No comments about Greater Belfast (Street Atlas).

1 comments about The Fair Face of Flanders.

1. Patricia Carson is a professional historian, who wrote this book after a profound research and few years spent in Belgium. And the result is a brilliantly written book, which tells the story of the Flemings and their land, starting from IX century until the XXth century when Flanders was already part of Belgium. The author gives curious details about the political, cultural, military, and linguistic history of Flanders and of Belgium since its creation in 1830. She included also family trees of all the dynasties, which ever ruled over Flanders- the counts of Flanders, the dukes of Brabant, the Hapsburgs, and the kings of Belgium. Carson is very sympathetic to the Flemings, who had always had to fight for their political and even linguistic survival against much mightier European powers than them, and yet she remained very impartial in describing and analyzing the historical events and figures. The wonderful illustriations of the Belgian artist Herman Verbaere in the entire book also contribute for its superb quality.

No comments about Europa Meridional - Lonely Planet En Espaol (Lonely Planet Southern Europe).

5 comments about Encore Provence.

1. Peter Mayle effectivately takes us once again to beautiful Provence through his second book. His writing is witty yet very unassuming and laid back. He gives the reader vivid and often funny accounts of the land and its people. He has an uncanny ability to observe the smallest details in the Provencal locals that he meets and to express it in a very entertaining way through his books.



2. Food, the air, water, the land and the people in the South of France. The book beautifully took me thru life in this person move to this area.



3. The book was everything I expected...but y'all sent it in paperback. I never buy a book that I do not want to keep....and I never buy and keep paperback books.



4. For an unexplained reason, Peter Mayle and his unnamed wife (presumably the "Jennie" of the dedication) left paradise in Provence for Long Island. In Encore Provence, he returns to the south of France, where the food, wine, and slow pace of life again absorb his attention.
   
   Even less structured than Toujours Provence, Encore Provence covers familiar territory from new angles. "The Unsolved Murder of the Handsome Butcher" and "Recipe for a Village" address both the insularity and charms of village life ("Recipe" much less successfully), while "How to Be a Nose," "Discovering Oil," and "Friday Morning in Carpentras" provide insights into the perfume, olive oil, and truffle industries, respectively. In one of the best chapters, "Restaurant Critic Makes Astonishing Discovery," Mayle effectively and humorously discredits Ruth Reichl's flippant dismissal of Provence. How could a serious critic, after only a month's visit, write, "I had been dreaming of a Provence that never existed"? To help the reader find ripe tomatoes--which Reichl could not manage to do--and other products of Provence, Mayle provides the names and places for markets, vineyards, restaurants, bakeries, and producers of goods like olive oil and honey. It becomes clear that Reichl could not find Provence because she actively avoided it; perhaps she thought that deflating the expectations that Mayle helped to create was a better story than simply reinforcing them.
   
   Several chapters, like "Curious Reasons for Liking Provence" and "Eight Ways to Spend a Summer's Afternoon," reveal one of the problems with Encore Provence--the lack of significant new material. More filler than substance, they are more like random personal essays than integral parts of a cohesive work, as though Mayle could not think of a better way to frame his random observations. These chapters are forced, splintered, and almost unnecessary.
   
   Surprisingly, there is a less of a sense of place. In the previous Provence books, Mayle's stone house, with its location abutting public forest, its isolation from traffic, its drawn-out renovations, its pool that attracts thirsty sangliers, and its quirky neighbors like Faustin and Massot, gives the reader a strong sense of a place with personality. The house is at the heart of A Year in Provence. In Encore Provence, it is not clear that Mayle and his wife return to the same house or what their neighbors are like. Even the dogs are mostly absent. Without structure and intimacy, Encore Provence is nothing more than a series of disconnected travelogue stories. Perhaps weary of intrusions into his privacy, or perhaps unclear about the reasons for the first book's success, Mayle distances himself from his reader.
   
   There may not be much left for Mayle to say about Provence. He writes that, due to building restrictions, not much has changed. Yet he notes that "the garage and the geese are gone, and the farmhouse has sprouted wings and annexes . . . the vines have been groomed" and "the refugees' urge for rapid [gardening] results has spawned an industry: instant gardens, shipped in and set up with astonishing speed." These are only a couple of small changes, to be sure, but in time there will be more, and Provence will alter slowly and subtly. Mayle should know that that is the nature of change in the countryside and that, with enough demand, pressure, and money, change can accelerate, transforming a village into a resort town or farmland into suburbia.
   
   Even if you cannot visit Provence, much of the lifestyle that Mayle describes--with food and drink of varying type and quality--is still available in many places outside France. The slow pace, the fatalistic viewpoint, the elderly gossips and moralists, the close-knit relationships, the helpfulness, and the beauty and quirks of the countryside are found in many regions. If you are as observant and open as Mayle, you may be able to find your version of Provence closer to home.



5. If you have ever visited Provence, reading "Encore Provence" will ensure a flood of pleasant memories. Homesick for Provence, Peter Mayle leaves his home in America (he is originally from England) and returns to his true love, France.
   
   What really keeps the French trim and healthy? What prevents olive oil from quickly turning rancid? How can you ease a sore throat with lavender essential oil?
   
   Peter Mayle answers these questions and more. His writing has a rare warmth and his descriptions of restaurants makes you want to experience every nuance. Whether he is visiting a distillery or explaining the process of buying a house, he tells the story with a sense of adventure.
   
