I'm a big fan of this topic area, yet had to force myself to keep reading this one until I finally gave up. The problem is that the author writes this as really an "after-action report" to his superiors, so the prose is extremely heavy on orginizational details. Just to give you a flavor, here are passages from two pages chosen at random:
(1, p. 91): "It now became necessary to provide FUSAG with armies of its own. This wa done on the one hand by fictitiously detaching the First Canadian Army from 21 Army Group and putting it under the command of FUSAG"
(2, p. 275):"Under the new scheme, Three would be at the head, 7(2) would be called in to act as freelance, taking the place of Seven in that respect. The territory of 7 (4) would be enlarged to include Kent as well as Sussex, thus filling the gap caused by 7 (2)'s departure. 7(7) and 3(3) would continue as before, the former in the Eastern counties and the latter in Scotland".

I hope you get my point - authoritative and detailed, but not exactly a page-turner.

For WWII buffs this book will prove to be invaluable. The level of detail (specifically quotes from actually documents and interviews with captured German generals)will intrigue anyone who has ever wondered how we managed to get a foot hold in Europe in 1944.

The only negatives associated with this book are the lack of writing style (this man was, actually, not a professional writer) and a certain amount of data overload concerning formations, locations, and dates.

My suggestion is to read it slowly and don't mind if you find yourself skipping of a an Armoured Division here or an Infantry Division there. Just keep track of the narrative and you will be surprised at how 'tight' the story ends up being. Also, don't forget to skim the appendicies for some interesting perspective on how experts 'thought' the war in Europe would go.

Overall this is an excellent book for interested parties. If you don't have a strong interest in WWII or spycraft I would consider lighter fare.

This book is very detailed. "The author actually wrote the account at the end of the war, but its publication was delayed until the principal participants died or came out of hiding." (Thats all I should have to say.) I would highly recommend this book (hence the 5/5 stars). They fooled Hitler, Rommel, and the German High Command. How? Well, read this baby and you'll know how. (Project Fortitude) This goes beyond the inflatable tanks, fake radio broadcasts, double agents, spies, and etc. There are several intresting documents, too. I read and purchase several history books and documentaries. I must admit that I’m only 3/4 through. This book is worth the money!!! I could yap on instead check out an excerpt. Have FUN :-)

Chapter One

Early Planning

The decision to invade France in 1944 was taken at the Casablanca Conference in January 1943. General Morgan was appointed Chief of Staff to the future Supreme Commander and established his headquarters at Norfolk House, St James's Square, in April of that year. On 26th April he received a directive from the Combined Chiefs of Staff which, besides instructing him to prepare plans for a full-scale assault against the Continent as early as possible in 1944 and for a return to the Continent in the event of German disintegration at any time, also demanded `an elaborate camouflage and deception scheme extending over the whole summer with a view to pinning the enemy in the West and keeping alive the expectation of large-scale cross-Channel operations in 1943. This would include at least one amphibious feint with the object of bringing on an air battle employing the Metropolitan Air Force and the Eighth US Air Force.' The deception plans which were prepared in compliance with that instruction and which received the name of COCKADE do not strictly lie within the scope of this report. Nevertheless, as they had a bearing upon subsequent events, a short account is included.

COCKADE had two distinct objects: to contain German forces in North-Western Europe, thus preventing them from being used on the active fronts, and to destroy German aircraft. The plan comprised three connected operations: TINDALL, the threat of a landing in Norway; STARKEY, of a landing in the Pas de Calais; and WADHAM, of one in the Bay of Biscay. STARKEY and WADHAM, so the story ran, were to be complementary operations. After the bridgehead in the Pas de Calais had been established by British forces, an American landing was to take place in Western France with the object of opening Brest, which could then be used to land troops sailing direct from the United States. The forces in the United Kingdom being held inadequate to support all three plans, the French and Norwegian assaults were presented as alternative undertakings. STARKEY was the most important part of COCKADE inasmuch as it included an elaborate embarkation exercise by 21 Army Group in which the landing craft actually sailed to within a few miles of the French coast, as well as real air attacks against the Pas de Calais. TINDALL and WADHAM relied mainly on the use of wireless, dummy devices and controlled leakage.

