France Books

Eric Kimmel gives new life to the same old hum drum fairytales! His charecters truly come to life...my husband and I find oursleves reading with crazy new voices we didn't realize we had. My children love that they recognize the story, but that it also has a new twist. Big faves at our house include Cactus Soup (Stone soup), The Runaway Tortilla (The Gingerbread Man), and The Three Cabritos (The Three Billy Goats Gruff). These tales are fun for the adult readers, as well as the kiddoes...for Kimmels great commentary on those with a "small world-view" check out Pumpkinhead. Great tales, with great lessons!

Cactus Soup by Eric Kimmel takes the timeless tale of Stone Soup and injects a Mexican flavor. The text is arranged into short passages that are easy to read and follow. The Spanish language that is native to the characters in the story is woven into the story. The Spanish is presented in a way that is easy to identify the meaning. For readers who still struggle with the meaning of the words, they can flip to the back of the book and find a glossary.
Kimmel has written his book in a way that has readers eager to flip the page. First he presents a problem, such as a hungry army coming to town who will eat all the food, and then he has the townspeople solve the problem. For every problem that is presented, the reader is anxious to flip the page and see the solution.
The beautiful illustrations by Phil Huling capture the feel of the Mexican Revolution time period. Huling uses reds, yellows, and greens to portray the vivid colors common to the Mexican culture. While the pictures exaggerate the actions taking place in the story, they still follow the plot line and allow the reader to get a comprehensive view of the book.
Since Cactus Soup is a variation of Stone Soup, the characters are predictable, yet still likeable. The mayor looks out for the needs of his people. He takes a misguided, yet authoritarian approach in his attempt to do this. The townspeople first follow the directions of their leader and then later enthusiastically help the captain of the army make the cactus soup.
The captain solves the problem of no food, without asking the townspeople for food they claim not to have. He craftily gets the townspeople to volunteer food in an attempt to improve the taste of the cactus soup. He teaches the townspeople (and readers) the valuable lessons of sharing and working together for a common purpose.

Cactus Soup tells the story of a town that doesn't want to share its food with a small approaching army. But in the end, the captain gets the whole town to "make" his famous cactus soup. I like the quote, "Why ask for what you don't have?" You'll feel like eating Mexican after reading this book! I especially like the "stretched" illustrated characters. Muy bien!

At last a book that tells what really happened on the British/Canadian sectors of the Normandy Beachhead. Mr McKee vividly decribes the savage fighting before Caen. He mixes grand strategy with the ordinary British or Canadian soldier's experiences of the carnage on the ground. The narrative flows well and is engrossing. McKee does not neglect the German perspective either, he frequently includes remeniscences from the opposition.
I would reccommend this book to anyone, for readers on the western side of the Atlantic it may come as a surprise that the tardy Brits didn't just sit and drink tea while the yanks did all the fighting.

All in all an excellent read

It has been twenty or thirty years since I first read this account of the Caen battles and I still re-read it every couple of years. It is that good. There would have been no Max Hastings' 'Overlord' or John Keegan's 'Six Armies in Normandy' without Alex Mckee - he laid the ground work for all that.

In addition to giving a well crafted account of the fighting and what it felt like to be a British or Canadian soldier in Normandy he provides lots of information and first person accounts from the German side as well.

There are books with more technical detail but this is one upon which all subsequent accounts of Normandy can be based. McKee writes as a man who was there (and not so long ago as of original publication date) and incorporates his own prejudices into his account which for me gave the work verisimultude.

I find myself sharing his frustration as one bloody blunder follows another, and both sides heaped up more than their share of blunders. After reading this book one becomes aware of just how big a debt the Allies owed to Adolf Hitler for pushing his troops into a trap (Falaise) from which less than half broke free.

This book is to me, like an old friend, and I'd recommend it to anyone with an interest in military history in general or the Normandy battles in particular

It is a terrible pity that this book is out of print, both in Australia and in the USA. This is probably the best account of a battle that I've read, along with A Bridge Too Far. The descriptions of the horrors of the Caen battlefield - particularly the Battle of the Falaise Gap - are excellently done. One gets a good feel for small unit tactics in the British Army, especially tank actions. They ought to make a movie out of this!!!
McKee also does not hold back on stories of Allied war crimes, with the English, Canadians and Scottish mistreating and executing prisoners, especially SS-troops. It certainly gives a dark side to the story, especially the Canadians, who seemed to have been especially venegful (many were descended from Frenchmen). This is stuff I never read before in the history books...

This is the book to have if you're (mainly) interested in Art Deco pieces. The Art Deco was one of the most innovative periods of the 20th century and Cartier really showed the pieces at their best. I love the so-called "Tutti-Frutti" bracelets. Cartier really knew how to use the various cuts to its full potential and set in platina definately had a magical finish. Some pieces have had illustrous owners. When you buy this book, you are almost obliged to buy "Famous Jewellery Collectors", as these two books go practically hand in hand. Most of these famous collectors were very active (in buying) in the Art Deco period.

