No comments about Michelin Road to Liberty Map No. 105.

5 comments about Little Known Museums in and Around Paris.

1. Racheal Kaplan's Little-Known Musemus in and around Paris includes reviews of thirty museums and appealing subjects such as the homes of famous authors (i.e. Dumas and Balzac), museums of science, and the decorative arts. Ms. Kaplan is an exceptional raconteur and brings Paris alive with her use of interesting anecdotes, historical facts, and high quality photographs. For the Paris traveler that wants to put a human face to this beautiful city, I would recommend Little-Known Museums in and around Paris.



2. Whether you're on your first trip to Paris, or a regular visitor, Rachel Kaplan's "Little Known Museums in and Around Paris is a gem. Forget the crowds at the Louvre and Orsay! Follow Rachel's advice and seek out Balzac's home, Maillol's or Zadkine's sculptures, Delacroix's paintings ... Rachel's scholarship and lively style make you want to leave the beaten track and head for these less-famous, less-crowded, first-rate museums.



3. We own a copy of 'Little Known Museums in and Around Paris', and after over 18 years of visiting Paris and its many Great museums, we found that we still missed 12 out of the 30 museums listed in her book.Now we can't wait to go back and visit these 12 that Ms. Kaplan has so thoroughly and appealingly described, with the many magnificent photos and well researched text, this is a book to savour in an armchair, or to use to preview your next trip. We have already put 'The Fan Museum' and the 'Maurice Ravel Museum' on our 'MUST SEE', for our upcoming summer trip. Thank you for listening.

   Lana & Murray Singer (New York City)




4. Rachel Kaplan's engaging little book is a fascinating guide to some of the many museums in and around Paris that do NOT make it into the big guidebooks. Everyone has heard of the Louvre, the Orsay, even the Musee Rodin, but what about the others? Some of them are small museums run by devoted individuals; at least one (the Musee de la Marine in the Trocadero complex) is, I believe, run by the French government.

   This is a book badly in need of updating. Three years ago, when I used to to visit the Maison de Balzac on Rue Raynouard, the information on transportation, hours, and addresses was of relatively recent vintage and, consequently, more trustworthy.

   While Kaplan's contributions are wonderful and the many black and white and color photographs memorable, the publisher did a very mediocre job of presentation. I do not care for the book's alphabetic orientation and deplore the unhelpful single map.

   One more negative: There are many other small museums in Paris that are not even mentioned in passing, such as the Musee de la Serrure (locks, keys, and door knockers); Musee de la Poste (mail service); Musee Guimet (Oriental art); the new museum of Jewish history near the Pompidou Center -- to mention just a few.

   And yet, I look forward in a couple of weeks to visiting the Musee Delacroix and the Musee Cognac-Jay, neither of which appear in my other guidebooks. This is a very useful book for those who wish to explore lesser-known parts of the City of Lights. I look forward to a new edition which will make it even more useful.




5. We recently used this guide extensively while in Paris for a week. Having done the usual "big name" tourist stops, we were looking for a convenient way to see Paris in-depth. This book met our needs completely. I am looking forward to more work from this author.

4 comments about Blue Trout and Black Truffles: The Peregrinations of an Epicure.

1. Wechsberg's book is an established classic on a par with those of A. J. Liebling and Waverly Root. Like those other authors, Wechsberg was a journalist who wrote about food, restaurants, and food cultures in the mid-20th century, and his insights and great storytelling give the writing a permanent appeal. This can be seen from the reaction after this essay collection (whose chapters were originally written as magazine articles) appeared in this reprint edition in the mid-1980s. I was at a Christmas party with some accomplished food folks, including Paul Bertolli of the Chez Panisse in Berkeley, and was recounting to someone one of the stories ("Tafelspitz for the Hofrat") from this book. When I finished I found that most of the room was listening, and that many of them, independently, had recently read the book too. That particular essay, by the way, has lately been re-discovered in Vienna, where it was set, and has been proudly adopted by some restaurants there. In this book Wechsberg interviewed, and popularized to US readers, the legendary Fernand Point, chef and owner of the 20th-century's most famous and influential restaurant in France (and for whom the _Guide Michelin_ reportedly debated adding a fourth star to their rating system for premium restaruants). Some of the chapters are interviews, some experiences and some celebrations of food. This book is well known and indispensable to food fanatics and those seeking more of the background and context from which contemporary western culinary culture -- high cuisine as well as comfort food -- emerged.



