No comments about Michelin Atlas Routier France (Michelin Atlas).

3 comments about Frommer's France 2007 (Frommer's Complete).

1. This book looks like it would be pretty good if you were going to Paris, but I visited the French Riviera. I purchased the Fodor Provence & Cote de Azur book at it was much better for this region.



2. I usually am very pleased with Frommer's guides and tend to use them over other sources every time I travel. However, on my recent trip to France, I found some flaws with my copy of Frommer's France 2007.
   
   First off, I have always liked that they include a foldout map with most books, to give you more details than can fit on a small page. However, I'm confused as to why this guide to the whole country came with a foldout map of just Paris! Was this a mistake? I really could have used a map of the whole country, and the only offering in this guide is on pages 28 and 29. It shows only select cities and roads. In addition, it shows each of France's major regions, and it appears to refer you to each section of the book covering that region. Unfortunately, the page numbers are missing (i.e. Burgundy p.)!
   
   I also found a confusing review of the restaurant in one of the hotels in which we were staying. On page 204, the review of the Grand Monarque Best Western says, "The hotel has an old-fashioned, unremarkable restaurant." Facing this review, on page 205, the same restaurant is reviewed, "The best food, and the most upscale dining ambience, in Chartres is now featured by the town's best hotel..." It goes on to describe the wonderful food and atmosphere. Seems there was plenty to "remark" about after all! The restaurant is clearly labeled as being located in the Grand Monarque Best Western. There was only one restaurant in the hotel, so which review didn't get edited out?
   
   After seeing these few flaws, albeit probably due to editing, it makes you wonder if you really have the best source of information for your trip.



3. Was very disappointed in the book. Had heard a lot about Fromers and decided to try a different perspective for my recent trip in France. I ended up tossing the book after just a few days in France. No history or interesting factoids or clear maps on many of the different regions -the book mostly focussed on Paris and I think caters to the more affluent, simple minded, amateur traveler.

3 comments about Ascent: The Mountains of the Tour De France.

1. The 'Tour de France' is an historic annual bicycling contest across the French countryside and through French communities that began in 1903 and in recent years (thanks in large part to Lance Armstrong) has become of great interest in America. In "Ascent: The Mountains Of The Tour De France", British cycling author and 'Tour de France' expert Richard Yates has written a history of this remarkable bicycle race with all its drama and competitive excitement in the mountain country expanses of the race course. Profusely illustrated with 150 duotone photographs and other historical illustrations, this superbly written and knowledgeably presented 160-page history is a 'must read' for all dedicated bicyclists and Tour de France enthusiasts, as well as a strongly recommended addition to community library Sports & Athletics collections.



2. Very informative with excellent photos which gives brings life into the history of the famous ascends!



3. Highly informative book. Has the mountains and gradients km by km, and also feats of riders and races. Well written book for both the armchair rider and also for those with more lofty aims.

5 comments about Around and About Paris, Volume 1: From the Dawn of Time to the Eiffel Tower (Arrondissements 1 - 7).

1. Around and About Paris, Volume 1, reads pretty much like a medium-quality textbook; it's dense (*tiny* print and very small amounts of white space), it's informative (*filled* with trivia and fascinating - as well as not-so-fascinating - facts), and it's obtuse in places. The book does provide lots of information and some very nice Paris walks, but you'll have to sieve through a lot of junk to get to the meat of it.

   The book's most serious problem, at least for me, is the writing. I suspect, though I don't know, that the author's English was a second language. The sentences are at times torturously constructed. Often, subjects and verbs are in places where a native English speaker probably wouldn't put them; sometimes one or the other is even missing - when you parse the sentence, you realize it's actually just a very long fragment, with lots of clauses that confuse the issue. Sometimes, too, it isn't clear what a modifier is supposed to be modifying, or which noun a pronoun refers to. In the worst cases, the meaning of a sentence cannot be divined at all because an error has been made at a crucial point. Some careful, detailed editing could've made this book a lot easier to read and use - and more informative, too.

   However, there is still a lot of information in Around and About, even if you do have to work to get at it. The maps aren't the clearest in the world, but they're good enough, especially since prominent landmarks are marked. And the walks themselves provide an interesting take on Paris; the idea of walking through history is a great one. Parents with older children could probably use this as a resource for some very educational traveling, though I would recommend that the adults do the reading and then condense and prune somewhat for the kids.