Excellent book for jewelry collectors and admirers. Book provides history of Cartier and a great insight into period, which makes it a lot of fun to read. It is a valuable resource for anyone interested in Art Deco jewelry. Gorgeous pictures.

If gems and the fine art of the jeweler are your passions, this book is for you. Yes, it's expensive, but it's worth it. The photos (mostly in color) are utterly sumptuous and the text is intelligent, informative and thorough. All in all, a banquet of elegance and unfailing fine taste.

Castle-on-the-Hill ends with mystery: who was the Ragdoll man? who lit the tower on the strange night years ago? why was the Castle of Tremannec abandoned and empty?

In "The Treasure of Tremannec" M. C. Campbell picks up the tale takes the reader from Gwenrande to Sant Malou -- around and across 15th century Brittany. A great read for all.

Adventure of this kind is good for any 10 to 90 year old reader - it involves kinship and friendship, youth & aged, good & bad, beauty and malevolence. When you let yourself fall into this fantasy you find yourself believing in "the Doom" and in solving the riddle: "No living man; no woman born / Shall enter here and live 'til morn."

This is a very creative and descriptive story. As the story unfolds, four children go on a great adventure as you follow them through Brittany many, many years ago. You are drawn into the ad venture as you go around France following the children, an old cobbler, and their newly found friends. I strongly recomend this book. You won't be able to put it down!

If,like me,you already have scores of scholarly books on castles, and are looking for a stunning visual reference crammed with oversized, beautiful aerial photos of castles from all over the world, look no further. This is it.

This is a stellar collection of aerial views of castles all over Europe and ranging as far East as Turkey. While showing no author or even photographer credits, the brief text and very short captions merely offer context for the main show--the wonderful oversize two-page spread color plates showing the great variety of castle layouts as well as some later fortifications, including some seacoast defense sites. Arranged in rough geographical order, this is a veritable aerial voyage offering views you simply can't get on your own lacking a private plane or helicopter. I've seen many of these places--but never from these angles. It is great to see a castle book that does not rely on the usual photos, let alone the usual places. There are a host of sites shown here that are new to me and make me want to head off on yet another castle trek. In all, well worth the money---a sheer delight.

A gorgeous collection of European castles from the air, with just a bit of identification on each rather than a description.

Long introduction on castles and history. Included several castle sites that were new to me.

Beautifully photographed, occasionally from a non-traditional vantage. (Example: Segovia is normally shown looking up at the north side, here it's shown as an aerial view from the west side)

No author is listed. I hope they'll do another volume with many more castles. The book makes one want so many more photos, especially of such splendors as Krak Des Chevaliers.

A great book for the child who loves cats.

author of "Hobo Finds A Home"

I *love* this book- the story of the grumpy kitty who is momentarily displaced in his little girl's life by a new teddy bear. Teaches sharing and tolerance, and the art is wonderful. I've given copies to most of the new moms I know, plus reserved a copy for myself.

This book will appeal to cat and teddy lovers as well as children. The message of rivalry is simple and plain enough for even young children to understand. It is a delightful book with wonderful art work.

As a lover of cats and of France, I found Helene Thornton's Cat Chat impossible to put down! It is a romance of how two very different people are drawn together by their love of one very beautiful cat. The author tells of her life in the south of France with Monsieur and how their ever-growing family of cats enriches their lives. I have read this book over and over and have never grown tired of it. This is a book worth having in your collection!

It was that good! Cat Chat is the perfect book for the avid cat lover and Francophile. It is a story of love, cat adoration, travel to the South of France and a beautiful life. I ordered this book from Amazon.com.uk because it was not originally available in the US, and it was worth every extra dollar. It is a love story, without all the fluffy and erotic nonsense, a story of a couple that loves and admires cats and a story of two people living an authentic life in the South of France. If any portion of this description appeals to you, you will enjoy this book. If you truly dislike cats, don't buy it, as the auther is a real cat lover, but the story is not devoted to cats. What more can I say, except that if you love travel and relocation stories, if you have any admiration at all for cats and if you have even the smallest dream of living in the South of France, you will love this book. I ordered extra copies for friends and family, but my original copy is a keeper for my personal library.

I just could not put this book down. Please can we have a follow-up?

Cathar Castles does not go into overwheming detail about the Albigensian Crusade, nor should it...it does supply a nice and very complete background however. It centers, quite sensibly on the Castle's themselves.

Expert artwork by Peter Dennis breaths life into the old Southern French Fortresses, the works are clear and vivid...and magnificently detailed. A very descriptive narrative by Marcus Cowper complements the illustrations...or they complement each other, that would be more to the point. Everything is explained including a nice conclusion on visiting these Castle's today.

A very nice 'fit' into Osprey's rather large collection of Castle's, Forts, Strongholds and Defenses that existed in many lands through the centuries.

