1 comments about Jamaica: A Taste of the Island (Hunter Travel Guides).

1. One of two books in an exciting new series for the gourmet traveler - or just about anyone who enjoys mouth-watering island cuisine! This unique combination travel-food guidebook introduces you to the delicious cuisine of Jamaica. First off, it takes a look at the island's culinary roots, seeing what has influenced the cuisine and the local ingredients that make it unique. The authors then detail the best places to eat - the largest section of the book - from five-star resorts to plush hotel restaurants to independently owned establishments. Telephone number, address, dress code, and reservation suggestions are given. Annual food festivals and culinary contests are listed.

   If you're staying home but wish you were Jamaica-bound, cook up one of the many recipes offered. Ingredient substitution charts are provided for hard-to-find island foods, and mail order resources are also given. Interviews with local chefs offer tips for the best results. As you're preparing your meal, fix yourself one of the tasty island cocktails featured!

No comments about Fodor's Pocket Paris 2001: The All-in-One Guide to the Best of the City Packed with Places to Eat, Sleep, S hop and Explore (Pocket Guides).

1 comments about Into a Paris Quartier: Reine Margot's Chapel and Other Haunts of St.-Germain (National Geographic Directions).

1. Take a look at the customer reviews for the hardback version before purchasing this book. I wish that I had. I was so disappointed by this book. The storyline is disjointed and the writing style (those long, rambling sentences) is downright annoying. I liked the photo on page 74 and not much else. I wanted to sell my copy of this book, but used paperback copies are going for 49 cents. I guess that tells you something.

No comments about Romantic Paris 2009 Wall Calendar (Calendar).

1 comments about Light of Paris, the.

1. Absolutely beautiful photographs that in many cases go beyond the endless cliches that this most wonderful city can't help but spawn. Using a spectacularly fine grained film, in a now eccentric denial of digital format, Berts has produced a magnificent portfolio on Paris. Reminds me of Brassai's celebrated night shots, only these were taken at dawn. Superb printing quality, and prefaced with a delightfully playful essay by Pierre Assouline. Top shelf publishing. An unmissable bargain at Amazon's price.

4 comments about The Diary of Jean-Jacques Coupier (Time Travelers, 5).

1. I have read all the Time Travelers books and I love them all, but I think this one may turn into my favorite because I think that this may be the best book I have ever read in my life. I got the book on a Tuesday and just read it non-stop until I was done. Her books are like that. You can't put them down. The characters just grab you and won't let go. I had to find out what would happen to them. The finest glimpse into the past you will ever read. If you have never read a book in this series, then you are missing one of the best new writers on the market today.



2. The fifth book in the exciting "Time Travelers" series, The Diary of Jean-Jacques Coupier by Hollie Van Home is the engaging story of Celeste Montclaire, a contemporary woman who falls into a Time Tunnel and finds herself transported to 1793 Paris -- smack into the middle of the French Revolution. With loves and loyalties on both sides of the growing conflict, she must make her choices quickly; her very life hinges upon them! A rousing and engaging novel, in touch with its chosen era of history, The Diary of Jean-Jacques Coupier is especially recommended for science fiction fans with a penchant for time travel stories.



3. I have read all of Van Horne's books and this is definitely my favorite! I learned so much about the French Revolution from reading this book. It was obvious that Ms. Van Horne did her research! All of her books have way of taking you on the journey with the character. Fantastic! I recommend any of her books to people who are intrigued with romance, time travel, or just a great story!!



4. I love time travels and am willing to forgive a lot, but this book was just not good. For the price well, it was outrageous. I didn't like any of the characters and found the book very difficult to read. In fact, I just scanned it after several tries and then never finished it. I was very disappointed, I had such high hopes bases on prior reviews.

1 comments about An American in Paris: UN Americain a Paris.

1. 
   Nietzsche once said, "As an artist a man has no home in Europe save in Paris." An early daguerreotype, "Paris Boulevard" by L. J. M. Daguerre himself offers a view of Paris down to the smallest detail. Toulouse-Lautrec, who was ostracized and became a habitue of Parisian night life, presented a cast of entertainers in cafes and music halls. Pissarro's view was of a crowded square; Renoir saw Paris on a Sunday afternoon in a popular dance hall; and then contemporary artist LeRoy Neiman gave us his City of Light in a gloriously colorful collection.
   
   This folio-size visual feast holds 128 full-color illustrations, so boldly and broadly drawn that Paris springs to vibrant life. Initially seeing France some 60 years ago, Neiman was a GI with the American First Army during the Liberation of Paris. In the 60s he maintained a studio there and sketched prodigiously. Through the eyes of this contemporary Impressionist not only do we see the exultation of the Liberation and the ecstatic throngs that greeted the Americans, but we visit cafes, stroll boulevards, admire the city's haute couture, and meet some of the celebrities who live there or visit.
   
   Few places have inspired the plethora of words, music and art that the citadel of the Seine has. "An American In Paris" is a rich portrait of that incomparable city for Francophiles and all admirers of Neiman's work.
   
   - Gail Cooke

5 comments about Paris In Mind.