2. Wechsberg's name ought to be mentioned alongside M.F.K. Fischer's. His writing is evocative, precise, and vivid. Reading this book makes me wish I could board a time machine and eat in the restaurants he described in the 1950s. Like many Viennese, Wechsberg loves the old city, the city that vanished after the wars, and resurrects it in memory.



3. What a romp in the world of food! You'll feel satisfied at the end of the book... like a good meal.



4. Though Blue Trout and Black Truffles is billed as Culinary journey, and it is at that, it is also something completely unexpected, an introduction to European life in the 1920s through 1940s. The exploration of food and wine is coupled with vibrant characters and unforgettable settings.

5 comments about Key to the Sacred Pattern: The Untold Story of Rennes-le-Chateau.

1. Even though this book is split into two sections, there are really three distinct parts.

   In the first Henry Lincoln gives a "light" account of his adventures with Rennes-la-Chateau. For those who've read The Holy Blood & the Holy Grail it is fun to hear of his first trip to Rennes, or his first meetingwith Plantard.

   The second part is a recounting of the "purely objective" parts of the mystery. It's all pentagons, but not as obsessive as THE TOMB OF GOD.

   The third part is admitedly speculative. If you've read the "Affirmations" section of The Dilbert Future, it's like that. Saying that there is not satisfactory proof for the thesis, but that it is worth investigating, he describes the layout of Bornholm island, Brittany, and Norway. There are some weird coincidences, like the persistance of the name "Rennes" (or something similar) in all these locations, but nothing is proven.

   The last ten pages, which are part of the third section, argues that the English system is ancient and based on the distance between the poles. It's weird, possible, and not proven.

   If you've just heard about Rennes-la-Chateau this is not the book for you. If you've already read much of it, and want some less heavy information about it, The Key to the Sacred Patternis the book for you.




2. I thought the book was "oversold" in a way. From reading the jacket it looked like the "answer" to the Berenger Sauniere mystery, to what on earth it was that turned this impoverished rural cure into a wealthy identity. Now, yes, I know we have the sacred geometry, but it's unfinished? Where's the follow-up on the trough near the grove of trees? Where's the follow-up on just what may have actually happened at the focal point of that pentagram? We don't see it. While the anecdotes are interesting, and tragi-comic in some cases, they almost appear out of place? In some parts I felt like I was reading "The Making of Holy Blood, Holy Grail"" (which I loved by the way).



3. In a lot of ways this book is really Henry Lincoln responding to the BBC2 television programme "History of a Mystery" which did much to disprove not only his own book ("Holy Blood, Holy Grail") but the derivative work "Tomb of God." This is also Lincoln's way to distance himself (only slightly, however) from the Priory of Sion story (which has very much been proven to be a hoax) and stick more with the geometry aspects of the story (which were really investigated first by David Wood in 1985).

   This book is basically just Henry Lincoln setting down the events of his creation of the BBC "Chronicle" programs in the 1970s that opened up the alleged mystery of Rennes-le-Chateau to the European community. He wants to show the path he took to allow people to see that he was not "duped" as he has often been accused of and that the path he followed was logical. To a certain extent, it probably was logical. However, what Lincoln fails to acknowledge in this book (and all his other books) is that Jean Luc-Chaumeil, who does get mention in "Sacred Pattern," basically "ratted out" Pierre Plantard and the alleged Priory of Sion. Chaumeil's work has shown that the Priory was nothing more than a hoax that was started up by Pierre Plantard, who really was in a group of the same name that was started in 1956 by Andre Bonhomme. Thus, Lincoln was "duped." As was Gerard de Sede before him. He fell for the hoax, realized it, and then tried to latch on to another element of the "mystery" that seemed to have more promise and did not involve a "secret society." Lincoln also never mentions the massive contributions to the "mystery" by Jacques Riviere, Pierre Jarnac, and Rene Descadeillas. (He does briefly mention Descadeillas but then dismisses him without any explanation.) He also does not mention that he was presented with evidence from Jean Luc-Chaumeil before the publication of "Holy Blood, Holy Grail" that showed the Priory of Sion was a hoax and that he ignored. Lincoln, in his more recent research, has only concentrated on the alleged geometric aspects of the so-called mystery and he has given up trying to promote the Priory of Sion. That is basically what this book is about: setting up his new element of mystery, the alleged odd geometry. (He also did this because his 1991 "The Holy Place" is largely out of print and thus many of his fans were not aware of the extent of his work in this regard.

