"The Historic Restaurants of Paris" is a fun guide to read. Did you know that the Tour d'Argent serves each duck with a numbered tag, a tradition that began in 1890? I wonder what numbers Balzac and Napoleon had?

Each restau has a brief two-page description (this is a little book, smaller than a paperback novel) and there are about 100 establishments described. The data include the address, phone, Metro, and hours. The book is organized by arrondiseement, and there's an alphabetical index; an appendix organizes them by type (luxury, cafes, inexpensive, etc.).

Don't expect restaurant reviews, the author rarely even hints that certain places aren't worth the prices they charge. This book is more about the history and trivia of each of these charming places. Using only this book to select restaurants, I ran into some surprises, bad and good.

If your French is good, call ahead. If not, ask the hotel reception to call for you. (In the US we have concierges; in French hotels, it's everyone's job to be helpful.) Gents, take a tie, it'll get you a better table. And be advised, the French idea of "non-smoking" is laughable.

If you're into art history, this book is a good companion to "The Impressionist's Paris," by the same author.

Bon Appetit!

I read Ellen Williams's book about the Impressionists, and her charming prose and wealth of historical anecdotes made 19th-century Paris come alive in a way I've never before encountered in a travel guide. This book is great, too. I took it with me on a recent trip to Europe, and had a chance to sample several of the food shops she mentions. What a pleasure to learn all about them beforehand--it made the experience so much more authentic!

My recent trip to Paris wouldn't have been half as much fun without this beautiful guide. It took me to restaurants and shops I never would have found on my own. I can't wait to go back -- with this book, of course.

"How can you print a piece of your own soul," Dickinson, p. 51

This is the 2nd in the Krull and Hewitt's "Lives of ..." series. The book contains 19 chapters on 20 writers in birth order: Murasaki Shikibu (973?-1025?), Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616), William Shakespeare (1564-1616), Jane Austen (1775-1817), Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875), Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849), Charles Dickens (1812-1870), Charlotte & Emily Bronte (1816-1855 & 1818-1848), Emily Dickinson (1830-1886), Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888), Mark Twain (1835-1910), Frances Hodgson Burnett (1849-1924), Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894), Jack London (1876-1916), Carl Sandburg (1878-1967), E. B. White (1899-1985), Zora Neale Hurston (1901?-1960), Langston Hughes (1902-1967), Isaac Bashevis Singer (1904-1991)

This is a perfect book for young adolescents and pre-teens who as they grow and mature frequently feel awkward. Krull introduces us to the idiosyncrasies of the literary. Some of the authors were loners, eccentric, a wee bit peculiar. Michael Jackson's behaviors might seem normal when held in comparison. Some retreated into themselves. Some sought out adventures. Some as adults were unsuccessful at the ordinary.

Some worked at a young age to support the family. Some took daily walks, very long daily walks. Some were not healthy and therefore wrote in bed. There were some similarities and some differences, but they all shared a singular conviction to write and write they each did well.

Hewitt's delightful portraits of the writers are precious. My favorite portrait is of Frances Hodgson Burnett of "The Secret Garden" fame. Her hat is the secret garden.

Given the high price of the book, I was surprised that Krull did not include a list of the authors' books and/or poems and the publication years. END

This book is a fun and informative book. The pictures are filled with humorous meanings and hidden information. The book keeps the reader's attention by keeping the included information short and simple, but also makes sure that the reader gets as much possible about the author. This book is great for kids and students to use as a report source as it is filled with great information. Kids would rather use this book as an information source rather than an encylopedia since the information is easy to understand. Authors in there are some you may not know, ( Murasaki Shikibu) and some well know ones ( Charles Dickens). I am glad I purchsed this book. I really liked the pictures which are so vibrant with color. This would make a great buy.

