No comments about Michelin the Green Guide Languedoc Roussillon Tarn Gorges (Michelin Green Guide: Languedoc, Roussillon, Tarn Gorges English Edition).

2 comments about Michelin Languedoc-Roussillon, France (Michelin Maps).

1. We're headed to the Languedoc this fall and I'm glad I ordered this particular map. Many small roads and villages are listed. And it was very easy for us to map our route from Montpellier over to Caunes Minervois, the village we'll be staying in.
   Also shows the roads/highways to go over the border into Spain and Andorra.



2. The Michelin maps are excellent. They are extremely detailed with a scale of 1 inch = 3.16 miles. With motorway exits and entrances for example, it's clearly marked in which directions they operate. It includes useful information like toll roads, petrol stations and even speed radar locations. I also like the insider information. Panoramic lookouts and scenic routes are all clearly indicated (the other regional maps that I considered didn't have this). However do be aware that unlike the broader regional Michelin maps, there are no indications of which towns and villages are of interest to tourists. (Although the Michelin Green series guidebooks list the map references for all places of interest).
   
   This is essentially a regional map with only central Montpellier being shown in any detail.
   
   One annoying thing is that the map is printed on both sides, so you're always flipping it over (which increases the risk of damaging or tearing it). It opens lengthways rather than widthways, which would be near-impossible to manoeuvre sitting in a car! Being double-sided also makes it less easy to navigate routes between the northern and southern parts of the region. Nevertheless, if you want to travel off the beaten track in this region, it's invaluable.

3 comments about Frommer's Provence & the Riviera (Frommer's Complete).

1. TYPICAL FROMMER GUIDEBOOK-EASY TO READ...RECOMMENDS RESTAURANTS AND HOTELS, THEREFORE LISTS ARE INCOMPLETE AS THEY DO NOT REVIEW IN A NEGATIVE MANNER. MAPS ARE VERY CLEAR, AND ATTRACTIONS ARE WELL DESCRIBED. ]



2. This is very helpful with specific hints for our travel next week. Being practical it really gives a sense of how we can budget our time.



3. I have always loved the Frommer's Guides and this one is no disappointment. Very useful information, with plenty of listings of restaurants, hotels, and attractions which coem in handy in a guide book. Other guide books do not have nearly as much information. So I highly recommend this one - short & sweet!

No comments about Michelin Southern France (Michelin Map).

2 comments about Provence Style (Icon (Taschen)).

1. Beautiful pictures. Pictures only, with a brief title at the end of each section. A good small book to take on a drive to augment the scenery, as you can talk while you glance through it. My copy is falling apart even though it has been barely handled. This book doesn't evoke for me the mood of Provence, just the mood of someone else's vacation. I would describe it as the vacation photos of a stranger. I still gave it three stars because the photos are beautifully done



2. Excellent!! I've given several as gifts to friends. Wonderful things do often come in small packages!

4 comments about Streetwise Paris Metro Map.

1. I bought one for each of the three of us going to France. They were small and laminated, and would fit inside our passport covers. Should have guessed that anything that small would be useless. If you are over 40, forget it. I don't wear glasses, but I could not read the print. The arondissments are not clear. They were useless for us, but they were stylishly cute, all the while.



2. This little laminated map, of the Metro and RER lines in and around Paris, is one of the most valuable and cheap investments you can make before you visit.The details on this map are very small. If you have any difficulty reading fine print, a portable magnifying glass may be in order. This map folds into thirds and easily fits in your pocket. Both the RER and Metro lines are displayed on the same side, making it easy to recognize where to connect with other lines. The free maps from the train stations separate the different lines, making it more cumbersome to plot your course. Spend the money, get this one - you'll use it.



3. This map was so helpful to us when we walked around Paris a couple weeks ago. You can get a metro map when you get to Paris, but I didn't see one that included the whole city in one map. The Lonely Planet Paris guide had a good map, too, but the mini map is easy to put in your pocket and reference as needed.



