrated with line drawings and each book is hand-colored by the artist.
Toulouse is a unique character, a moose with a mission perhaps, a moose definitely out for an adventure. His story will delight children and adults alike and the illustrations are simply wonderful.

Toulouse the Moose and His Friends is whimsical, fun and leaves you wondering about their other adventures together. The book is unique because it is hand-colored, just like the old days, with attention to detail.

These memoirs have been quoted in Toland's book on WWI and now in Farwell's book. It was good to go to the source because of the writing of the Carl A. Brannen, the editorial comments from the editors, and then the addition of the excellent view of the son in 1990. This should be a must read for every Marine and for anyone who wants to know about war.

When America declared war in 1917, Carl A. Brannen was an 18-year-old freshman at Texas A&M. He finished out the fall semester of his sophomore year and then enlisted in the Marine Corps in January 1918, reporting for boot camp in February. Immediately upon graduation, he was shipped overseas to France to join the American Expeditionary Force under Gen John Pershing's command. After more training in Europe, he moved to the "front" to join the 6th Marine Regiment under the Army's 2d Division as a replacement for marines killed in the first 48 hours of the battle of Belleau Wood. Brannen kept a very good diary. We discover that he is not a heroic figure-just a marine trying to stay alive. He knows that a foxhole or trench is a valuable piece of real estate in face of murderous machine gun fire. Brannen understands and appreciates the difference between his gas mask and those the French have (they are better), so he watches for a spare one. He knows what hunger is and how much a hot meal means, when he can get one. He also knows what thirst is and how uncertain resupply is in a combat situation. Brannen quickly learns the difference in the sound of the explosion of a gas, shrapnel, or high-explosive shell. He stayed in Belleau Wood until it was captured on the first of July, a great morale victory for all the Allied armies. Brannen wasn't relieved until 16 July 1918. Instead of receiving a period of rest and recovery, he and his fellow marines were trucked to the battle area of Soissons, where he participated in an advance led by tanks. The Germans countered the attack with near-point-blank artillery, killing Brannen's best friend. It took only 40 minutes for his regiment to be nearly annihilated. Brannen, however, is a survivor. He participated in battles in Saint-Mihiel, Mont Blanc, and the Meuse-Argonne. Following the armistice, as a member of the 2d Division, his unit became part of the Army of Occupation. Pershing kept the army sharp by means of a rigorous postwar training program. Brannen writes about how morale plummeted in this situation since most soldiers only wanted to return home. Just when Brannen began to feel down, he was selected to join the ranks of a regiment referred to as Pershing's Own. He had fought with the 4th Marine Brigade in every major battle and had survived-a claim few people could make. The 6th Regiment, composed of three thousand men, suffered 1,161 killed and over 4,656 wounded for total casualties of 5,817.

Over There is a very moving book. Brannen, who knows he was lucky to survive, is a quiet man in a heroic way. If it were not for his son and some dedicated scholars, the papers, photographs, and diary entries that tell his story would have been lost. This book, together with Robert Asprey's At Belleau Wood, provides a poignant reminder of just how terrible war really is.

Private Brannen's memoirs, written some twenty later, are fragmentary and somewhat impressionistic, but impart well the combat experience of the World War One Marine, from Belleau Wood, St. Mihiel, and Soissons, to the Meuse-Argonne.
His recollections, accompanied by period photographs, are expertly annotated to provide necessary historical context and perspective, and further expanded by Brannen's son, who visited the scenes of combat in the 1990's and added new photos of those famous battlefields. This is a valuable addition to the history of World War I, and will be of special interest to students of the Marine Corps.

(The "score" rating is a feature of the page. This reviewer does not "score" books.)

Carl Andrew Brannen died the year I turned 18. The same age he was when he began his journey through the Marine Corps, into France and back home to Trinity County, Texas. I have visited his battlefields several times and have used "Over There" as a field reference guide. In the summer of 1999 I stood in the Soissons battlefield with my 4 children as they lay in the same road in about the same place their great grandfather clutched the earth for a dozen hours or so waiting for the German counter attack or darkness or death which ever came first. He with a couple of dozen Marines were all that stood between the German line of defense and the rear echelon for most of that fateful day. I read his account out loud to them as we walked down the road and know that it brought insight and meaning to them as it would any American. Knowing that there are thousands of decendants of war veterans with stories untold, I highly recommend this book as a way to begin your own personal journey to discover the trail, Washed with Tears, as my Uncle Joeseph Patrick Brannen, C.A.Brannen's son, and one of the authors of this book, might say. C.A. Brannen's point of reference for his experiences was that of his uncle Eaph Dial, a Civil War veteran of Hood's Texas Brigade, who from 1862 to 1865 fought in most every major engagement his brigade was a part of. Like Eaph Dial, my grandfather was also a part of every action the 2nd Division participated in between June of 1918 and the end of the war. His war decorations include 5 battle stars all of which are featured in this book. C.A.Brannen's dash across no man's land at Soisson's and Blanc Mont Ridge was often described to me as child listening with great awe, as similar to the Confederate attacks at Gettysburg. There is a bit of every American in his story and ought to be read. It is a quick read, complete with historical research to confirm his accounts and is perfectly suitable for readers of every age.