   All in all, despite the book's flaws, it's a nice supplementary resource for people visiting Paris - or those studying French history. You will, however, also want more conventional guidebooks or textbooks unless Paris and its history is already very familiar ground indeed.




2. After reading every travel guide I could get my hands on concerning Paris, France, finally I've found one that actually quenches my thirst and feeds my hunger! This is the Bible of Paris. The little details are so fascinating and exquisite, you can read this book over and over again. If I were stuck on a deserted island, as far from Paris as possible, I'd still want this to be one of the top five books I took with me. It would keep me going for a long, long time. Don't go to Paris without it. In fact, don't go to the doctor's office without it-- perfect to take everywhere.



3. How would you like to have a personal guide as your companion when visiting Paris? A guide that will not only give you a brief history of each and every "Arrondissement" from the first to the twentieth, but as the author states, "a journey into the depths of Paris" and "an invitation to scratch beneath its surface of dazzling vistas and imposing monuments and to probe into the souls and lives of the restless people." Author Thirza Vallois's three volumes entitled AROUND AND ABOUT PARIS accomplishes all of the above and more.

   Most other guidebooks pertaining to Paris are merely directories that list where to stay and eat with a little history and antidotes thrown in. Vallois's tomes do not contain any listings of hotels, restaurants, phone numbers or web sites. They are, however, similar to information contained in college textbooks and would probably be suggested readings if a course were to be given entitled "Paris 101." Not only are they invaluable tools for the traveller to Paris but also for those of us who are so called "arm chair" travellers and who never intend to leave home.

   Each chapter is devoted to a distinct Arrondissement describing their unique history and character. These introductions are followed by comprehensive descriptions of the walks you must pursue. After all Paris is made for walking!

   Very often when visiting Paris we are too much concerned with the usual tourist attractions such as the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower and various other well known sites. Consequently, we tend to loose sight of the history and background information concerning the area where we may be lodging or the areas where we are taking our promenades. We are also ignorant of the many "nooks and crannies" that make Paris a city of romance, drama, triumph, tragedy, crime and passion.

   Vallois has lived in Paris for over thirty years. For eight of those years before writing these guides she "journeyed into the depths of Paris, walking its every street, reading in libraries whatever came my way" as she mentioned in an article appearing in Paris Kiosque No wonder the guides are so comprehensive and detailed.

   To appreciate Paris is to understand its history and culture. Thanks to authors such as Thirza Vallois we can explore Paris with a greater understanding and enlightenment.

   Please note that their are three books: Volume 1-concerns the 1st to 7th arrondissements: Volume 2- 8th to 12th, Volume3- 13th-20th

   Norm Goldman Editor Bookpleasures.com




4. If you like to roam around Paris on your own and get a feel for the history of the most beautiful and exciting city in the world, then this and its sister companions (Vols II and III) are for you. Thirza Vallois (for the sake of transparency,I have meet the author and have visited with her several times) has covered every street in the city and gives a fascinating view of the evolution of the city. The first volume is a must read, both the introductions and the tours are vibrant and illuminating. Don't miss the Hotel Carondelet.



5. As someone who has haunted Paris for decades, I can say that there is no more wonderful companion than Thirza Vallois. Her three volumes of Around and About Paris, covering every arrondissement with both erudition and joy, are almost as deep and rich and rewarding as the city itself. They are to be carried about for consulting on foot, and read in your armchair for pleasure and information you will not find in the run-of-the-mill "guide." These books are for explorers and dreamers, scholars and lovers. If you want to know Paris, you can not do better.

5 comments about At Home in France.

1. My cousin (also a globe-trotting single female) recommended this book to me when I undertook a solo 13-day driving trip around France. I viewed it as a bit of fluff to downshift with every night before sleeping. I intended to zip through it and hand it off to another traveler, perhaps on the return flight. I had not foreseen the grip it would have on me.

   I revere Peter Mayle and think he is one of our most brilliant wordsmiths. At first, by contrast, At Home seemed pedestrian, but charming enough. I realized the difference between them is that Mayle was a ad-man (flash-boom-bang!) who could make the mundane hilarious and Barry was an editor (who-what-when-where-why-how?) who was a stealth raconteuse who wrapped me in her delicate web. I found myself up reading 'til 1 and 2 every morning, and genuinely felt grief when I read that she had died. Indeed, the book seemed to have ended unfinished. Like another reviewer or two, I yearn to know more about the circumstances of her death, and the disposition of her beloved cottage.