4. Super clean, conveniently-small. It is a great tool. (I did have to use my glasses to read it, but sometimes you are forced to give into old age...especially if you want to find your way through the Paris metro.

5 comments about The French Chateau: Life, Style, Tradition.

1. If you love French history, art, decoration and life style; if you have ever dreamed of living in a beautiful French chateau, you must get this book. Each time I open this book I am enchanted. What makes this book especially interesting is that people still live in these chateaus, these dreamscapes of tall Mansart roofs, formal French gardens and rooms filled with 18th century furniture. Forget about the text, it's the ravishingly photographed gardens and interiors that inspire one to dream. Beyond the sheer fantasy of it, this book showed me how I could create a little of the "French Chateau Style" in my own humble living space.



2. Christiane De Nicolay-Mazery is a fabulous author with fabulous connections. I'm an interior designer & I find Christiane De Nicolay-Mazery's books to be the most inspirational decorating books that I own. One of her other books, 'Private Houses of Paris', is my favorite book on the topic of decorating and I own almost every significant book published on this topic. I do wish that this book was available in hardback, as I prefer hardback books, but this fact should not dissuade you in purchasing it because inspirational design is absolutely on every page of this book!



3. See how the other side lives in this fascinating book on private French chateaux. Their residences as well as their lifestyles are revealed in this book packed with gorgeous photos dripping with color and layers of texture. What's also interesting about this book is the history behind each property as well as its past owners. One can only dream...



4. An unusual and beautifully published book that profiles privately-owned chateaux, inside and out. It gives you an intimate view of life within the rooms, formal and informal, utility and casual, garden and forest. Family and friends are included from a respectable distance, showing weekend sporting activities and day to day life. Snobbish? Unapproachable? Not really. Think of it as a personable Architectural Digest a la Francaise, with much more panache.



5. ok book,not one of my best picks,several out there that are better as far as decorating goes!

5 comments about Did Marco Polo Go To China?.

1. About Frances Wood's Did Marco Polo Go To China?

   In 1995 Dr Frances Wood published a book titled Did Marco Polo Go To China?, which became Marco Polo Did Not Go To China in the German version. This book, purporting to unmask Marco Polo as a fraud, has enjoyed considerable attention - which it fully merited as an entertaining piece of light reading. Unfortunately, Wood's argument appears to have been taken at face value in some academic circles, so much so that a word of warning now seems appropriate: Wood's story is neither original, nor is it scholarly. The gist of Wood's argument has been commonplace through the ages and, especially, in the 19th century. In its present form it was suggested in a lighthearted way some years ago by the eminent German sinologist Herbert Franke who now categorically rejects Wood's thesis. As for the scholarship of Wood's book, it is impugned on a series of counts, notably in an exhaustive study published in 1997 by Igor de Rachewiltz of the Australian National University wherein Wood's arguments are discussed one by one, not infrequently on the basis of documents that the author overlooked, or even deliberately ignored as inimical to her story. One case in point shall suffice here to cripple Wood's thesis. It concerns the accounts in a 15th century Chinese encyclopaedia (publ. in 1941 by Yang Chih-chiu) and in the Persian historian Rashid al-Din's Collection of Histories (discussed by F.W. Cleaves in 1976) of the 1291-3 naval expedition conveying the Mongol princess Kokecin from China to Persia - of which Marco Polo bears detailed witness as a participant. It really should be incumbent on authors in Dr Wood's position, as a matter of intellectual correctness, clearly to signal the distinction between historical fancy and the reporting of serious research. Canberra, Australia




2. Marco Polo, whose very name is a byword for travel and adventure, is worth reconsidering; but the case Frances Wood builds against him is primarily negative: Polo didn't mention the Great Wall, or cormorant fishing, or binding women's feet. All these matters are more than adequately answered in John Larner's MARCO POLO AND THE DISCOVERY OF THE WORLD, a book I recommend for balance. The thesis of Marco Polo not going to China is compelling, and Wood's style is fast-paced and keeps at a high level. But she seems to rebut her own argument in some places -- for instance, even mentioning a name close to "Polo" where Marco was said to have been, but dismissing it just as quickly by saying it couldn't have been him (the answer comes in a later chapter, but by the time you reach it, the author has made the argument look specious).