The title makes the book sound interesting but it most definitely is not! I guess I should note that I read the translated version, so, it is possible that the translator missed some information (which would make him a complete idiot). Much, in fact, too much of the book is spent describing the architecture of Mont St.-Michel. That's fine if you like that sort of thing, but I did not decide to read this book for that purpose. I decided to read this book because I thought/expected (judging from the title anyway) a story of some sort was going to unfold before my eyes. I was absolutely wrong! There is some antagonism between the characters that initially makes you think the "story" is leading up to something, but it's not. This has to be one of the dullest, if not THE dullest, books ever written.

This excellent book takes the reader right into the life of a number of people inhabiting the town of Mont St.-Michel, including a man who is one of the guardians of the abbey complex. Anyone interested in the Mont will find the author's ability to convey both atmosphere and sense of despair captivating. And despite what another reviewer has said, there is indeed a plot: the protagonist's attempt to deal with what life has dealt him. This is literature with a capital L.

I thought I should post a review to correct the one above - it is a book about Mont St. Michel. It is not a drama, love story, or murder mystery. One should not rate a book with one star because one purchased it in error!

I was looking for some information to re-fresh my memory after two black and white photo college courses, so I turned to this book. Although I am sure it is very well written, it was very confusing and too technical for the little information of was searching for. I am going to put it on my bookshelf for reference, maybe after a few more classes. It does give great ideas on how to create different effects, but I feel I need a little more experience first.

Superbly written and organised. Assumes some knowledge of black and white (but not a lot). Gives detailed "how-to" for most everything you might want to do. For example: Toning of prints is covered in spots throughout, and there's also a chapter on the subject. In the chapter, use of brand name toners is described. They tell you how to tone the print in a step-by-step manner. Then, they also tell you how to make your own chemicals, provide safety notes, some words of wisdom from experience, and what's not important too. In all, this book will help advance a beginner and teach some new tricks to advanced photographers.

Overall, I was disappointed by the book. The information provided is accurate but limited. Of the some 400 Primula species that exist, 5 are listed, similarly, the 70 Aquilegias are covered by only 4 species and the over 500 Potentillas have only one species described. Granted this is a "one-volume reference" with photos of the 1000 so-called "best plants", the book does not claim to be exhaustive. This book ranks low in my library. The photographs are often out of focus and the colours are poorly produced. The brief plant descriptions are separated from the photographs and are not overly helpful. The book may be useful to the less ardent gardeners of the world but given the hefty price tag, I would spend my money elsewhere. Anyone taking this volume to the nursery to buy plants would only have the barest notion of what to buy. I would urge others to purchase the smaller more focused guides in the Taylor's series.

I found this book to be very helpful. As stated in one of the other reviews, it is not an exhaustive reference, nor does it highly detailed. However, it is an excellent guide to gardening principles and ideas. The plant encyclopedia is comprehensive enough for the average gardener, and expains basic plant characteristics. I like the pictures, and think the basic layout of the book is ok, but it could use some improvement. I was able to buy my copy used, and would not recommend paying the full price.

We purchased this book on buying a new home to search out trees, shrubs and flowers to include in our landscape design. As such, the book is excellent. I would not buy this book for plans and actual design patterns. The first chapters of the book give general introductions to gardening strategies; then beautiful and thorough plant identification. The ending chapters are on hardiness zones, plant care. Makes a wonderful reference book. Highly recommend.

This book is the perfect cure for insomniacs. Not recommended for those new to French history. History should be written by great story tellers and not by the Sandman!