   What was unprecedented for me was that as soon as I finished it, I began to re-read it, and am I ever glad I did! I'm getting nuances out of it I'd glanced over previously. Ann was a dear companion on my own travels, and my trip was the richer for it. I don't intend to part with this book. I will lend it to friends and reread it again when I, too, get to realize my dream of owning a gite in France. (Unlike Ann, I'm not financially able to just keep it in mothballs between visits - mine will be rented out.)

   A darling book, though I only gave it 4 stars because it's not a Great Book, but eminently readable - even on the second pass.




2. Ann Barry, Editor And Writer, 53
   (NYT) 245 words
   Published: February 19, 1996
   
   Ann Barry, who pursued a freelance writing career while working as an editor at The New York Times and at The New Yorker, died of cancer on Saturday at the Mount Sinai Medical Center. She was 53 and lived in Brooklyn.
   Miss Barry, who was born in St. Louis and graduated from St. Louis University, started as an editorial assistant at the The New Yorker in 1967 before moving down the street to The Times in 1975.
   
   While designing and editing the Sunday Arts and Leisure Guide, editing art and dance reviews and designing the daily cultural pages, she began contributing articles to The Times, a career she continued and expanded after she returned to The New Yorker in 1990 as managing editor of the Goings On About Town section.
   
   Although she wrote on a variety of subjects, Miss Barry, who left The New Yorker in 1994, particularly enjoyed writing about the Dordogne region of southwestern France, where, not coincidentally, she owned a vacation home.
   
   Although she could spend only two or three weeks there a year, Miss Barry kept such meticulous track of her intense short-term experiences that she turned them into a book, "At Home in France: Tales of an American and Her House Abroad." It is being published by Ballantine next month.
   
   She is survived by a brother, Gene, of Palm Harbor, Fla.



3. My cousin (also a globe-trotting single female) recommended this book to me when I undertook a solo 13-day driving trip around France. I viewed it as a bit of fluff to downshift with every night before sleeping. I intended to zip through it and hand it off to another traveler, perhaps on the return flight. I had not foreseen the grip it would have on me.
   
   I revere Peter Mayle and think he is one of our most brilliant wordsmiths. At first, by contrast, At Home seemed pedestrian, but charming enough. I realized the difference between them is that Mayle was a ad-man (flash-boom-bang!) who could make the mundane hilarious and Barry was an editor (who-what-when-where-why-how?) who was a stealth raconteuse who wrapped me in her delicate web. I found myself up reading 'til 1 and 2 every morning, and genuinely felt grief when I read that she had died. Indeed, the book seemed to have ended unfinished. Like another reviewer or two, I yearn to know more about the circumstances of her death, and the disposition of her beloved cottage.
   
   What was unprecedented for me was that as soon as I finished it, I began to re-read it, and am I ever glad I did! I'm getting nuances out of it I'd glanced over previously. Ann was a dear companion on my own travels, and my trip was the richer for it. I don't intend to part with this book. I will lend it to friends and reread it again when I, too, get to realize my dream of owning a gite in France. (Unlike Ann, I'm not financially able to just keep it in mothballs between visits - mine will be rented out.)
   
   A darling book, though I only gave it 4 stars because it's not a Great Book, but eminently readable - even on the second pass.



4. Mr. Ruiz wrote a wonderful review that echos my sentiments exactly.
   
   When I read that Ms Barry had died the text took on a new meaning for me. All I was doing was planning a trip to France. Ann's naration added a profoundly human feeling to it all. I laughed out loud over the water incident because it has happened to me. The last chapter is precious as I have worked in film and have seen first hand what a film crew can do to a town. The residents handled it like champions. I was also on a run when an absolutely crazy dog ran up from behind and bit me(on the buttocks). Oh, to have been bitten in the calf instead! Ann- I wish you could have written more...
   
   As I continue to plan my trip to France and do what I can to avoid the Peter Mayle shrines, it saddens me that I won't be able to think, "Oh, that lovely Ann Barry is here." Well, perhaps she will be in spirit.
   
