If you love to read those books on stars who looked beautiful and charming on the outside and brutal alcoholics behind closed doors, you will be sorely disappointed by Audrey Hepburn. Barry Paris's book on the Imph is just astonishing. It begins with her troubled childhood, a father who abandoned her and the World War II stories of her and her home country are tear-jerking. Then her sudden rise to success was only off-set by a set of miscarriages and missed-marriages. Yet her charm and elegance shown through it all. The part that really makes an impact is that last chapters of Hepburns life. Paris's coverage of Hepburn's travels with UNICEF. It was riveting to find out how committed she was to her cause, the extents she would go to help the children, even to her dying days. Barry Paris did an excellent job in collecting facts, interviews, and side stories to make this the best Hepburn book yet.

I congratulate Barry Paris on a great biography of Audrey Hepburn.This book deserves 6 stars!Before I read the book,I had a lot of respect for Audrey Hepburn-but after reading this book,I have the utmost respect for her and admire her greatly.She certainly was an attractive lady.You really have to feel sympathetic and empathetic for her with all the disappointments and hardships she had to contend with throughout her life.A lot of people think that movie stars come from well-to-do families and lead charmed lives-not Audrey Hepburn.Her life is of horror,loss of love, and tradegy:(at six years of age her father left the family;she would witness the execution of an uncle and cousin during nazi occupied Holland;later in life,suffer 5 miscarraiges and 2 devastating divorces).There were happy moments of her life, too:(film stardom,marriages, two sons). All through her life,Audrey Hepburn was a woman of love and cared very much for the well being of others-she was not a selfish person.In her last years of her life ,she would be an ambassador of UNICEF helping the children of impoverished nations. This book tells never known things about this selfless lady that thought of others more than herself.Mr.Paris certainly has done a great deal of research(looking at all the acknowlegements and bibliographies in the back of the book should tell you this man went through great lengths).This is a great book written about a real lady with a heart of gold.

A biographer shouldn't lower your opinion of the person they're writing about (as if you could ever
have a low opinion of Audrey Hepburn!) and Barry Paris certainly does a brilliant job of depicting
Audrey's life from age 15 until her death (age 64). The author blends his words so you don't loose
interest even once. The book has lots of quotes, from and about Audrey, and several pictures of
her throughout her life. There isn't a down side to this book, except for a few subjects where the author
should have elaborated on a bit more than he did. You can clearly see that Audrey was a truly
wonderful person, a real lady. After you read about what a hard childhood she had, in the middle
of WW2 and the miscarriages she suffered and basically being deprived of love from her parents,
it is amazing that she was still such a beautiful person, a beautiful soul. She traveled to countries to
help dying people and did things that few other people would do...she seems to have been an
angel, and certainly was to several people. This is a book that you don't need to read before buying, it's wonderful.

Paris Lanford's LIDDLE KIDDLES Indentification and Value Guide is more than just another price guide for those who want to sell dolls that they happen to pick up at garage sales and flea markets. The book, a Kiddle Kollector's dream, is more like a tribute to, and reminder of, the dreams of young girls whose biggest worries are coloring in between the lines and whether or not mother will be serving brussel sprouts with dinner.

This book takes one back in time, where for that short period while reading, one can pretend to be ten again, or eight, or six. Paris' book is unique in that it amuses and entertains as well as it informs.

It also fulfills a need. The need of the passionate collector. No other collecting book I have read has so fulfilled its obligation to the reader because no other author, in my experience, has gone to such lengths to give every detail, however minute, her full attention.

I speak for the entire kiddle kommunity when I say thank you.Paris. The guide is not only a godsend for the kollector, but a fabulous adult read.

An excellent source for the identification of Liddle Kiddle dolls and all the accessories. Paris has written THE book as far as Kiddles are concerned. I have two and am going to buy a third--this book is invaluable to me.

Paris Langford's Liddle Kiddle Guide, is not only full of information and pictures for the novice, it contains the utmost details for the most advanced collector also. Doll dealers can obtain valuable pointers for matching up dolls with accessories, and a value guide to boot ! THE MOST comprehensible, complete book to date on the market.I would not be able to collect, trade nor sell my kiddle with out this book!!!!