   Since Peter Mayle loves to watch people more than TV he provides some interesting descriptions of village inhabitants. He tells his stories with a sense of relish and he even made Marseille sound more exciting. This book made me wish for another bottle of olive oil I found in Cassis on a weekend trip I made to Provence. It also reminded me to buy another bag of Fleur de Sel.
   
   I can also recommend: A Year in Provence
   
   ~The Rebecca Review

No comments about English Cathedrals: A History.

1 comments about San Camilo, 1936: The Eve, Feast, and Octave of St. Camillus of the Year 1936 in Madrid.

1. If this isn't too personal, when I gave up beer for fatherhood, I rediscovered my joy of literature. However, of my three favorite authors at the time, Twain, Traven, and McMurtry (early Mcmurtry was pretty darn good), I had read just about all there was. Where to turn to next? While pondering that question in 1989, I overheard on the news that Camilo Jose Cela had won the Nobel Prize for Literature. From that time on I have been an avid reader of most Nobel-Prize winning novelists and it all started with Cela. I remember all of my Spanish Lit professors had "La Familia de Pascual Duarte" on their shelves along with Cervantes and the usual suspects. I read that book and wanted more. However, Cela can be challenging.
   
   When I got a copy of "San Camilo, 1936" I was shocked to find that sentences were pages long and all the normal-lengthed chapters were one extended paragraph. Not the book to pick up with just a few minutes to spare. Reading Saramago helped cure me of the fear on endless sentences and paragraphs so I took "San Camilo, 1936" on a cruise recently. I read it and I'm glad I did. It was hard to stop in the middle of a page but I had plenty of lengthy times for reading. The book struck me as the caffein-induced thoughts of a young man. In the first chapter, his thoughts focussed on the local houses of ill-repute. In the second chapter, the focus was on the deaths of several women and one in particular. By the third chapter, I was starting to see a true focus developing. I came to appreciate "San Camilo, 1936" as a unique literary form where history and perspective emerges in the thoughts of this young man. All sex at first but then disturbing events begin to consume more of his thoughts. As the Nationaist rebellion begins, we understand how the Spanish mind began to absorb the increasing events in their lives. Our narrator shows through his thoughts how the rebellion gradually comes to the forefront of his focus. We see the characters, who were once just fellow citizens, break into factions and how the cause becomes greater than love and respect. It really worked well and I presume that this was what Cela wanted the reader to understand.
   
   The closing chapter is a brief one (but still one long paragraph) in which the author analyzes the Spanish mind and concludes with a plea for love. Cela is a bit more earthly with his concept of love but, then, he's been that way throughout the book. I found myself underlining a number of passages where, amidst the repetion, brilliant observations would emerge.
   
   I'm glad I've finally read "San Camilo, 1936". I'd read the brief dedication dozens of times over the years. If it's not against the rules, it's worth sharing;
   "To the conscripts of 1937, all of whom lost something; their life, their freedom, their dreams, their hope, their decency. And not to the adventurers from abroad , Fascists and Marxists, who had their fill of killing Spaniards like rabbits and whom no one had invited to take part in our funeral."
   After reading and re-reading that dedication, I knew that this had to be a brilliant novel. I'm glad that I finally found the time to discover that it truly is.

No comments about Ireland for Kids (For kids).

No comments about Mayo, Sligo (Irish Discovery Map).

3 comments about The Pipes are Calling: Our Jaunts Through Ireland.

1. This book is truly a magnificent piece of writing. Niall Williams and Christine Breen describe their jaunts with their daughter Deirdre so clearly that you are with them in their car as they experience the excitement as they travel the back roads of Ireland -- all of the the sights, smells, sounds and feelings of the different places the travel to, and best of all their life back home in Kiltumper.

   They fill the book with wonderful homey anecdotes about their travels, life at their farm and with their neighbors. Stories that not only open the door into their lives, but welcome you in with a steaming mug of tea and a hearty slice of Christine's Brown Bread.




2. I can't say enought for this series of books as loved every one of them.If you are interested in Ireland or just want to read a excellent series I would give an A + for these books.



3. I don't think anyone who loves Ireland will be disappointed in this book. It is very well written, moves right along. You get a sincere taste of life in Ireland as it was in the 80's. So much has changed now compared to then. I enjoyed this book so much that I have purchase the next 2 written in sequence to this book. Just about finished with the 3rd (got them out of sequence).
   The thought of 2 city people uprooting their lives to live in the "wilds" of West Ireland is amazing. It's a wonder they stuck with the country life, considering how primitive it was in the 80's.
   Just enjoy reading this relaxing enjoyable book. I am sure you will not be disappointed.

1 comments about New Worlds: The Great Voyages of Discovery 1400-1600.

1. "New Worlds" is an unbelievably great book! After reading the recent "Rivers of Gold", I started to look for an up to date overview of the age of discovery. I was especially interested in events prior to the voyages of Columbus and the role of Portugal.
   
   Dr. Fritze offers a balanced and detailed overview that includes Portuguese contributions. But the book goes much farther. It details the European knowledge and mindset prior to exploration. It covers politics, trade, technology and other factors crucial to setting the stage for exploration. The book is lavishly illustrated. It has great charts and maps.
   
   "New Worlds" is the best history book I have read since "Guns, Germs and Steel." It may be better.
   
   Despite searches on Amazon and web searches, I could not find a book remotely covering the age of exploration. "New Worlds" is on Amazon... but it is like finding a needle in a haystack. Luckily I stumbled across "New World's" at the Stanford bookstore.
   
   My kudos to the author. I hope your publisher will find better ways to get the word out. (I'm shocked how clueless they must be about web marketing.)