   The Sleeping Stranger



5. I find France captiviating but I find the people who say they like France to be excruciating; chicks who gush about Impressionism and the D'Orsay who know zero about anything else, wine snobs, culture snobs, food snobs. These are all ways to encounter France in an embalmed way; an approach devised to apply the conspicuous class of all things French to oneself; the narrowest & silliest means of engaging travel. The negative example of this type of Francophile prevents others who might bond with France and the French from doing so. I prefer France in a living way. And I don't talk about it to pester people with my 'class.'
   
   Ann seems to prefer France because her errands are cuter there. She isn't a snob (not exactly), and the prospect of living in France is very exciting but... the book is undermined by some excruciating tics:
   
   1) She acknowledges her own limited French and recounts stories about language-related confusion while dropping self-consciously italicized French phrases into sentences (without translations, of course). I know plenty of French and at least 50 percent of her phrases remain unclear. (A chef is referred to as a 'septieme.' etc.)
   
   2) She names each person who wanders into her narrative by their full (first and last) name; like she's some sort of compulsive name-completist. It's very weird. These are people the reader will never encounter and has no chance of meeting (relatives, visitors, handymen). Finally on page 85 I was just embarassed for her, as she took that irritant to the depths of bad taste.
   
   She fully names the kind proprietress of a chateau, and proceeds to trash the meal she was served there, with a short bit of character assasination. Nice Ann! Real class. My patience was wearing thin over the name-dropping, even before she hit this low. Noone cares about your bad meal, Ann. She probably wouldn't even recall it if she weren't stretched for material.
   
   The book wanders wherever she pleases and resists any unifying theme. It felt like I was reading an account of every errand she ran in France, and the 'zany' results of every outing she researched badly. It ain't deep. I repeat, just read Gopnik's Paris to the Moon for a similar situation done well.

No comments about Good Bread Is Back: A Contemporary History of French Bread, the Way It Is Made, and the People Who Make It.

No comments about Fodor's Paris' 25 Best, 7th Edition (25 Best).

1 comments about Frommer's Provence & the Riviera Day by Day (Frommer's Day by Day).

1. This book is absolutely fantastic! It's small and concise while still being detailed enough for a short trip to the French Riviera. It offers several suggestons for how to spend 1, 2 or 3 days, or even a week.
   
   On an upcoming cruise, we'll be stopping at several places in the French Riviera and also Monaco/Monte Carlo. All are reviewed here. The book is detailed without being too big (or too small) and includes a great fold-out map. Buying a whole book on France or a larger guidebook on the Riviera would be more information and bulk than I need.
   
   I highly recommend any book in this series. Nice color without being too much fluff.

5 comments about Paris With Kids 2nd Edition (Open Road Travel Guides).

1. No maps, no discussion of Disney paris, A must for children in Paris. A better one is by Truszkowski, which has great color pics and maps and better info.



2. This is an excellent travel guide that happens to focus on things that are especially appealing when you are traveling with kids. The descriptions of the sites around town are interesting and well done. Even though this edition is a few years old, the restaurant and hotel recommendations were still extremely helpful in the spring of 2006. It was especially nice to have recommendations for places that mainly drew Parisians in areas that had heavy tourist traffic. This enabled my son and I to really experience Paris rather than just be exposed to other tourists. I looked at some other traveling with kids books and even bought the Cadogan guide but this one was head and shoulders above the rest. If you are bringing your child or children to Paris, I would suggest combining this with a guide that includes good maps of the city such as the Moon Metro Paris.



3. We have several different guides for seeing Paris with kids but this one takes the cake. What we've particularly enjoyed are the suggestions of other sights within a vicinity that make it easy to plan a day or an afternoon. We definitely would have missed some of these smaller sights -- such as the shopping passages along the Grand Boulevards and the bird market on Ile de la Cite -- that our kids truly enjoyed. Gwinner offers sensible and imaginative advice that make sightseeing with kids a pleasure.



4. Our family of 5 is travelling to Paris soon and I was eagerly awaiting this book to aid in planning. There were plenty of family-friendly hotel recommendations all over Paris. When I checked out the reviews on travel websites of the recommended hotels, I found most of them had primarily negative reviews. Perhaps this is due to the fact that this edition is a few years old and not updated. A family of 5 does not easily 'fit' into Parisian hotel room configurations(most rooms hold 2-3 people max.), so my hope was that this book would explore possibilities for us. I got the feeling that 'family-friendly' meant 'budget' in this book.
   I hope that some of the sightseeing recommendations are helpful for us to maximize our visit.
   The addition of a map in the book, as in other Parisian travel guides, would have been helpful as I had to buy one separately.



