My family found a number of fun projects in this book. We'd been thinking about ways to accent our flower beds and found useful project in this book. We created some different birdhouses as well as a few paths throughout the garden. We very pleased with the results.

This Osprey Campaign Series book about the Battle of Fornovo is very informative. Provides alot of data on French and Italian military thinking of the time and the politics and military aims of the campaigns that lead to Fornovo. The account of the battle itself is also very detailed. My one criticism is that the clor plates don't give a good "feel" of the clothing and uniforms of the time. The book itself neglects this as well. There are some plates and breif description, but not much more. Overall very useful.

The Fox River/Wisconsin River road between Green Bay and the fur-rich Mississippi River was blocked by Mesquakie toll-collectors in the early 18th century. Here is an account of the French manipulation of trinket-greedy native warriors to break the Mesquakie blockade which eventually degenerates into cannibalistic genocide.

I just got this for a friend of mine, and I'm pleased I get to enjoy it for a few days before I have to give it up. Just looking at the book makes me wish I was back in France--anywhere in France...

It's a great book, well made, with gorgeous photographs. Organized regionally, the recipes all come from traditional local French tradition (so the author claims, and I see no reason to doubt her). Most of them are relatively simple and straightforward, and require little 'Cordon Bleu' technical knowledge. And all of this stuff is delicious!

Some minor points--but perhaps not minor to everyone. It's quite a shame that the book has no pictures of the food or of how to prepare the recipes, but this is really minor. However, for the American market (they must have considered that market, since all temperatures are in ºF also), it would have been nice had the author given us more options with ingredients. For instance, I can't get creme fraiche here, and a reminder of how to make it would be very useful. Also, I am sure one could find substitutes for, for instance, the various local cheeses she uses. Most of the recipes involving cheese I can't make, since cheese-options in the South are basically limited to Velveeta and (processed) Cheddar, and a few imports. But which ones to use?

That is why I can only rate the book with four stars: it limits my options. Surely this does not apply to a European buyer, but hey, I'm not in Europe, am I? Still, I am looking forward to hours of cooking and eating using Mme. Tilleray's book. If you need me, I'll be in the kitchen, fattening up.

Silber, who is director of museums in Leeds, England, and a well-known Jacob Epstein scholar, does an excellent job of delineating Gaudier's development as an artist. Her prose is fluid and elegant, and her interpretations insightful and persuasive. Her prodigious research is evident throughout the work, especially in the much-needed catalogue raisonee. This is an indispensable book for anyone interested in 20th-century sculpture.

Chandler and the various authors have compiled a compelling collection of the biographies of the 26 Marshals of the Empire. These were Napoleon's lieutenants and a greater variety of men one will never find. From the brilliant Davout, Suchet and Lannes to the brave Ney and Oudinot to the loathsome Bernadotte and pillaging Massena. All great men in their own way and certainly worth reading about. A book well worth adding to the collection. Amazon's site says the hardcover is out of print yet I have seen a new softcover version making its appearance.

The great thing about art commentaries is that just about anything can be written. JL David was, of course, the Revolutionary artist supremo of his day. His arguably most famous paintings were the Oath of the Horatii, the death of Marat, the unfinished Tennis Court oath and of course the Sacre plus numerous historical paintings. What is most telling is David's role in casting the revolution in a masculine manner.
This remarkable book recasts JL David's paintings in a bold new way - he was obseesed with the naked form and really was casting the revolution in a feminine manner, and hence drew and sketched all his figures in the nude, then finishing them as clothed figures. Also, he was acting out his girlish fantasies and some of his figures have an effiminate look to them. Wow!
This line of psychoanalysis is all new to me, the fact that one can project thought patterns on a person's mind 200 years ago just by linking up some letters to some sketches and paintings. Necklines of course refers to the low cut on female clothing, especially his Grecian or Roman-clad women and the fact that David himself came very close to losing his head.
It had never occurred to the author that sketching nude figs was David's usual modus operandi in drawing, as confirmed by other art historians. And his painting of Julie Recamier? The same person was also drawn by Gerard and it looked as if two different persons were depicted. It's debatable as to whether this was a great painting. The patron rejected it anyhow.
I did enjoy the fantasy ride, though.

David Chandler is the renowned author of The Campaigns of Napoleon, a monumental work on the war Napoleon fought, both as a general in chief and as head of state. An exhaustive study, I always preferred the Esposito/Elting Atlas to it, and thought Chandler knowledgeable, but as a writer somewhat boring.

I have changed my mind after reading this volume of is collected essays. They are clear, concise, generally accurate, and completely entertaining. In this anathhology, he picks and chooses his subjects carefully, but threads his way through the period from the Revolutionary Wars to 1815.

There are some real gems in this collection, such as his thorough explanation and expose on how Napoleon, thoroughly intent on gilding the beginnings of his career, has the official history of the battle of Marengo, which he nearly lost, rewritten to reflect it going exactly as planned. His analysis of the battle, and the rewriting, is excellent, and we find out where the official, accurate version ended up.

He also reasses the Oman's much oversimplified 'column versus line' with a critical analysis of the 1806 Battle of Maida, a relatively small, obscure action in southern Italy in 1806 between the British under Stuart, and the French under Reynier.