There is of course a daunting amount of literature on the French Revoloution which often means that first-time students are often faced with a lottery concerning the book they choose. This book has no pretentions whatsoever to being all encompassing or a psycho-sociological analysis of the revoloution itself. Dealing with the pre 1789 period it is an admirably clear re-examination of the fall of the ancient regime. Comprehensively written and free of academic snobbery it charts the relaxation of rigid absoloutism and the development both of coherent political opposition and a relevant public opinion, both concepts that were unheard of in the archetypal monarchy of Loius XIV. Seditious pamphlets that had traditionally been confined to exile in the Netherlands found their way back into France and criticism of the establishment grew in a crescendo: the street and the parlements echoing one another and feeding in confidence off of one another. Doyle thus lands us in the years immediately prior to 1789 and guides us through the domino series of economic ministers, victims of the sustained, and now infamous financial crisis that so relentlessly exposed the dire infrastructure of French government. Finally we are presented with a synopsis of events that led to the walls of the Bastille and a conclusion: all in all less than 200 pages. This is a very businesslike book with no room for sentiment, philosophy or lyricism but in its digestible form, leaves the reader clear on the major points, a task many other histories have failed in. Reccomended for anyone looking for a clear explanation for the end of the ancien regime.

Origins of the French Revolution is a comprehensive review of the corrupted and doomed Bourbon regime. It is rich in detail and facts about the reigns of Louis XIV through Louis XVI. The book is divided into three parts: Writings on Revolutionary Origins Since 1939, The Breakdown of the Old Regime, and The Struggle for Power. And in each of these sections important chapters are introduced for discussion. Doyle takes the three sectors of society during that time--the nobility, clergy, and bourgeoise--and analyzes their individual roles in bringing the revolution about. Both the good and bad sides of these sectors of society is clearly revealed and their strengths and weaknesses also. Doyle covers the posiiton of the nobility especially well. He offers an interesting view on the nobility that is usually not seen in other books discussing the French Revolution. The other sections of this book is great in detail also, such as the chapters discussing the government organization and the ministers who tried to implement reform. The book is somewhat difficult to understand because of the wealth of detail within it, but one can clearly say that without drastic reform the French government was hopeless. Overall it was a dry read but for people who are interested in the details of the revolution this will be a great read.

It's not too often that you get a Civilian view of the Civil War. This book shows how Seccesh and Unionists acted towards each other in a border state, depending upon who's troops were occupying the town of Lexington (Home of John Hunt Morgan). The diary was written by a homebound girl (she had epilepsy) with Union leanings. The area that she saw from her window still exists today, including her home and others mentioned and also show up on a hand-drawn map that is in the book. A very good book for those seeking something besides the same old worn out War stories.

A very good diary of the occupation of Lexington KY by both CS and US troops during the Civil War. Since the city was home to both Unionist and Secceshionist Civilians, it shows how each acted depending on who occupied the city at the time. It is a good illustration of Home Front activity.

A very interesting book making plausible and reasonable suggestions as to the locations and reasons for what little is really known about the Arthurian legends. Mr Miller suggests in a light and amusing way that there is a lot more evidence that Arthur fought his battles in what is now called Brittany than in Great Britain. He discusses his sources of information and ultimately leaves it to the reader to judge what, if anything, is the truth. It is sufficiently beguiling that I've reread it three times and taken a holiday in Brittany just to check out what he says, and am now researching the early monks who are his main sources of information. Whether he's right or just being a stand-in, I'd vote for the Breton Arzur to be the one to Stand Up.

The Arthurian cycle has inspired and engendered any number of books this century, both fiction and non-fiction. However, very few of them have taken such an original approach to the subject of the "real" Arthur, nor have many of them been quite so completely overlooked at the same time. In all my reading on the subject over thirty years, I have never once heard or seen this book mentioned anywhere. Yet it is a very good addition to this mighty body of literature, whether it be, as some are no doubt inclined to think, completely fictitious or not. It certainly deserves to come out of its present obscurity.

