This book on tape is perfect for long car, bus, train, or plane rides. It's the story of Cyril Bonhamy, a hapless British tourist in Nice, France who somehow manages to get himself mixed up with one of France's most dangerous criminals. This is mostly due to the fact that he is under the impression that, even after all of these years, the French people really don't know how to speak their own language. He, on the other hand, speaks "fluent" French, which, of course, is really just English with a bad French accent. This story is incredibly funny. If you enjoy British humor (or, should I say humour), such as "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," then you will enjoy this story.

This Oxford Companion is one of the most engrossing of all reference works. The book is divided into two hefty sections. The first contains 41 substantial essays on general themes of the era, such as "Revolution," "Industrialization," and "Empire." The essays are written by leading scholars including Jerome McGann, and each essay is concluded with a brief bibliography, which is a great aid to research. Moreover, the essays are fully indexed. This in itself would be a great read, but it's only half the book. The second section of the Companion is a 375-page encyclopedia containing short articles on a whole range of significant contributors to European romanticism, as well as longer articles on the period's various genres, movements, events, and minor themes. What's more, the two sections of the book are fully cross-referenced, and the book is well illustrated throughout. This Companion should be on the "Recommended Reading" list for every undergraduate Romantic-era history or literature course. Not only that, it should be read, as well! A challenging, often provocative, always insightful survey of the great sweep of British culture in the Romantic age.