He devotes three essays to the misery that was Russian in 1812; three to Spain and m'lord the Duke of Wellington; One to Austerlitz and one to the Marshals. He also gives us an interesting view into the life of a domestic at war in 1815.

This is an interesting, uncommon book that deserves more reading and is a definite keeper. Well-written, well-researched, and generally impartial, it, in my opinion, is Chandler's best work.

Dr. David Nicolle, a prolific writer on medieval military history, provides an excellent summary of the campaign of Orléans in 1429 that changed the course of the Hundred Years War. After years of smashing and humiliating defeats, a deeply divided France was able to achieve a military revival that turned the tide against the English invaders. Although the impact of Jeanne d'Arc (Joan of Arc) is often over-stated in many accounts of this revival, Dr. Nicolle puts the famous French heroine in proper perspective and delivers a well-rounded campaign summary.

Orléans 1429 is written in the standard Osprey campaign series format and begins with short sections on the origins of the campaign as well as opposing commanders, armies and plans. A single 2-D map depicts the confusing French political boundaries in 1429. The section on opposing commanders is quite detailed, and highlights the role of professional soldiers like the Gascon La Hire, who was just as necessary to the campaign as Joan. Interestingly, the composition of the armies of both sides had changed significantly since Agincourt fourteen years before; noblemen had largely been replaced by mercenaries, non-knight professionals, foreigners and assorted roughnecks. Evidently, the war was no longer the game of kings by 1429. It is also interesting that both sides employed artillery to great effect in this campaign - a distinct change from earlier campaigns in the war.

The campaign summary itself consists of 56 pages, divided into sections on the beginning of the English siege, the arrival of Joan, the storming of Les Tourelles, the abandonment of the siege and the Battle of Patay. Three 3-D maps depict various phases of the siege, while there are five 2-D maps that cover initial campaign movements, the layout of the town's defenses, the French relief effort, the French recapture of the Loire castles and the Battle of Patay. There are also three battle scenes that depict Joan's crossing of the Loire, Sir William Glasdale taunting Joan from the battlements and the Battle of Patay. The Battle of Patay is particularly interesting since it was one of the few occasions that the vaunted French cavalry actually showed what it was capable of doing on a battlefield; in about one hour the English army retreating from Orléans was thoroughly smashed by a vigorous French pursuit. Although there are numerous photographs and illustrations, many are only slightly relevant to the campaign; this is partly due to the paucity of medieval supporting material and partly due to the author's preference for including material of dubious relevance. Nevertheless, the campaign summary is lucid and interesting, if a bit devoid of intensity. This is both a strength and a weakness in Dr. Nicolle's work; he has the scholarly ability to thoroughly research medieval military history but as in his previous Constantinople 1453, he lacks the literary ability to bring out the drama and passion in history. The Orléans campaign was a moment of high drama in French history that not only reversed a losing war, but also resuscitated the nearly defunct monarchy.

While there is no doubt that Joan of Arc helped the French army to rekindle its morale, Dr. Nicolle also points out that doctrinal and technological changes also helped to overcome mistakes made in the past. The French embraced artillery wholeheartedly, and even killed the first English commander in the siege with a lucky shot. Doctrinally, the French shifted from a predilection for large, decisive battles to smaller, attritional battles where the English could be worn down over time. Previous defeats had also made the French more cautious and they made efforts to avoid well-defended English positions. Without the overweening arrogance of nobles eager for martial glory that had led to defeats like Crecy and Agincourt, the French army became more adept at exploiting English vulnerabilities. Joan was the vital moral spark that helped the French to achieve a critical mass, but Dr. Nicolle's Orléans 1429 effectively points out that other military factors were at work as well.

It is inevitable that Peter Mayle's new book Encore Provence will be compared to the first book in the series, A Year In Provence, as the better book. This expresses my feeling. Mr. Mayle is a good writer but he covers subject that were done in earlier books, namely truffles and olive oil. There are character portraits like Marius but not much that I can say held my interest.

The chapter dealing with foie gras as a component of French longevity I found trite. I cannot think of foie gras without the inhumane methods that produce it. I was wondering how Mr. Mayle could eat it without thinking of geese having a rod rammed down their throats, sometimes causing damage to their neck and leading to infections.

In short, a mixed bag of some of the old humor but also a book that had few new observations.

I don't quite understand why others have given Mayle's most recent book on Provence such a negative rating. I find his prose to be as amusing as ever, and as a francophile myself I enjoyed learning more about my favorite region of France. Mayle always manages to transport the reader with his evocative passages. I particularly liked the chapter where Mayle goes to visit a school of perfumery and instructs the reader on some of the ways of the ancient skill. Even a trip for a corkscrew is a joy for him. I feel transported back to France each time I read his books. Good job!

I read this book when it first came out and loved it as as I have loved his past French writings. I am re-reading it again and can understand how some people may get a negative feeling about his latest piece. But I do believe his French stuff is more for a small niche of readers who either have spent time in France or are serious francophiles. I have lived 5 years in Paris and am a tour guide in France and whenever I read his books, it definitely takes me back to a Provence that I too have known to love. I can understand his chapter when he goes up against the NY Times food critic but it sure sounded like she was one of these people who would also use the old stereotype that the French are rude! Au contraire! And Mr. Mayle doesn't translate his French idioms! This book is for Francophiles and Francophones! So if you love France as much as some of us do, go out and buy this wonderful, delicious book!