It seems as though Millar stumbled on his theory pretty much by accident. He was living in Brittany for the purpose of writing a book about the Breton tunnymen (or tuna fishermen), when it occurred to him that some of the local place names could be mistaken for those, long argued about, relating to the legendary battles of King Arthur. Indeed, one of the book's strengths is that, basing his enquiry on information coming down from a ninth century monk named Nennius, he has been able to completely override the arguments which have sought to place the battle sites in various parts of England, Scotland and Wales. It has been the great weakness all along, that nobody has succeeded in naming all the sites and when they have identified one of them, someone else has insisted that it is some hundreds of miles distant, instead. Everyone wants Arthur for his own. And so it goes on. So Millar decided to investigate and, if he could, to try and place all nine sites into the Breton landscape. The story of his bus ride around the province doing just that, makes terrific reading. Of course, taking Arthur right out of Britain is hardly politically correct, but.... Whether you agree with him or not, this is great detective work and, if you have been interested in Arthur for any length of time, it will certainly leave you wondering.

Mr. Williams' book is a first rate introduction to the life and times of Gen. de Gaulle. For students of WWII and modern world politics, the perspective presented is fresh and thought provoking. I found it a good companion to the General's own memiors. It is hard not to have a opinion about a man who had such forceful opinions himself, and never seemed to be afraid of expressing them or the resulting controversy. The book is fair and balanced in it's coverage of the subject though occasionally light on background and reasons to explain the General's actions. The fact must be acknowledged that some actions could only be explained "because he was de Gaulle". Mr. Williams' writing of the Petain - de Gaulle relationship is the most complete and impartial report I have read.

The quality of the printing and photo reproduction, in the paperback version I read, was very good.

English language books on modern French history are not abundant. This is a excellant volume to start off with or
add to a collection.

Is it possible to love your county too much? If your love of country leads you to break with most of the political leaders of your day and flee to a foreign shore to resist the creators of the Holocaust, the answer is no. If it leads you to snub leaders of the countries that liberated your captive nation -- with the consequent political fall-out -- the answer may be different. The public de Gaulle emerges from these pages as fiercely patriotic, complex, shrewd and obstinate, even as he appears sensitive and introspective in private, and France was better for his birth. In every good drama, the protagonist undergoes a change. This biography is like a good drama. I won't reveal the personal crisis and other events which, according to the author, enlarged de Gaulle between World War II and his return to power in the 50s, but I will say it makes thoughtful reading. This biography also discusses de Gaule's ten year reign in France as President. Particularly interesting is his cultivation of third world countries in pursuit of French influence in the World. His fall from power is also described. Biographies tend to be bitter-sweet, ending as they do in decline and death. This biography is like that. Yet de Gaulle remained de Gaulle to the end.

General De Gaulle was a great man with a very fascinating life story. He did not only participated in several historical event that had an enormous impact of the future Europe, he was also a great statesman that believed in his France and spent his whole life in order to place France at the top - as one of the worlds leading nations. This book, written by an Englishman, tells this magnificent story in a very interesting and believable way, and I must say that I really enjoyed this book from the first page to the last. If you are interested in European history and politics, or just interested in a great story and a exiting life story, I would dearly recommend this book.

This title isn't history, but rather a religious tract. And that's fine for people who want to read religious tracts.

Why isn't it history? The arguments, for the most part are not based on solid historical evidence, but mystical "evidence" such as dreams. If you are looking for a history of the Catholic Church during the Terror, look elsewhere. The author believes that the French Revolution was a plot by Satan to destroy the Church. Q. E. D. The author comes to the extraordinary conclusion that the deaths of the innocent French Carmelites led to the end of the Reign of Terror.

There's no analysis of the causes of the Revolution, no explaination of the targeting for persecution of religious other than the aforementioned diabolical influences.

The book is wierdly organized and repeats itself often. One strangely placed chapter discusses the grand ceremonies of the infant French Republic with unmitigated scorn.

The author is quite conservative. He applies the modern term
"politically correct" over and over and over again to the behavior of leaders of the Republic. He's a monarchist, describing the spilling of "the best and purest blood" of France, i.e. royalty.

When Bush does use authentic sources, he beats the reader over the head with them. He compares X to Y, explains why X is wrong
endlessly.