5. Having just returned from a visit to Paris, our family found this guide to be helpful and fun. It's organized by neighborhood and lists hotels, restaurants, sites of interest to families and children, fun facts to keep kids amused, and useful information about hours of operation, prices, nearest metro stop, playgrounds, etc. Very handy.

3 comments about SmartFrench - Introduction to French, Vol.2.

1. This method works. Period. I have a bookshelf full of French language learning tools (books, CD's, flashcards), and they seem useless now that I am using SmartFrench. I listen to it six days a week. I'm going to be able to converse at length with someone on the street in Paris when we go this summer. I have been studying French almost daily for 3 months, and I was to the point where I wished for a program (like this new SmartFrench method!) that would just teach the basics: the most used verbs, and an easy way to become proficient in counting (pay attention to how many times a day you say numbers and you'll see why it's critical in learning a foreign language). Because I'm tired of only learning to ask, "I would like a croissant", or "Where is the bathroom?", I am thrilled that this method is helping me to have a two-way conversation in French. I'm already speaking French to my twin (a French speaker) and she just laughs--she is so shocked at my progress.
   
   This is a simple, simple program. The SmartFrench Audio Cds Beg I, Vol. 1 Vol. 2 (separate purchases) figured out which essential vocabulary words, verbs (4 of them), and phrases you need to know to speak French quickly. This method also teaches you counting. It's unbelievable that this simple, easy approach has never been done before. I'm glad someone finally did it! Some of the most successful, useful inventions become obvious to the rest of us after someone comes up with the idea, and we smack our foreheads with the palm of our hands thinking, "Why didn't I think of that? It's so obvious!" SmartFrench is like that.
   
   The teacher on the CD is really gifted. He speaks at a perfect speed, or tempo, his voice is easy to listen to, and he's SMART! It's literally like taking a French class without having to go to school. He gives you tips, clues, and ideas on how to remember things. You get the sense that he truly, truly wants to help you become proficient in speaking French.
   
   Have you felt like giving up on learning French? Try this program and you'll get excited about it again. Have a Francophile in your life? This would be the PERFECT GIFT for them.
   
   Side note:
   *Pay attention to which SmartFrench program you want. The titles are very similar. This program is called Beginner 1 Volume 1, and Beginner 1 Volume 2.
   *Do not confuse the title with the CD entitled simply "Beginner Level"! That "Beginner Level" CD and the "Intermediate/Advanced Level" CD are also great, but have a different approach (VERY effective). Those CD's help tune your ear to the French language as you listen to native French speakers, at the same time teaching you to speak along with a really cool, innovative approach.
   *The CD-Rom is also great. Very interactive. Nice to see the native French people speaking. Helps me to understand how to pronounce things even better and to see typical French mannerisms.



2. This is a wonderful learning tool. Along with Volume 1, you get the basics that you need to build a solid foundation for learning the language. The pacing of the lessons is just right, and they are very pleasant to listen to as well. You feel like you are in the hands of a good, smart, wise teacher. I love using it, and I recommend it strongly.



3. This is an excellent program for learning to speak French the way it's supposed to be spoken. School classes teaches the hard stuff, like grammar, etc., and not exactly how to speak/listen to the language. We tried a few other programs and were fairly disappointed until we got SmartFrench. This is an excellent program where you learn to speak, and as importantly, listen to French the way it's supposed to be spoken at different speeds. This first set of CDs (Introduction Vol 1 and Vol 2) will give you an introduction to simple everyday words, as well as some fundamental French language structure, and how to use them. Also, the 5 most used verbs are explained on their usage.
   
   Finally, if you're an absolute beginner in the French language, this Vol 1 and Vol 2 will get you started in the right direction. Afterwards, the next sets (SmartFrench Beginner, Intermediate/Advanced) will get you further in developing the right speaking/listening skills. This program focuses mainly on the speaking/listening aspect of the language and it does it extremely well. This SmartFrench program should be used in conjunction with reading, watching French TV/movies, and working with other French grammar programs if you want total fluency in the language. Enjoy!