This is NOT your typical "romance". This is not sentimental fluff without substance. It will make you laugh and leave you crying.

Gil and Sunny's love for each other is one which is often viewed as scandalous, taboo, and yet absolutely beautiful and heart wrenching... They are first cousins.

This is certainly nothing new. Cousin romances have existed since the beginning of time, and are not all that uncommon, even in today's world. However, the subject is one that few authors have the courage to write about. Cindy Bonner handles a difficult subject with grace, compassion, sensitivity, and realism.

Set in the early 1900's, Sunny and Gil face tremendous prejudices against them. Yet love is something that can not be denied, and is worth sacrificing everything for. The couple overcomes every obstacle imaginable, and their love endures through the best and worst of circumstances.

Never has a story touched my heart like this one, and never has one echoed the thousands of voices of cousins who find themselves in similar situations so clearly.

I thought that this book was incredibly well written, and very original. I picked it up in the library never having heard of the author, and I didn't put it down until I finished the entire book in one day. In a day where it is hard to find something new and fresh, this book meets those expectations. I highly reccomend this book, and it's author to anyone looking for a fresh mind!

If you want to be swept away, and get deeply immersed in your charactors, this is the book for you. The WWI setting, the forbidden love story, the broken dreams and hearts, all add up to a delicious story! I can't wait to read more from Cindy Bonner!

This is a modern/practical twist on interpreation of faiytales for adults. My friend got me into it and it has never left my bedside there is something in it that makes you go back and read it again and again...Everytime you have a relationship you can find a faiytale to realte it too! Helps you believe in happy ever after!

This book warmed my heart and made me laugh out loud.

A great book for a gift - be it at the beginning/end/or in the midst of a relationship.

This book while seemingly light-hearted, manages to touch upon many serious modern philosophical topics. As a professor of philosophy, I am considering using this book as text, in an attempt to relate difficult intellectual thought to a new generation less likely to easily access such concepts

Any lover of good food and great photographs will adore this book. Using over 50 Paris markets as a backdrop, recipes and pictures for wonderful cuisine bourgoise dishes are presented, as well as a plethora of historical vignettes, photographs of almost 50 cheeses, pictures of commonly encountered French seafood, and a drawing with explanation of French beef cuts, plus photos of Parisian scenes. Among the vignettes surrounding the history of Les Halles, who can forget the explanation by a turn-of-the-century father to his young daughter that all those seductive ladies lounging in the vicinity of Les Halles are "secretaries" to the local businessmen? This beautiful book is the next best thing to being in Paris on a sunny spring day with somebody you deeply love.

Yes,indeed Amanda & Nicolle really did it! Their superbly documented book (photos,history, recipes...)shows how much one can discover about his home town. You lover of Paris,open air markets and food do not hesitate a minute,get this book,it's pure delight! And you,who might not belong to one of the categories do likewise you will not regret it! While reading the book you have this unique feeling to be walking the streets of Paris with the authors. And you lucky traveller who might be coming through town in not to a distant future,take the book with you,go and see the places,the markets, taste the food,chat with the vendors,and you will marvel at the fact that you have been there before. Because nothing is missing in that book,the true feeling of the city,the noises,the colors and even the tastes and odors. Two thumbs up Amanda & Nicolle ! Where and when the next one ?

A fan (if you did not guess ! )

I've just had an incredible tour of Paris. I love the city, but I never appreciated the depth of the people and their everyday life as much as when walking through the wonderful markets with the Misses Smith and Meyer. This is a total effort, not just a beautiful picture book. It is for us who appreciate the food, people and, most of all, love for each other. We get a chance to interact with people just like us. This is the stuff that gives beauty to reality.

Ahhh Paris. As a graduate student fortunate to be studying in Paris, I found myself falling into the dull routine of class and studying. I was failing to appreciate one of the prettiest cities on earth. This book opened my eyes to the multitude of interesting "trucs" around me in the Latin Quarter. Although some of the stories are more interesting than others, there is genuinely something for everyone's taste in this book. I now often study at the "Deux Magots" cafe due to its history and popularity with Jean Paul Sartres and Simone de Beauvoir that I read about. This book is wonderful for anyone interested in Paris, wanting to take a mental journey there, or a seasoned traveller who thinks they already know Paris. Anyone armed with "Paris Traveler's Tales" can discover the "Joie de Vivre" en Paris!