I'd really like to read a real history of these women.

This work would have benefited from editing. It tends to jump from person to person, place to place, time to time. Nevertheless it is the first work I have had the good fortune to read that is unafraid to expose the underlying causes of the French Revolution, and to reveal something more than the popular characterizations of its leading actors.
The sixteen women who are the focus of this account are true heroines, true martyrs of the Revolution. The author has done us a great service in providing non-fictionalized biographies of these Carmelite nuns - they represent sincere people from every walk in life who are determined to follow their consciences no matter what 'everyone else' may think and do.
May their history inspire our compatriots to imitate their example, cost what it may.

Let me just preface this by admitting my biases up front. I am a geeky Catholic academic who majored in history in college and this book was written by a geeky Orthodox academic. So if you fit into neither of those categories, it is possible that you might find this book either deadly dull or theologically offensive or both.

This is the true story of the 16 Carmelite nuns who specifically and actively consecrated themselves body and soul as a holocaust offering to restore God's peace to Revolutionary France that was then in the grip of The Terror. You may already be aware of the rudiments of their story from the fictionalized account by Gerturde von Le Fort "Song at the Scaffold" or the opera/theatrical production "Dialogues of the Carmelites." This book is the history behind those fictional accounts and acts to put a real face to these courageous women of faith. I cannot describe how deeply touched I was at the faith of these women. The account of their conduct from their "trial" to their execution was as heart-wrenching as it was uplifting. This was one of those stories that will forever resonate in my soul.

NOW....beyond the soul-stirring uplifting nature of this book, it was also darn good, well-researched, FASCINATING history. I look upon this book as the missing link to everything I have ever read on the French Revolution. Although admittedly as a specialist in Russian History, the French Revolution has never been big on my reading list. Every book I have ever read about the French Revolution seemed to be missing something (or maybe I just missed it) essential to my understanding of it. This is what I was missing....at the center of it all, the Republican forces were deeply committed to destroying not just the institution of the Church but religious faith in general. Yes, I knew that it was at least an ancillary part of it all, but this book pulled the scales from my eyes and showed how deliberate and focused the attack was. In light of what I learned, it isn't surprising at all to me that the French Revolution gave rise to the phenomenon known as The Terror. So in addition to being soul-stirring, I found this book to be a welcome addition to my understanding of the French Revolution and the forces that gave birth to The Terror.

Honestly, I can't wait to read this book again.

If you like French haute cuisine, this book will give you a lot of insights into how it's created -- not how it's cooked, but the amazing amount of work by a large group of people to produce and serve it. The writing is serviceable but a bit simplistic.

I just heard that Mr. Loiseau was found dead yesterday, probably a suicide in the face of a downgrade in his Gault-Millau rating and a possible downgrade by Michelin. What a tragedy.

Echikson does a great job profiling all the players-with Loiseau as his "mad bird" at the center-and the teamwork and total devotion it took to acquire all the "right stuff" to earn three stars. It's an engrossing behind-the-scenes story for any serious or not-so-serious gourmand. Also lovely photographs enhance the text.

I reread this book every few years, just for the pleasure of it, and recommend it to anyone with an interest in France, their wine, cheese, or food.

This book, The Family Under the Bridge, is about an old hobo named Armand. He and a family live in Paris.
Armand the old hobo pushed all of his belongings around in an old baby buggy, that had no hood.
One day Armand took the Calcet children, Suzy, Paul, & Evelyne to see Father Christmas.
A whilr later, Armand took the children and their mother to a gypsy camp where they lived for a few days. But then the gypsys moved away and they were again homeless.
And because Armand loved the children so much he got a job at the Halles. And while he was there he could picture the wholr family sitting and playing in the house.
And until then they have lived happily ever after.