   All in all, this is a relatively okay book if you want to try to get a very chronological fashion of how certain events happened during the course of the research, which is important to determine the veracity of an independent researcher like Lincoln. However, there is absolutely nothing new in this book that you could not read in "The Holy Place" or in the books that were co-authored with Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh. I would definitely not recommend this book unless you feel you just have to read everything on the story or you feel you need a "blow-by-blow" account, as it were, of Lincoln's research pattern.




4. After reading Andrews and Schellenberger's "The Tomb of God", Lincoln's books seems a little uncomplete. The author's merit is, without any doubt, to have risen the big question about Rennes le Château, with a series of documentaries and books.
   After "The Holy Place", Lincoln embarks on a new adventure, recalling other interesting particulars which take the target out of Rennes le Château, leading the reader to North Europe and to Fibonacci and the Templars.
   A little too much critic towards Andrews and Schellenberger (who, on their side, have the merit to provide useful information and to suggest further readings), in the first part Lincoln sounds a little too jealous of his own theories and unwilling to listen to other people's point of view. A little too fiction, so to speak. The only reference to "The Tomb of God" (which is not mentioned in the bibliography, indeed very small and not helpful)is really arrogant.
   At any rate, the second part of this book is absolutely a must, something able to drag you attention to other interesting, fascinating aspect of human history.
   recommended to those who think Rennes le Château is only one ring of the chain.



5. There is a peculiar hostility to information coming from the "Grail publishing industry", that began with the English publication of Holy Blood, Holy Grail (1982). Peculiar because book authors like Lincoln provide much clearer and much more documented historical perspectives on European history in general than many one-dimensional "public consumption" historiographies you may have have been force-fed in a school somewhere which really think "they have it." Well, I have to tell you. Histories that ignore these issues will always have it all wrong.
   
   Above, for example, I have noted screed "reviews" of the book, where certain things (without reviewers' bothering to enlighten us on data for their hotheaded pronouncements) on so called "confirmed hoax" of this thing, and the "lies" of the pentagonal frameworks. All those words without information is just fluff taking up reviewer space and taking up your mind.
   
   I have to enlighten you. Read Lincoln, because he deserves to be credited for ten years before others (1991 the first publication of these issues I think in a more public form, than simply occult venues; 1997 for this book). By the way, what he describes as the "pentagonal geometry" links up with what others academically call "archaeoastronomy".
   
   This wider issue of archaeoastronomy (large geographic architectures of laylines, buried caches at such intersections, waybills, etc.), are instrumentally still being engineered as "late" as the U.S. Civil War to hide treasures, or they are found in the design of cities like Washington DC, or even the capital area of Israel.
   
   There is an unbroken "occult geomancy-elite" tradition in European history that Lincoln stumbles upon. This is what it all connects to: a skien to how mainline European political history connects for quite some time with occult political history. For an English audience, Lincoln is one of the first to follow the trail of evidence. One should credit him for that.
   
   Books I mentioned above I would share the titles for, for those willing to seek out the data for more examples of pentagonal (or other shaped) geometries as an ongoing occult marker system used by powerful political secret societies in European elite occult networks:
   
   1. Key to the Sacred Pattern (1997)
   2. The Secret Architecture of Our Nations Capital (1999)
   3. The Knights Templar in the New World (1999, 2004)
   4. The Templars' Secret Island (another co-authored Lincoln book, 2000, 2002)
   5. Templar Gold (2001)
   6. The Shadow of the Sentinel (2003)
   7. The Lost Colony of the Templars (2004)
   
   Without Lincoln's original research (as he was the one who connected and shared with Beigent and Leigh), perhaps the whole Holy Blood, Holy Grail "book industry" would still be only available in French. If at all. Moreover, the way it would be written about might still be limited to the realm of guesswork mythopoetry (along the lines like "stories of sea creature alien Atlaneans", etc.) instead of what we always have from teams that Lincoln is associated with: disciplined academic discussion, that gives the readers evidence while hardly demoting the drama of such discoveries either.
   