You can read this book before going to Paris, after going to Paris, or just to dream about Paris. Of the 5 different Travelers' Tales Guides I have read, this is the best. The writing quality is good, and there is a surprising diversity in viewpoints and experiences represented. It is as if the magic of Pairs inspired the editor's best effort. The essays/excerpts/stories cover such a variety of topics, from carousels to strippers to Napoleon to the French historical angst, that one really gets an insight into French mind and culture. If you have any interest in Paris, you will find this book entertaining and enlightening.

"çà, c'est paris"! is a popular french song from WWII period. Parisians sang it when Paris was delivered by US and french troops. This is the song I started whislting when I read the first pages and table of contents of this book. It's good to read paris guide books where you're not obliged to go through 50 pages of historical descriptions before you understand what paris is all about. This book is not dull. It is well documented even if this documentation has nothing to do with "classical" culture. It belongs to a tradition in French publishing business: collection of essays written by famous writers about a specific place. In this case, I do not know the writers (I am french)and am not influenced by their past works. One could imagine to publish the same kind of books with texts from Victor Hugo, Ernst Hemmingway and other famous writers.

Though MAD ABOUT MADELINE weighs almost as much as our little girl did on her second birthday -- the day she was given this book -- there was no detering Emily from reading it. Comfortably situating herself on her tummy with the book propped up on a pillow, Emily did not stop turning the pages until she had reached the end, and uttered, "Uh-oh." Discovering the beauty of an appendix scar in one book, to the thrill of walking the tightrope in another, and feeling the sadness at the loss of Genevieve in yet another, our daughter was mesmerized with Madeline. Madeline is good, but not without being curious and even sometimes mischievous. She is clever and determined, but never at the expense of proper reverence. She is a wonderful character whose personality endears her to both children and adults alike. Madeline is a must -- she inspires and she entertains -- and you can't help but be "Mad About Madeline!"

Our two little girls, three and two years old, LOVE Madeline. Daddy reads them one story each night -- they always get to pick which. For Christmas they got two new books which are still almost unread, since every night they want Madeline! The stories are exciting, but gentle and sweet; they are moral but not preachy. And the poetry is wonderful! Also the stories are not too long for a tired parent's voice at bedtime. But with only two little ones of my own, I wonder how DOES Miss Clavel keep TWELVE little girls in two straight lines?

My daughter had seen a couple of Madeline videos (including Madeline's Resuce) and really enjoyed them, so I decided to purchase this book. Well, after only having it for a week and a half, she is pulling it off her bookshelf and asking me to read it to her. The sing-song quality of the prose has her "reading" along with me as best she can already.

These stories can be understood by toddlers even at this early age, although the "recommended" age for this book is older.

A great book and a good deal - worth the price.

It's been a pleasure to discover Paris through the eyes of Aimee Leduc, the compelling, spike-haired, moped-riding, French-American private detective in Cara Black's compelling mystery series. And Murder in the Sentier, the fourth Aimee adventure, is the best one yet! Aimee's Paris is real. It's often gritty, bringing American readers into contact with a side of the city they never knew, but Black is smart enough to give us the ritzy side of Paris now and again. No matter. Whether Aimee's dressed up, dining à deux in the latest hotspot, or crawling alone through a back-alley slum, she takes us on the best kind of thrill ride possible, one that's a mixture of emotion and intellect. These books define the term "page-turner." I gobble them up and pass them on to friends. Five stars to Cara Black!

This book took me to Paris...the sights, sounds, smells made the story sing. It was like I felt the rough cobblestones under my feet. Aimee's strong but with a vulnerable side and fights for justice...she's rough and tumble and I can't wait for more.
I love exploring offbeat parts of Paris and the author hits it...down to the espresso and smell of Gauloise. The story and memorable characters are literary but full of action!

After reading Murder in the Sentier I felt I'd been to Paris...without the airfare and baggage hassle. I know Paris, but this was an unexplored quartier, one I'd never visited and the sights, sounds and cobblestones enthralled me.
Aimée Leduc, who's pulled from computer forensics when a 70's German ex-radical offers her info about her long-lost mother, for a price is a great character. Not only would I like her dog, I'd like her apartment! Her quirkiness and smarts pulled me in.
There's a lot on many levels in this book and for French afficianodas or anyone who likes a good read I HIGHLY recommend this. I want more.
And now I'm going to find the first two in the series and read them!