Crusades were not all in the Middle East. These crumbling remnants of fortifications from the 1200s bespeak a time of Christian v. Christian warfare as the Catholic Church tried to stamp out the Cathar movement the establishment considered to be heretical. Today, one can visit all these places, some with short walks, others after more difficult hikes. Part of a now more than 50-volume "Fortress" series from Osprey, this combines an informed text, photos, wonderful color reconstruction (and cutaway) diagrams, data on the places today, and a short reading list. There is not a lot about these structures published in English, making this even more useful. As one who has been in many of these castles, I recommend the book to anyone traveling in the region.

In less then 62 pages, Macus Cowper does a fantastic job going into the details and structures of the major fortresses of the Albigensian Crusade that took up most the 13th century in southern France. The short book centered itself around the castles belonging to Cathars, a heretical movement that took hold in that part of France and subject to a major crusade to wiped it out.

The book comes with a decent background to the Albigensian Crusade how the castles affected the entire campaign as they withstood the crusade before finally falling. Looking at the photos and the illustrations, it took a lot of determination by the invaders to take some of these places. The book comes superbly well illustrated with detail drawings and diagrams of some of the castles, photographs and map of their locations. The text is well written and nicely researched. The author obviously got a pretty good command of the subject and it looks like he visited the actual locations himself.

The book also could serves as a nice historical travel guide as well since the author was kind enough to put in visiting hours and other such material into this book. The book come well recommended and should provide a good companiion piece to a more scholarly work on the Cathar that often come with a lot of words but little illustrations or photos.

When Anna and her classmates go on tour to see the famous cave paintings in Lascaux, France, she gets separated from her group and meets a tour guide dressed as a caveman who explains to her some of the wonderful things she see's in the elaborate cave system. Then Anna and the tour guide meet someone else dressed as a caveman -- and he's the real thing! He is one of the artists who drew the famous paintings of humans and animal life on the walls of the cave. Their new acquaintance tells them what life was really like back in the Stone Age. Eventually Anna is able to rejoin her classmates and has learned a great deal about not only the cave paintings, but the people who made them. A superbly written and illustrated picturebook story by Roberta Angeletti, "The Cave Painter Of Lascaux" is further enhanced for young readers with a section about what archaeology has taught us about people of the Stone Age with respect to who they were, where they lived, what they wore, what we speculate they believed in, and how it's thought that the beautiful cave paintings in Lascaux were created so long ago. "The Cave Painter Of Lascaux" is as entertaining as it is informative and a welcome, enthusiastically recommended addition to school and community library picturebook collections for young readers.

I am very happy with the product and the speed of delivery.

I purchased this book last year and read it to my Kindergarten students when we were learning about cave art (I teach elementary art). They enjoyed the story and it gave them a good introduction to cave art. Today I was browsing on this site and happened to click on this page to see if anyone had reviewed this book. When I read the editorial review, I was puzzled. It seems as if the reviewer read a different version of the book than the one that I have. The book I have is about a girl whose class goes on a field trip to the Lascaux caves. This part of the story is not realistic, because the cave is closed to the public. While there, she gets separated from her group. As she is wandering through the cave the flash on her camera goes off and she catches a glimspe of the fantastic paintings of animals on the cave walls. All of a sudden, she feels a tug at her camera strap. It is a caveman who is trying to keep her from falling. It turn out that he is not a real caveman. He is an expert on the stone age and a tour guide. He's dressed like a caveman for the tourists. While they are talking, a real caveman appears and tells them about how real cavemen dressed and lived. When the girl hears her tour bus honking and realizes that she has to leave, the real caveman gives her his necklace, she says goodbye to both cavemen, and she hurries to catch her bus. There is absolutely nothing in the story about a caveman attempting to start a fire with two sticks or the girl giving the caveman matches. I wonder if the reviewer read an earlier version of the story that was changed before it was published in the United States.

What sets this book apart from the usual book of beautiful paintings is the text. Every painting is accompanied by a statement from the artist addressing some aspect of the creative process, ranging from why the scene was chosen to difficulties encountered in executing it. In addition there is a statement by a professional naturalist giving interesting natural history information about each location. You would expect a book of paintings to be a pleasure to view, and this one is. But it is also a pleasure to read.

Door County, Wisconsin, combines the natural beauty of bluff-defined shorelines, northern forests, quiet meadows, secluded wetlands, and an astonishing array of wildflowers. This coffee table book features the work of 70 artists who set out to capture the wildplaces of Door County. Most of the paintings were selected by a nationally-known jury. Some invited works are by well-known artists such as Charles Peterson, Karsten and Ellen Topelmann, James Ingwerson, and Gerhard Miller. Paintings represent the artist's impressions of the special wildplaces of the peninsula, and there's not a painting in the book that I wouldn't wish to frame and display in my home. A truly special book for a special place.

An outstanding variety of fantastic work. Any Door County fan will appreciate the true beauty of Door County and the incredible talent of the artists in the area. Charles Peterson, Bridget Austin, Jack Anderson, and other talented artists contributed to this awesome book. Worth double the price and for a great cause...