If you are looking for an entertaining review of French history (as I was), this is not it. It focuses almost entirely on economic, sociological, etc., trends instead of people and events (e.g., there is a tedious amount of information about French demographics and economic activity in the 15th century, but Joan of Arc gets only one sentence). This might be a good textbook for college students who already have a solid grounding in French history, but if (like me) you are new to French history and just want to read an interesting account of what happened, you should buy some other book.

Stars awarded, as noted by earlier reviewers, depend upon one's expectations. I agree that the book is not for those new to information-laden (academic type) history books, nor is it written to amuse. It is only exactly what is indicated on the title: A Concise History of France. And a good value, if that's what you want.

After I have read more about the French Revolution I will try to read the book again. I have read The Comming of the French Revolution by George Lefebvre and enjoyed it.

M. Chartier has written an intellectual, tightly argued work that has been greatly beneficial to my understanding of the revolution in France. His notion that the ideas of the Enlightenment influenced revolutionary thought indirectly through a "demystification" of the monarchy is very intriguing. This book did much to make me question some of my long-held presumptions about the French Revolution.

It is unfortunate that there is not more available on Debussy in English. This book, at only 167 pages (including pictures) hardly does him justice. Because it is so short, the book jumps from topic to topic at an alarming pace, hardly giving any details. The author's convoluted writing style does not help matters either. Unlike many other musical (or otherwise) biographies I've read, this one did not leave me satisfied. Hopefully the out-of-print book department will have something more complete on Debussy.

C. Debussy seems to have led a tortured and beleaguered life. His ideas regarding music were in conflict with the French music establishment. This created problems for him both professionally and personally. Financially, he struggled all of his life. Coming from rather humble beginnings, C. Debussy had a particular vision of music early in his career. He was blunt and identified with the impressionistic painters as well as the symbolist poets. These artists were to become popular much later. Debussy died young at the age of 55 of cancer. This biography is a little choppy in it writing style, but it does offer many examples of his ideas on many subjects.

If you know a tripod will add stability to your camera, that a larger negative (say 4"x5") contains more information than a 35mm negative, and such sage advice, save your money. Instead consider a book by Galen Rowell or John Shaw. This book belabors the obvious for all but a beginner or the beginning intermediate photographer. Actually expected much more from this writer. But if you are a beginner, go for it. A good photo guide from Kodak or National Geographic will contain more useful information. His adulation of a particular brand on 35mm camera (Yahica/Contax)gets in the way of the reader in this writer's opinion.

Do you suspect there are photographic 'best practices' out there that would enable you to make your finished photographs better? Would you like 2 very accomplished and successful photographers to help mentor you through the trial and error as you fine tune your own procedures. If so, then "Quality in Photography" by Roger Hicks and Frances Schultz is for you.

It provides a structured path towards achieving overall excellent results. It examines each node in the process of making a picture, where your choices either improve or degrade the quality of the finished print, providing background information to enable informed decisions. This linear approach ensures continuous improvement with confidence, and minimizes backtracking. The authors are unafraid to go out on a limb and discuss their own personal preferences, providing plenty of examples of their own work -- successes as well as learning experiences! Though compact and concise, its scope includes key criteria on camera gear, film and paper selection, choosing darkroom chemicals, whether to do-it-yourself or use commercial labs, print mounting, composition, and much more. Generous, up to date references are provided on detailed advanced techniques which are interesting, but outside the scope of this volume. The author's methodology is reasonable and efficient, and lays groundwork for readers to build upon, although some sections would have benefitted from additional detail from the authors experiences.

For photographic technical artisans the process of trial and error may be an end in itself, and many advanced photographers have already settled on procedures which meet their demands. For the rest of us...I strongly recommend reading "Quality in Photography."

I've been researching Debussy's Piano Music as part of my degree and I found this book to be fascinating because it revealed the composer to me in a new light.

It's a completely enjoyable book to read; reliable and relevant to his music

Not quite as comprehensive as I would have liked. The images seem a little dated. This book is primarily for beginners or people with limited knowledge of lighting.