   Thus, I salute Lincoln's ongoing work, and so should you. And because it is so thoroughly documented, paradoxically, is why a lot of disinformation gets peddled against such books. There are a lot of people and interests who want to keep citizens from knowing what actually goes on.
   
   As always, read it for yourself and learn to mentally trash unattributed claims to authority (without evidence) in some reviewers above. After reading the above books as well, I would recommend it all the more because it does indicate an empirical pattern is seen elsewhere.
   
   Welcome to your world. It requires patience to plumb. I'm glad Lincoln has the patience.

1 comments about AA 2008 Big Road Atlas Europe (AA Atlases).

1. Excellent road atlas for road travel in Europe. The book is large and somewhat heavy but in the car the size makes for fast and easy reading. It has quality paper, but most importantly, it is spiral bound. I'll use it for the next 5-7 years before replacing it with a newer edition. JP/Texas

2 comments about Artists and Their Museums On the Riviera.

1. I have visited some of the museums and locations mentioned in the book and Dr. Freed has managed to capture the essence and the feeling of the locales while, at the same time, provides an excellent insight into the artist and his time.

   I thoroughly enjoyed the information and the descriptions. A larger format would have been a major enhancement but still I found it an excellent reference as well as a moving experience.




2. Barbara Freed takes us on a visit to the places along the Southeastern French coast from St. Tropez to Menton where now-celebrated artists have worked from the time of the pointillist Paul Signac onward. She also takes us to visit the very personal places where the likes of Renoir, Matisse, Chagall, Picasso and Cocteau lived and worked and where their work remains, often in such remarkably personal settings as their home, a museum dedicated to them, a chapel they decorated, and such.

   Dr. Freed first came to know this corner of France in 1960, she writes, when her artist father and family spent a year in Vence (across the street from Henri Matisse). This book is a labor of love for her, and it shows.

   Having lived in Nice for 3 years in the 1990s, we can attest to the quality of this book. It is a good guide to the artists and it is a good practical guide to visiting their marvelous museums along the Riviera, the Cote d'Azur. The price is modest. We recommend it.

2 comments about Touring In Wine Country: Burgundy (Touring in Wine Country).

1. This book covers all areas of bungundy in ways it seems only an expect could do - and sometimes understand. All possible areas of interest, known and little known, are listed. The many area/city regional maps are very clean and helpful. The only thing to possibly change is the blow by blow listing of what highway to take where, when to turn right/left, etc. That tends to make the book drag. Overall, definitly worth purchasing if you want to get started in Burgundy or need a driving guide of who does what and where they do it. (If you do use this as a driving guide, don't bother getting a Michelin guide unless you are going outside the appelation.) Makes you want to drink a glass for every word printed.



2. I am a professional in the field of wine and food consulting and a former staffer of Cuisine magazine, in New York. After reading through "Touring in Wine Country: Burgundy" by Hubrecht Duijker et al, I feel the book provides a broad understanding of Burgundy wines, but is lacking in several specific areas. For example, in its restaurant and winery suggestions it does not include the address, hours, or credit cards taken. Only the telephone numbers are listed. This would require that you carry around a European cell phone to call ahead to get directions and information, or that you have time to stop and find pay phones while traveling. The writers also assume that you are sufficiently fluent in French to communicate with prorietors to get all the information you need. This, in my opinion, is a serious flaw in the book. Moreover, the vineyard and restaurant recommendatons are written in very small type along the margins of the book - like mouse print. The maps are very general and would not suffice in and of themselves - to get you where you're going. Another book, Fodor's Rivages - Wines and Vineyards of Character and Charm in France, I feel, does a better job on the maps and recommendations-- all have addresses, hours, credit card information, etc. And each winery has a page description so you know beforehand if you want to visit and what the days/hours are. Each winery has a number that corresponds to a location on a map- which is fairly detailed, so you can easily find it.