The Family Under the Bridge is about an old crabby hobo named Armand who had nothing but the raged clothes on his back and a little baby buggy with his belongings. He lived in crowded corners and alleys and then in the winter he would live under a bridge. One winter, he was surprised to find three children living under his bridge, and to make matters worse, Armand absolutely hated children. He decided to find another bridge since there were many bridges in Paris, but the children begged him to stay. He softened his heart and decided to stay with the three children and their mother. Armand took the children along with him while he traveled around the streets. It was not long before Armand realized he had gotten himself a family- one he loved with all his heart. They stayed together and Armand soon found a job and got a house for the five of them to live in.

I enjoyed The Family Under the Bridge but it wasn't one of my all-time favorites. It was fairly entertaining. Many parts of the book were exciting and I wanted to keep reading to find out what happened next, but there were also some slow parts. Overall I thought it was a pretty good book.

Armand is a hobo who lives in Paris, under a bridge. He begs and does odd jobs for money to take care of himself and buy food. One day he finds a mother and her three children in his "home", under the bridge. At first he is gruff and unhappy about sharing the bridge, but in time he begins to like and help care for this poor homeless family. As Christmas nears, the children ask for nothing except a home of their own and Armand comes up with a plan to make their wish come true. Natalie Savage Carlson has written a beautiful, sensitive story full of humor, insight and wisdom. With fast paced, interesting scenes, young readers will be able to identify with the characters of the children in the story and begin to understand the meaning of family and the rewards of giving and accepting help from others. Perfect for children aged 9-12, this is also a great read-aloud book the entire family can enjoy and discuss. The Family Under the Bridge is a thoughtful, heartwarming story and Ms Carlson deserved all the awards this book won.

When drama goes hand in hand with comedy, a fantastic and peculiar pair enters the stage. It is quite difficult to achieve that strange feeling in which the reader is able to find pity in joy, as Shakespeare was able to do when writing his comedy The Taming of the Shrew.
Baptista is stubborn to let his favourite and younger daughter Bianca get married after finding a suitor for the shrewish Katherina, his oldest daughter. As a consequence, a complicated mockery is carried out and anyone displays a true identity both literally and metaphorically. Besides the humorous joke and its funny characters, compassion is clearly shown.
A classic that a reader will never forget. Furthermore than a simple play, Shakespeare also criticized the submissive role of women as well as the poor treatment of servants, always from a comic view, which is a useful way to understand the Elizabethan period, with its habits and customs. Although it may not be too realistic and the actions are sometimes extravagant to happen in true life, it does not let the reader get bored and he/ she will find that the book is easily and quickly read.
Once again, a classic that everybody should read in order to start changing those problems that have persisted for ages: women's role in society and everyone's right to have a satisfactory treatment through injustice.

Of all of Shakespeare's plays that I have read, this is the most enjoyable. The characters are real and engaging - the sweetly stupid Bianca and her hoard of suitors, Baptista, who is more interested in selling his daughters to rich husbands than making them happy, the sly and masterful Petruchio, and most of all, Katherine, the Shrew. The play is full of action, comedy, and enough mistaken and hidden identities to keep the reader happily confused.

Katherine, who appears to be "tamed" by Petruchio's cruelties, learns the art of subtlety and diplomacy that will enable her to survive in a society ruled by men. Her speech in the last scene is not a humbling affirmation of the superiority of men, but a tounge-in-cheek ridicule of Petruchio, Lucentio, and Hortensio, who think that a woman can be tamed like a wild animal by a few days of bumbling controll.

The Folger Library of Shakespeare's plays are the most readable editions that I have seen. There are detailed side notes and definitions of unfamiliar words, which are perfect for the reader who is not familiar with Shakespearean English.

The Taming of the Shrew is a play within a play. It starts out with a drunkard, Sly, and a lord. The lord bets that he can trick Sly into thinking he is a lord. When Sly wakes up he doesn't understand, but eventually accepts who they say he is. After a few minutes he becomes bored and the play, "Taming of the Shrew" comes on. It is a play that has men dressing as women, other men, and women dressing as men. I would recommend it to someone who is looking for a book that will have a geat beginning, middle, end, and will keep you wanting to read the next page.