Although I enjoyed the book overall because I love Paris, I felt this was very poorly written. The author just tries too hard to grab your attention. In my opinion, the book is way over-priced for a large paperback; try to find it at your local library - it's worth a read, but I can't see myself reading it a second time.

I got a chance to start and finish "Paeonian to Paris" last week on a trip to the West Coast and back. I truly enjoyed the book and once I got past the fact that none of the characters would have names, found it excellent. I have to admit I had a little trouble at first with the way author, Claire Kincannon identified the characters(eg.Spouse and Monsieur Blue Eyes) but I really liked her style of writing and the describing of her experiences. The book was a pleasure to read and brought many a smile to a tired traveler.

What seems at first to be a typical American woman's awe at leaving the comfort of rural Virginia to accompany her husband to live in the City of Lights becomes an interior monologue racing to keep up with the author's reactions. Will they catch the plane? Will the somewhat dilapidated Italian freighter (the Giuseppe Verdi) ever leave the eastern seaboard? Can they find an affordable apartment in Paris with a bathroom? Will the furniture fit through the doors and windows? Will they ever install a kitchen? Are Daughters 1 and 2 coming to visit? Can the local butcher provide a proper American Thanksgiving turkey? Will the author learn to cook like a native frenchwoman? Will she survive the Place de la Concorde's traffic? The voyeur on the rooftop? The exhibitionists in the apartments across the way? Her husband's stolid patience and superior ability to master French no matter how hard she studies? One roots for the determined female American author in this breathless effort to live, breathe, eat, and speak a la francaise. This is more than a diary, less than a travelogue, a madcap dash through the manners and culture of the most desirable city in the world. It made me wish I could be there too.

I always have a difficult time finding a travel guide that I like. Some are little more than lists of monuments and other must-see attractions; some are better catagorized as historical surveys of a place. Very few give me a sense of what a place is actually like - and that is the strength of the Collector Traveler, Paris.

This guide takes the unusual route of researching previously published articles and stories, colating them into themes, citing references and listing bibliographies. The editor of the guide, Barrie Kerper, is a keen researcher and for the small price of the guide, you can benefit from her efforts. For instance, besides the usual notations of the famous Michilin starred restaraunts of Paris, there are articles here about the best places to buy bread in the neighborhoods, or the best ice cream. The point is, traveling does not have to be about draining your bank account, but about living like the locals, even if only vicariously.

I am a notorious and obsessive planner; before going on a long-anticipated trip, I start doing my research. I plan site-seeing routes, shopping trips, where to dine, and where to people watch; but what I cannot plan is what the destination will be like, what my response will be to all the scenes around me. The Collected Traveler gives me more insight into the reality of Paris than any I have ever read. And true to form, I am starting to obsess over all the new things I have learned. One thing I know for certain is that this book will travel with me when I go to Paris.

This is a great little book on the City of Paris but it is not the kind you read through once and then leave on the shelf. You will probably want to read parts of it at first and then keep returning as your interests and perspectives change. It won't be very useful as a guide book and will be enjoyed most by those who have already been to the City of Lights and loved it (who wouldn't love Paris?). What Kerper has done is compile a number of articles from just about everywhere and publish them in a single book. I didn't count them but there's a great big bunch of them. All of them are well written and some are by well-known writers ... James Baldwin and Saul Bellow, to name just a couple. All are done with the idea of bringing you closer to the spirit of Paris or to reveal a specific dimension of the city's inner life that may not have been so obvious to the reader. The arrangement is by theme, and before you get to the articles there are 74 pages of practical information that is, frankly, a lot better than what you find in some guide books, and it is all arranged alphabetically from accommodations to yellow pages. If you like having books with heart and soul (and maybe some wine and cheese) in your personal library, don't miss this one.

I love all the information Barrie Kerper has gathered in this lovely collection. Not only is the travel information very helpful, but the articles she has chosen help to give a traveller more than just the sights of Paris to look forward to.