   Marco Polo may indeed have exaggerated his own importance. Instead of being ruler of a province, being a major player in the salt business, on the face of it, was probably more likely his position. But Marco was a businessman brought up in a mercantile family. Unlike the author's idea, a seventeen year old in the thirteenth century was not considered a "boy" -- in fact, he was coming up on half his life expectancy. Even if the "great wall" of that day was the wall we see today (it wasn't, the impressive brick facade came later), we can hardly expect boyish wonder.

   Without positive evidence, Frances Wood runs across the problem of those who believe Shakespeare didn't write his plays, or that he didn't exist. They can only argue from negative evidence, and a negative can't be proven. It cannot be proven that, because the Khan of Khans didn't mention a Venetian traveller, that the traveller who says he was there was lying -- although it can may suggest that he wasn't as important in the Khan's court as he intimates.

   This book is only for those who wish to find out all aspects of the Polo problem. It's not recommended for the general reader, especially one who just wants to see famous people debunked. Debunking western European figures is a cottage industry at the turn of the twenty-first century, but in the case the evidence is very thin for the revisionists.

   For someone who wants a good, solid, general overview of Polo and his mystique, check the John Larner book.




3. Frances Wood provides a semi-revisionist view on the travels of Messer Marco Polo. Wood offers a number of contentions (chopsticks, the Great Wall, cormorant fishing, Chinese writing, paper, tea, foot binding, not being mentioned in Mongolian and Chinese historical records, not learning Chinese, and the who invented ice cream/spaghetti debate) that make it seem highly unlikely that Polo actually went as far east as China. I will list each of Woods main arguments and then offer my own explanation.

   Chopsticks: this is a good argument, however, there are many people in Central Asia that use chopsticks. In the Xinjiang Autonomous Region of China for example, most if not all Uighurs use chopsticks when eating noodles and dumplings. Perhaps Polo would have been surprised to see people in Central Asia using chopsticks at first, but by the time he traveled all the way eastward to China he had become accustomed to seeing the use of chopsticks and so this was not such an exciting thing. And what about the Middle East where people eat with their right hand and wipe with their left? Why is'nt this mentioned by Polo?

   The Great Wall: another decent argument. However, there is absolutely no way to verify the exact route Polo took and so how can we discern if he ever had the chance to actually see the wall or not? Many travelers have tried to trace his route but none have succeeded. Wood describes the Wall as being made of yellow sand and mud. If you have ever been to China, you will see how well the old original parts of the wall blends in with the countryside. Only now can we really make out the wall with all of its brick renovations/restorations. It would be like someone coming to visit New York City and seeing the Empire State Building. Impressive? Yes. But would that person be so excited about it that they would write about it? Probably not.

   Comorant fishing: It's not like all of China fishes with cormorant birds. This is a very specialized brand of fishing in a very small portion of China. It's very possible that Polo never even had a chance to visit this area.

   Chinese writing : Woods argues that Polo never mentions anything about Chinese writing/caligraphy. But if Polo was a sycophant of Kublai Khan and Mongolia being the dominant country at the time, there would be no reason for Polo to learn Chinese. But surely he must have learned some Chinese but he just did'nt mention it. Besides, Mongol script is very similar to Arabic script and so again, this would not be anything new to Polo having traveled throughout Persia and the Middle East.

   Paper: what is so exciting about paper when the great Khan gives you a golden tablet for unmolested travel back to Venice?

   tea: tea was available everywhere in the Middle East and India. Why would this be a revelation?

   Foot binding: most Chinese women who had their feet bound were of the upper class. Supposedly done to make women look more sexy, it was in reality more or less a sinister way of not allowing women freedom and the opportunity to cheat on their husbands. If a woman was unhappy in her marriage, there was absolutely no way for her to "walk out" so to speak. Most foot bound women stayed at home inside so Polo may not have had much opportunity to see this practice.