3 comments about The National Geographic Traveler: France.

1. Of all the guide books on travelling in France, i have found this one to be the most complete. It cover almost everything you would like to know about France. The maps for each area are correct and up-dated. All of recommements points are wounderful. When I told some French friends that what I have done in France with this book they are almost cry because I have been to some places even French didn't know. This book let you travel in France as easy as a bird and with their beautiful photos you really like to visit all of the places. Don't hesitate to get one before you travel in France. You will have a wouderful time there.



2. These are the best guides in the market! It is hard to believe that we are in 2001 and there are guides published with cheap paper, black and white pictures and some with no pictures at all. The National Geographic guides are perfect, with lots of usefull information and hundreds of pictures, so you have a better idea where you go and what kind of scenery you will find. Go for it if you are looking for quality.



3. Buying this book was vindicated last week when I had the opportunity of travelling around France for 10 days. Not knowing exactly where to go, I used the notes and colour pictures to identify potential areas of interest. Unlike many other guides this book wasn't cluttered with too much information (although I supplemented with Lonely Planet on several occasions) and had some recommended routes for travelling. The book will now double in part as a photo album as I can recognise sites previously visited. If I had to pick one book this would be it for areas of interest to see. If you require information on accomodation, places to eat this may not be the best option. As an aside some hints for future French tourists: camp sites are everywhere, go to the local tourist office and ask, many of them are sign posted as you enter towns, villages etc. Travelling on the Autoroutes is fabulous but expect to pay tolls via the peages. Arrive early to avoid the influx of tourists (of which I am admittedly one!!)

No comments about St. Petersburg.

5 comments about Once Upon an American Dream: The Story of Euro Disneyland.

1. This is a great book, well documented and footnoted. Plenty of information for the Disney novice. There are anecdotes and paraphrases which imply first person research, but the notations are useful in clearing up issues.

   A strong argument in favor of the theme park as a diversion and entertainment and not as an entity to spread American philosophy or forced culture. This is a compelling thesis for a talented author.

   A little pricey, the book is a fine compliment to other books in the Disney library.




2. So this is the real story of EuroDisney... I have to admit that I never even thought (hoped ? forget it...) to find such a well made book on this particular topic. It's fascinating, how Lainsbury packs all the different contents and perspecticves into a single, compact book. Comprehensive, informative and above all, entertaining; you'll really enjoy reading it. It's too sad that it only consists of about 200 pages, but hey... it's really well worth a try. If you are curious about the history of EuroDisney/ Disneyland Paris and searching for a comprehensive, interesting source, this is your book of choice.



3. If you're a theme park enthusiast, the description of the design phases of Eurodisneyland are particularly detailed. If you're a Disney fan, this is a rare chance of looking backstage to discover hidden aspects that will boost your respect for the genius behind the magic. If you're a marketing student, this case history is enough to feed your thoughts for years. And if you're a sociology scholar, "Riding the Black Ship" is better. Warning: no mice, fancy photos and/or hypocrisy inside.



4. Once Upon an American Dream: The Story of Euro Disneyland is extremely well researched, with interesting backgrounds and developments preceding the opening of Disneyland Paris (DLP).
   
   However, the book is published in 2000, but the last information on DLP in the book date back to November 1994, which is almost ten years ago!
   
   The final chapter furthermore has very little to do with the European park, because it focuses solely on the development of the Walt Disney Company in the States.
   
   The notes, bibliography and index take up one-third of the whole book. It shows how thoroughly Andrew Lainsbury's research has been, but represents a disappointment for the reader who expects 100 pages more on DLP.
   
   Finally must be said that although Lainsbury worked in the European park, the book is written from an American point of view on Europe, which shows in Lainsbury's sometimes negative appreciation of French culture.
   
   The book is definitely a recommendation for everyone interested in the development and initial years of Disneyland Paris, but is too short and covers too few years to be satisfying for the interested reader.



5. The story of Euro Disneyland is an exciting topic and therefor I purchased 'Once upon an American dream'. I was both dissappointed by both content and style. I am affraid that even a high school student would have written a more superior and more enticing storey. Please do not waste your money on this book.