Rupert Christiansen has written an historical account that is also a "great read"; hard to put down and very enlightening. I had just finished reading a novel that was set (partially) in Paris around the time of the Franco-Prussian war and wanted to find out more. Surprisingly, this is the only book I could find that dealt with this utterly fascinating time and place. The title of the book says it's "the story of the Paris Commune". This is incorrect; only a relatively small part of the book deals with the Commune, while the major part describes life in the Second Empire of Louis Napoleon and the Siege of Paris during the war. I couldn't help but draw parallels to current Western culture while reading about Paris in the 1860s: creation of incredible wealth and its ostentatious display, pioneering techniques of entrepreneurship, rapid developments in transportation and communication, rampant cynicism among the intellectuals, popular fascination by the news media with private lives and notorious murders, and a very public decline in sexual morality. The author covers the sociology, the history, and the politics in a very smooth combination of original sources and his own narrative. It never gets bogged down on detail, but still presents a very complete description. This is a book that could be enjoyed by anyone, even those who have little knowlege of the 19th century and little interest in history.

March 18th every year is the anniversary of the establishment of the Paris Commune in 1871. That event rightly takes its place in an honored position in the revolutionary pantheon and is commemorated, especially in Paris, as such. Why? As the founder of scientific socialism, Karl Marx, noted in his spirited defense of the Commune against the raging reaction of capitalist Europe and the faint-hearted in the international labor movement at the time this was the first, trembling expression of the `dictatorship of the proletariat'-the time of working class rule. That it was crushed quickly by that same capitalist Europe and repressed thoroughly does not take away from the grandeur of the experience. Historians have rightly taken it as a seminal event in late 19th century European history. The book under review takes up the narrative around the establishment of the Commune in an interesting way.

The study of history like other major scholarly disciplines goes through cycles and, frankly, fads concerning the important lessons of any period and about what and who to emphasize or not emphasize. This book belongs in the camp of the social micro-history school where setting up the milieu is decisive for interpreting the sequence of events. The author has done a creditable job of setting the milieu of the Second Empire in France under the dyspeptic Louis Bonaparte and his entourage, including his demanding and, at times, bizarre wife. Moreover he sets the scene by a rather vivid, and perhaps too vivid, detailing of Parisian manners, mores, cuisine, architecture and other cultural phenomena which point menacingly to the disastrous military overconfidence and woeful under preparedness that was about to occur in 1870 when confronted by the Prussians.

Less satisfactory is his analysis of the enigmatic but politically clever Louis Bonaparte and the social base on which his regime rested. Karl Marx did a much more thorough, if more polemical, analysis on that base of mainly rural farmers and their political dependents who stuck by Bonaparte to the end in his classic exposition of historical materialism, the 18th Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte. Also the author's narrative of the establishment and crushing of the Paris Commune does not lend itself to drawing any lessons from the experience. While the author is not
overtly hostile to the Commune he is clearly no friend, and makes no bones about it. Seemingly the Communards got what they deserved, or at least what they should have expected. If you want to get an in-depth analysis of those lessons you must look elsewhere, especially if you are looking for the implications for future revolution strategy for the 20th century Marxist movement. With those shortcomings in mind if you want a good literary Inside Edition-like social travelogue of Paris in the third quarter of the 19th century this is as good a place as any to start.

Rupert Christiansen has written an historical account that is also a "great read"; hard to put down and very enlightening. I had just finished reading a novel that was set (partially) in Paris around the time of the Franco-Prussian war and wanted to find out more. Surprisingly, this is the only book I could find that dealt with this utterly fascinating time and place. The title of the book says it's "the story of the Paris Commune". This is incorrect; only a relatively small part of the book deals with the Commune, while the major part describes life in the Second Empire of Louis Napoleon and the Siege of Paris during the war. I couldn't help but draw parallels to current Western culture while reading about Paris in the 1860s: creation of incredible wealth and its ostentatious display, pioneering techniques of entrepreneurship, rapid developments in transportation and communication, rampant cynicism among the intellectuals, popular fascination by the news media with private lives and notorious murders, and a very public decline in sexual morality. The author covers the sociology, the history, and the politics in a very smooth combination of original sources and his own narrative. It never gets bogged down on detail, but still presents a very complete description. This is a book that could be enjoyed by anyone, even those who have little knowlege of the 19th century and little interest in history.

Rupert Christiansen really brings the Commune alive through a combination of research, archived interview, old news clips, and photos. The commune's ascendancy and collapse is related as a compelling chronology. His fine writing brings out the french pompousness that lead to the franco- prussian war; the siege of Paris; the state of denial that held to the last days among the upper class; the state of terror and famine of the lower class; and the ultimate collapse of the commune and eventual slaughter of the communards. As one who has lived in Paris, I highly recommend it even if you don't traditionally read history books.