   Not being mentioned in historical records: Polo probably exaggerated greatly his importance within the Imperial Court. He was also not the the first European to visit Mongolia/China. And even if he was a high official, was it not more the responsibility of the Mongols to document this as opposed to China as Mongolia was the ruling country?

   Who invented Ice Cream and Spaghetti, Italy or China?: I think it is pretty obvious that these two foods originated in Central Asia, if not the Middle East. Woods admits this herself. Having been to Central Asia, it seems to me highly likely or quite possible that these could have originated in West/Central Asia. Dumplings are a regular staple of many within Central Asia.

   After 17 years in a foreign land, it would have been very difficult to remember every single thing that Polo saw. Polo himself said that he had not told the half of what he saw.

   All in all, this is an excellent book worth reading. Wood says that this is not the ultimate answer or authority on whether Polo actually visited China, but a book to read so that people can think more analytically and critically about Marco Polo.

   A very readable book with a number of passages that describe the power and ferocity of the Mongols: "like the reprisal against Burma (1277) when the Muslim general of the Mongol army Nasir al-Din, aware that he was outnumbered , ordered his archers to fire on the two thousand Burmese war elephants, covering them with arrows and causing a frenzied stampede."

   A book well worth reading but buy it used!




4. As with any book of historical perspective, the reader should take into account the historian's viewpoint, but also what is not said. Indeed history is interpreted through it's interpreters, historians, through facts that they believe to be accurate. There are, however, other viewpoints or perspectives that can be as well supported through facts.
   "Did Marco Polo Go to China?" piques the issue and raises some considerable debatable questions on whether one of history's greatests myths is indeed fact and to what level cultural diffusion took place between the east and west during that specific time period.
   Please read this book with objectivity and do not consider it to be the answer, as the answer should be found after reading all different viewpoints through a self-exploration process.



5. Any book that stirs up the kind of response this one has is worth reading. When an author/historian challenges any history that is such an integral part of our catechism s/he's going to get a reaction. Did Marco Polo Go to China? I don't know but it sure is intriguing to go back in time and try to figure it out.

5 comments about The Flaneur: A Stroll Through the Paradoxes of Paris.

1. This book is a meandering discussion of both the ideal of Paris and its geography. White has lived for over 15 years in Paris, and he provides an introduction of sorts to the city for Americans with an intellectual bent. The book can't really serve as a guide book or book with city walks, since there are no directions or street names, and certainly no itineraries. As White explains, a flaneur is someone who just wanders around, allowing himself to be drawn in the direction of anything of interest. Thus, White strolls with us through several Paris districts, commenting at length on artists or authors who lived there. Along the way, we find entire chapters on African Americans in Paris, gays in Paris, and Jews in Paris. The book assumes a certain familiarity with both the city itself and Parisian people. If you're a complete newcomer, you may find parts of the book somewhat confusing. But if you're an American who has spent at least several weeks in the city, you may find this book to be a delightful diversion.



2. Edmund White gives a very different "travel book" in FLANEUR: A STROLL THROUGH THE PARADOXES OF PARIS. If you don't delight in books that compare prices of hotels and restaurants or books in which the author traces the difficulty of restoring and furbishing a fabulous villa all while beguiling and amusing the locals then White's book will offer you a refreshing alternative.

   Sixteen-year resident, White, offers a view of Paris that is at once personal and historical. It is more accurately described as a memoir of Paris rather than a standard travel book. One feels as though a friend is offering a leisurely tour of the city showing you his favorite places and telling stories offering insight and historical tidbits not dragging you through a checklist as an impersonal tourist. The changes in neighborhoods and the histories he describes particularly those of expatriate Americans in Paris are all insightful. White's tone is erudite and conversational without being tedious or condescending. The term flaneur is key in the title. The pace of the book is strolling but always interesting. It seems to have no direction but the end result is both illuminating and satisfying. Most remarkably it offers an enjoyable read whether one is immediately traveling to Paris or armchair traveling or whether one is living in a villa in Europe or a small apartment in the States.




