Books for/about - france

Publisher: Knopf
Authors: Irene Nemirovsky Sandra Smith

ISBN: 1400044731
List Price: $25.00
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Avg Cusomer Rating: 5
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Summary: Great slice of a terrible period in time
The writing, devlopment of characters with a backdrop of the worst period in history makes this novel informative and poignant. Knowing that Ms Nemirovsky was living during this time
and had to end her book where she did because she was deported to Aushwitz where she died, makes this book feel more like a memoir than a novel. A must read for anyone who is interested in this period or for anyone who just likes to read a well crafted book

Summary: Tyranny: Man's curse from hell
Hitler, Pol Pot--mastermind of the Cambodian holocaust--Fidel Castro, and thousands of tyrants throughought history have three qualities in common: inborn hatred for humankind, delusions of grateness, and sadism.(Read my memoir; "Adios, Havana") These creatures of subhuman strain are cancers that eventually destroy the same societies that brought them to power. Though fictional, "Suite Francaise" vividly depicts the horrors these lunatics can inflict into their own brothers and sisters. Great book! It should be read by the many who do not appreciate the bountiful blessings we have in America.

Summary: Beautiful Mind
This book moves me. The author beautifully depicts daily scenes in the lives of the conqueror and the conquered. She finds beauty and humor amidst the monumental losses of war. She seduces with words so wonderfully choreographed I find myself reading a passage over and over just to savor her mastery of language. That Ms Nemirovsky is able to to enlighten and enrich us with her artistry under the circumstances in which she found herself elevates her to the status of Angel and reminds that no one can rob us of our hearts and minds. I am grateful for the survival of this manuscript.

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My Life in France

Publisher: Knopf
Authors: Julia Child Alex Prud'Homme

ISBN: 1400043468
List Price: $25.95
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Summary: A happy book
For an American ex-pat, living in the South of France, this was an especially interesting
book. Not just the colorful description of a successful and happy life, but how, this tall
Californian, who has never been in France and did not speak the language managed to
make it a success.

Julia Child's positive attitude, her curiosity and her talent to pick the good things out of
this foreign and strange country, won her real friends among the French people and
enriched her life.

Her energy was impressive. After a short while, she mastered the language, she studied in
the best French cooking schools, held cooking courses for Americans in Paris and started
to write her now famous Cook Book. She also had time to enjoy life in France. The reader,
through her happy book learns to know a lovely, interesting and pleasant country, which's
population knows how to enjoy the pleasures of life, especially good eating and good
wine.

Those who read her Cook Books will be interested to find out how she acquired the
Knowledge that went in to writing these very successful books.

Summary: An Intimate and Mouth Watering Memoir
This is the truth, that I'm almost embarrassed to admit: First off, my limited knowledge of Julia Child was reduced to perhaps a snippet of her show on television in passing, but more than that, Dan Aykroyd's send up of her on Saturday Night Live.Here's the other thing: I thought she was British.Whoops.
California girl, Pasadena California.
So I'm not sure what drew me to this delightful and informative bio, other than perhaps I thought it would do for France what Francis Mayes has done for Tuscany, it's people , and it's food.
Her prose is breezy and sweeping , since she's covering nearly fifty years in a short amount of time. Her love for her husband, and the various parts of France are in strong evidence, but her passion for food is what obviously drives her. The fascinating thing is seeing how that passion and near obsession is cultivated, through her gourmet education, and later writing her cookbooks and doing her television show. I suppose the ultimate would be to hear her voice while relaying these stories, but it's easy to imagine her as she's telling them. Or maybe that's still Dan's voice in my head. Either way, they're great.

Summary: My Life in France
The personality of Julia Child shines through her writing. A quick read that is very informative as well.

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	Nutrition: Concepts and Controversies (with Nutrition Connections CD-ROM and InfoTrac) Publisher: Brooks Cole Authors: Frances Sizer Ellie Whitney
ISBN: 0534645062 List Price: $92.95 Amazon Price: This item is currently not available. Buy this book from amazon.com or from amazon.co.uk	Avg Cusomer Rating: Reviews: Summary:

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The Foreign Correspondent: A Novel

Publisher: Random House
Authors: Alan Furst

ISBN: 1400060192
List Price: $24.95
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Summary: An excellent historical novel
I enjoy reading this book: well-written, lively, realistic and credible description of period 1938-1939, some on Spanish War, mostly about Italian anti-fascist refugees in Paris in the pre-War climate, with visits to Nazi Germany and Austria, together with a discret romantic/dramatic story. One of my writing interests is France in that period, hence I am quite happy with the book.