My wife and I spent 13 days in Paris in May-June 2006. I found the information still current and extremely helpful. Oh, the great meals we had!! We dined at many of the places listed and were never disappointed. The descriptions of the various places were always spot on. We enjoyed the cheaper haunts as well as some of the pricier ones. I love to plan trips but I don't like to schedule every moment, especially when and where we might need to chow down. This book had great places all across Paris and was very accurate with info on when a place was open or not. We were able to be spontaneous without taking complete leaps of faith based on mere appearances. This book is a find!

This is THE book for lovers of Paris cafe culture, the Gaîté Parisienne of Toulouse and Degas and young Picasso, the smoke-filled existentialist redoubts of postwar angst and Sartre, the whole range of places, from tucked-away local digs where shirtsleeve workers take their lunch served by big-armed mamas to the ritzy-boulevard tourist traps, all the color, sounds, palate treats and eye treats you could possibly want, the stuff that brought you to Paris in the first place, are what Christine and Dennis Graf have confected for you, and not only that but they tell you how it's done, how the cafe "works," with the local body language and recognitions and intricate gestural vocabulary and what the places mean to les parisiens indigenes as well as the reverent foreigner drop-in. It's the book to have hidden in your pocket when you enter, the treasure-hunt clue that pointed you there but remains carefully concealed so that the habitués will think you just naturally gravitated to the place or else were astrally tossed there by astounding good luck. The book is worth five, ten times its purchase price.

Much more than a standard travel guide, this book is a work of art. It's beautifully written and sprinkled with entertaining vignettes and charming photographs. The authors have departed from the beaten path and searched Paris to find a select group of Bistros, the kind the average tourist hopes to find but rarely does. They are all unique, but they all have some things in common: appealing atmosphere, creative menus and outstanding value-- and they all make me anxious to return to Paris!

This book reads like a novel. Each section introduces the reader to the charms and peculiarities of the neighborhoods of Paris, followed by vivid descriptions of the history and atmosphere of the most interesting bistros and the best fare offered by each. This is not your typical tourist guide. I loved the fact that it is a slim book, packed with information, which can easily fit in a purse or pocket. The authors have focusssed on the bistros where Parisians find the best food for the best value. I loved the photographs, which capture the charm of Paris and made me yearn for a return visit.

As one who had never been to Paris I found/find Ms. Anderson's book extremely helpful, as well as entertaining. The discovery of Paris is a very personal journey, and I give Ms. Anderson credit for NOT including photographs, because pictures limit ones' own experiences of Paris. If photographs had been included in this book, they would have limited my own imagination of African-American Paris, and my personal journey of discovery. Ms. Anderson is an accomplished writer and artist, who is very readable. Her artwork is intriguing. I highly recommend this book, as somebody who doesn't travel very much, however I also feel the seasoned traveler will also benefit from her research. It also makes a lovely gift.

Congratulations on work well done. While there are thousands of writings on Paris, add this to your list of Paris reading. While this work is uniquely geared towards a personal experience of Paris through the eyes of African Americans, it is a must have for anybody planning a cultural tour of the city of Paris. I congratulate Ms. Anderson for her enlightening and beautiful book!

Paris Reflections, Walks Through African-American Paris is a comprehensive walking guide through the streets of Paris. Written by Christiann Anderson and Monique Wells, two African-American women who have adopted the city as their home, the book is a well documented history of African-Americans and others of African descent who have lived, worked and played in the famed City of Lights.

As one reads through the book, the authors' love and appreciation of the city is evident. In Paris Reflections, readers follow six fascinating walking tours of the city and are treated to a treasure cove of information, the obscure as well as the familiar, from important dates in Africa-American history in Paris to profiles of colorful personalities who have lived and worked in the city. Well written and easy to read, Paris Reflections, Walks Through African-American Paris is a valuable resource for both travelers and non-travelers as well.

One recent Saturday afternoon, I set out, copy of Paris Reflections in hand, to do an actual walking tour of the Latin Quarter in Paris. My aim was to familiarize myself with some of the Black American history meticulously detailed in the book. I wasn't entirely convinced that this journey would be that enjoyable.

What followed was an afternoon of sheer delight, as I rediscovered some of the incredible beauty of this area, with the added bonus of a perspective of celebrated Black Americans from a different era. While their very haunts may have changed or even be totally nonexistent, the monuments and neighborhoods themselves are still intact, to be seen just as these personalities saw them.

I applaud the authors for what must surely have been a labor of love. One pet-peeve, however, is the lack of photos of the basic points of interest encountered during the walks. But, otherwise, the discovery process as presented in this book in this most beautiful of cities is worth the price of admission alone. I enthusiastically recommend this offering!