3. Of course this isn't really about cruising. If it were it would be awfully boring, and this book is anything but boring. Even so, there is nothing quite so pleasurable as a stroll down almost any street in the French capital. Edmund white, who lived there for a long time, offers a distillation of his experience in this delightful little book. Reading it is almost as good as being there. Second best. Whie writes elegantly and intelligently. The part I most enjoyed, and from which I learned most, is about the Camondo Museum and the tragedy of the family that built and owned it. After reading this book I went to visit it and it turned out to be all White says it is. Delightful. But the book contains other wonderful descriptions of people and places as well. Highly recommended.



4. I bought this book while holidaying in the Marais in the summer of 2005. I read it on my return to Sydney as a means of returning to the backstreets of Paris as I also remember it.
   
   If you've been to Paris much of this book will seem familiar. If you haven't, It's the closest you'll come to enjoying the pleasures of this most magnificent city.
   
   Much like Paris itself, this book is brilliant.



5. White, Edmund. "The Flaneur: A Stroll through the Paradoxes of Paris", Bloomsbury, 2007.
   
   A Different Look of Paris
   
   Amos Lassen
   
   Edmund White is a wonderful writer as he has proven many times and he gives us a great travel book in "The Flaneur". White gives us a look at Paris that is both personal and historical and is really more of a memoir than anything else. I felt as if White was my friend and taking me on a stroll around the city and showing me his favorite places and telling me stories of his own life there. He is erudite and conversational and never did I feel I was being given a tour of Paris. The fact that the book meanders without any direction is a plus as this makes it comfortable.
   The book is only 211 pages long and there is a great deal of information in it. White writes of the avant garde of the Left Bank which is just a fading memory and what a pity! White concentrates on the minorities of the city--the Arabs, the Jews, and the Blacks. It is an insider's guide and we learn of the idiosyncrasies, the flavor, the history and the charm of the City of Light. A flaneur is a rambler who wanders aimlessly through the back ways of the city just to observe and reflect and this is what we do with White. A flaneur comments on all that he sees and hears and knows about the areas of Paris that he chooses to comment on. White lived in Paris for 16 years so there is no doubt that he knows the city. White's distillation of his own years In Paris is what makes this book so interesting and fun.

5 comments about The Paris Mapguide, Third Edition.

1. tOGETHER WITH ITS COMPANION LONDON MAPGUIDE, AN EXTREMELY CONVENIENT, COMPLETE AND USEABLE MAP OF THE CITIES. POCKET SIZE AND VERY HELPFUL-HAVEN'T FOUND BETTER.



2. We went all over Paris using this mapguide. It was the best map for a large city that I ever used. It was our first ime to Paris and I was very comfortable getting around. I would highly recommend the Paris mapguide. We also used the London mapguide also and were just as pleased.



3. What can I say that everyone hasn't already said. I am so happy that I purchased this map. I have 3 other maps of Paris, but none are as good as this one. I really like the way it is laid out. This would be the map that I would recommend to my friends.



4. My family and I just came back from a week in Paris and wouldn't you know that we were there during the transportation strike and WALKED everywhere that we went. You can imagine my glee that I had this nifty little street map guide book to lead the way for us. We never got lost once with it and it is small and compact and fit into my pocketbook quite nicely. The streets and landmarks were clearly marked and easy to read. Also, at the beginning of the book, gives a list of the different sites, addresses and opening/closing times. We never could have done what we did if it wasn't for this little gem. Whenever we travel to another city again, the first thing that I will do is buy another for the city that I am going to.



5. Having travelled some what, I feel qualified to fairly assess 'The Paris Mapguide'. There are many guides of Paris on store bookshelves far more illistrated and far more detailed but they do not address the basic needs of a traveller standing on a Paris street. This publication meets all requirements, it is the right size,street maps and the 'Metro'are percise and very easy to read and the supporting information, be it city history,districts,places of interest etc, are all there.
   'The Paris Mapguide' will facilitate an enjoyable visit to this beautiful city.