Yves Beigbeder
Thonon les Bains, France

Summary: Quite disappointing
Alan Furst most certainly knows pre-war Europe and is adept at describing it in rich detail so vivid that it makes you feel like you're right there in the middle of it. In this case it's mostly Paris, and also some Berlin and Italy. Unfortunately, Furst seems to have forgotten to write much of a story. The environment is realistic and convincing, but there's just not much happening in it.

Almost nothing suspenseful or intriguing happens in this story until nearly three-fourths of the way through it. Then what does finally happen still isn't very suspenseful or intriguing and never amounts to much at all. I know Furst is capable of writing better stories than this (see Night Soldiers), but this is the third novel of his that I've read, and so far he has struck out twice (see The Polish Officer).

So why do I keep coming back for more when two of the three Furst novels I've read have been so disappointing? I suppose it's because Furst does such a convincing job of creating the setting for his stories. With a foundation like that, he's bound to get the story right from time to time. But if I don't find another one that I like soon, I'm afraid I'm going to have to give up on him.

Is this book worth buying? No, not in my opinion. But if your local library has it available and you don't have high expectations about a great story, you might like it okay.

Summary: His worst novel yet
I've read all his other novels. This is by far the worst. There's no intrigue or suspense

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Me Talk Pretty One Day

Publisher: Back Bay Books
Authors: David Sedaris

ISBN: 0316776963
List Price: $14.95
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Avg Cusomer Rating: 5
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Summary: Hilarious
What some people find incredibly funny, others find boring and just plain stupid. Good humor writing is one of those things that you either get, or don't.

That said, for me, David Sedaris is one of, if not THE, funniest writers out there today. His voice shines through in every story, and the sometimes insane thoughts that run through his head never fail to get at least a smirk out of me, and quite often a laugh. It is very difficult to write something funny enough to get people laughing out loud, but Sedaris does it over and over in this collection of short stories. Highly recommended.

Summary: I don't get why everyone raves about him
I must admit, while I found some of his stories interesting and things I could relate to, and very easy to read, I don't understand all of the raves about him - the funniest writer around, side-splittingly funny, etc. A friend who has read other things by him thought that it might just be an acquired taste, as she has found each of his works progressively funnier. Sorry, but I really didn't like reading it, kept waiting for it to be over, and would have put it down if I wasn't reading it for a book club. Just being honest.

Summary: Quite probably one of the funniest books written
This was probably one of the funniest books that I've ever read. No, his is not "politically correct" and yes his family is bizarre and no, you wouldn't want to read this to a room full of third graders. However, if you're an adult, a thinking adult who loves good stories, this is the book for you.
I liked it so much that in less than a week I bought ALL of his books and am waiting for another one soon.

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	DietMinder Personal Food & Fitness Journal (A Food and Exercise Diary) Publisher: Not Avail Authors: Frances E. Wilkins
ISBN: 0963796836 List Price: $14.95 Amazon Price: $9.72 Usually ships in 24 hours Buy this book from amazon.com or from amazon.co.uk	Avg Cusomer Rating: 5 Reviews: Summary: I'm never without this book!! I started using this journal 6 years ago and have never left home without it in my purse or tote. There are so many lines that I actually use some of them to jot down my errands and appointments so that I don't forget. There are boxes in each category (breakfast/lunch/dinner/snacks) to list the amount of calories/fat grams/carbs/protein and fiber along with 2 extra boxes where I list the 'weight watcher points' of each item eaten as I've followed weight watchers way of life for 6 years now and found this to be easier and more comprehensive than the little papers they give you to record your daily intake. It also has a place for physical activity which I like as I can list my walks, bike rides, spinning classes etc. I hate writing down each and every gym move I make and would rather just write 'gym workout;1 hr:abs/high intensity and approx calories burned. This is just my preference. It also has a place to list your weight and notes and yes/no for meeting your goal. I find that if I use this daily, I'm more likely to keep to my diet/fitness goals than if I don't. In addition, when you look at your grand totals for the day you can decide whether you should adjust your intake the following day. I'm also taking medications and it has a place to list vitamins/supplements/meds with description and qty in the am and pm which comes in really handy as I tend to forget and when I go to the doctor I can pull out the journal and go over days and weeks with confidence and accuracy. Because of this journal I was able to work with my doctor and find that I'm allergic to gluten and dairy. I had written down 'stomach upset' in the notes area and by going over the pages in my journal we found a pattern and if I had tried to go on memory I'm sure I would have left out 95% of the items I had eaten. I'm now on a gluten free diet and in 100% excellent health!! I think I've just about covered this...buy it and see for yourself how you can feel and look better by journaling!! Summary: This is a great diary. It includes everything you need to count and even a blank column for an additional count not listed. I use this for counting my Weight Watcher points. Summary: Just remember, it's a book, not a size 2 figure This IS a good book, and has everything you could ask for. I particularly like filling in details about how my weight loss is progressing and watching charts grow and pounds dwindle on the pages as the weeks go by. I don't count calories (as I stated in the initial 'plan' section) and instead focus on eating three healthy meals a day with minimal snacks, so I don't need to use up all the nutritional information spaces. The one thing I would say about this diet journal, is that it isn't a solution to weight loss, it merely helps you along the way to be accurate and remain motivated. Don't buy it thinking it will the answer to all your problems, but rather to use as an aid to record and manage your weight loss that you are achieving on your own. Summary:

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Agincourt: Henry V and the Battle That Made England

Publisher: Little, Brown
Authors: Juliet Barker

ISBN: 0316015032
List Price: $27.95
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Summary: Great History and Great Writing
A beautiful narrative overview of Henry V and Agincourt. Highly readable and very informative. Enough detail to bring this era to life for those with little background in it, yet not overwhelming in terms of detail. The author does a wonderful job bringing many of the important personalities to life.

Summary: Compelling book!
On October 25, 1415, English King Henry V stood facing a French army that outnumbered his six thousand men by as much as five to one. The campaign that would culminate on the field in northern France in proximity to a castle known as Agincourt had started with an English invasion of France and the capture six weeks earlier of Harfleur, the highly valued strategic port in Normandy.

Henry was exercising what he deemed his god-given right to recapture the lands of northern France that were lawfully his by hereditary claim.

In Agincourt, author Juliet Baker has done yeoman's work in researching the historical record of French and English archives, and previous texts written by eyewitnesses and contemporaries of the time. The book is divided into three main parts detailing what circumstances lead the young English King to his expedition; what took place once the fleet had landed, including the siege of Harlfleur; and the confrontation at Agincourt.

Lastly Barker details the battle's aftermath and the serious impact the loss of an entire class of French nobility had on the French people and the English dominance of the region.

The account of the battle has been told many times, but with recent forensic studies and technologies available, the true impact of this disastrous loss by the French finally becomes known.

Chivalry was at its height. This dictated that the initial waves of the French attack were composed primarily of nearly every noble Prince, Duke, Baron and Knights from northern France. As is well known, the use of the deadliest of medieval weapons--the English longbow--has been given as the main deciding factor for the wholesale slaughter which the French suffered in a few hours time on the battlefield.. Those that were not slain or mortally wounded were captured and taken to England until their ransoms could be raised. Many were eventually released, but in fact many never returned home.

Juliet Barker's compilation of the facts of the English victory at Agincourt will stand as one of the truly great resources for generations to come.

Armchair Interviews says: Any military historian worth his salt should feel compelled to read Agincourt.

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Lance Armstrong's War: One Man's Battle Against Fate, Fame, Love, Death, Scandal, and a Few Other Rivals on the Road to the Tour de France

Publisher: HarperCollins
Authors: Daniel Coyle

ISBN: 0060734973
List Price: $25.95
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Summary: Excellent Inside Look at the Sport of Cycling
In Daniel Coyle's book, "Lance Armstrong's War," we get a set of moving pictures of the sport and culture of cycling as well as of the man who may well have redefined his sport for a generation.

As other reviewers have noted, Coyle moved to Girona Spain to get a better sense of the cycling culture that has grown up around the ever increasing presence of American cyclists and how Armstrong fits into this culture. This, to me, was the real strength of the book. Coyle looks deeply into the psychology of a demanding and oftentimes brutal sport by centering around the preparation for and racing of the Tour de France. He looks at the race's top contenders and shows how they prepare for what may be the most difficult sporting event contested.

What is very interesting is how hard it seems to be to pin down the subject of the book. We get a sense of Armstrong but what we begin to see through the eyes of those around him is that besides being an intensely competitive man, he's a very complex individual who is hard to get a handle on. We get a sense of his life but we don't always see what leads to it from an internal perspective.

Of all the books about cycling, this one probably gives the best insider view of the sport to date. For this reason I recommend the book. I just don't think you can get a better sense of the sport at the highest levels.

Summary: Lance Fan
Book does a good job of describing the inner workings of the Lance Armstrong Sports Business. Reminds one of the saying " Nice guys do finish Last" Gives a look at what makes lance a winner. Good reading.

Summary: Lance Armstrong's war.....
Interesting in depth account on the trials and tribulations of a cycling star.

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