1. What a shame that such a nominally prestigious publishing house as Random House should choose to squander its prestige on an anthology as misguided and truly unnecessary as this. First of all, it begins from the wrong place, which is to say cliche: namely, the cliche of the American in Paris, getting charmed, getting frustrated (but just a little bit), getting (it is intimated) laid. What is missing is the realization that Paris is beautiful AND complicated, and no, juxtaposing a squib by David Sedaris (yawn) with one by Thomas Jefferson does not do much, if an7thing, in the way of promoting excitement or insight.
   The inclusion of unknown writers is to be commended, the fact that their material is almost studiously lackluster is not. How an editor whose previous work includes "2sexE: Urban Tales of Love, Liberty and the Pursuit of Gettin' It On" was ever entrusted with this subject matter is beyond me, but if you think Paris deserves to be treated like a Fox News documentary, then maybe this slight tome is the book for you.



2. The Washington Post's Jonathan Yardley says "Paris in Mind is terrific in just about every respect." John Leonard of Harper's Magazine calls it an "engaging anthology" of notable Americans writing about the City of Light. Frank Prial in the New York Times imagines Josephine Baker singing 'I have two loves/My own country and Paris' as "the musical theme for this attractive book." PARIS IN MIND is a wonderful anthology for anyone who loves Paris.



3. In her book, Jennifer Lee, has collected a delightful anthology of American writers in Paris. The book is like a basket of delicious French pastries - all here for our taking. No avid reader will be able to pass this one up.



4. never before have i come across such an eclectic and engaging anthology writings about paris from an american perspective. not only does the editor cover different aspects of the parisian experience--love, food, living, tourism--but she does so from a variety of perspectives from thomas jefferson to langston hughes. i would definitely recommend this book to any american planning a trip to paris or anybody who is simply in a "paris state of mind."



5. It was Oscar Wilde who observed that when good Americans die, they go to heaven, but when very good Americans die, they go to Paris. Guided by two goals for her excellent anthology, "pleasure and variety" (p. xix), Editor Jennifer Lee has collected three centuries of American writers here, John Adams, James Baldwin, Dave Barry, Saul Bellow, Art Buchwald, T. S. Eliot, M.F.K. Fisher, Hemingway, Langston Hughes, Thomas Jefferson, Anais Nin, David Sedaris, Gertrude Stein, Twain, Edith Wharton, and E. B. White, among others, who all share one thing in common: a passion for Paris.
   
   PARIS IN MIND is organized into four sections: "Love (How to Seduce and Be Seduced Like a Parisian)," "Food (How to Eat Like a Parisian)," "The Art of Living (How to Live Like a Parisian)," and "Tourism (How You Can't Help Being an American in Paris)." Readers will find Twain captivated the Parisian "cancan" dance, and Bellow contemplating that even God "would be perfectly happy in France because he would not be troubled by prayers, observances, blessings and demands . . . Surrounded by unbelievers He too could relax toward evening, just as thousands of Parisians do at heir favorie cafes" (p. 59). In her contribution, Sylvia Beach recounts her dream of opening an American bookstore in Paris. In "Hunger was Good Discipline (from A MOVEABLE FEAST), Hemingway describes his encounter with physical and artistic hunger in Paris. Grant Rosenberg captures the Parisian cafe culturen in "A Day in the Life of a Parisian Cafe." In "The City of Light in the Dark," Sedaris describes his love of watching classic American films in Parisian theaters. In the excerpt from NO NAME IN THE STREET, James Baldwin describes his experience of being a black American in Paris. Reading PARIS IN MIND offers readers reason enough to live their lives as very good Americans.
   
   G. Merritt

No comments about Plan De Ville: Paris Par Arrondissement.

2 comments about Brassai: The Monograph.

1. When Abrams released their long-delayed book on Brassai last December, THE EYE OF PARIS, I was very critical of the entire piece. The images weren't well-printed, the selection was mundane, and the whole thing had an oddly slapped together quality, especially for such a major publisher. Now we have Bullfinch's answer to the recent Brassai gap, and it is a clear success, head and shoulders above this earlier release. After only a relatively cursory look at the book, it is clear that this is what we've been waiting for. The selction of images is deep and varied, mixing both the iconic with the lesser known, the printing is lustrous and dimensional, and the layout is both attractive and compelling. The production may not match the incredible PARIS BY NIGHT reissue of the late 80's, but nothing probably ever will. That said, this book looks very good indeed. I haven't read the impressively credited text yet, but the visuals are certainly terrific, the most important thing, obviously, in a photography book. It is hard to imagine a superior monograph on this seminal figure forthcoming anytime soon. Grab it and feast.



2. This book deserves more than five stars.

   Before going further, let me mention that Brassai's images contain many sinners and show the seamier side of Paris. For example, there are many photographs of prostitutes here. If such subjects upset you, do avoid this volume.

   The collection of Brassai's work at the Musee National d'Art Moderne at the Pompidou Centre in Paris was recently expanded from 300 to 500 items due to a large deposit by Mme. Gilberte Brassai, his widow. This monograph greatly benefits from these additions. The monograph also commemorates the 100th anniversary of his birth in 1899.

   Best known for his photography, Brassai had many other dimensions: collector, scholar, sketcher, sculptor, and writer. His self description was as "a creator of images." This book does an excellent job of capturing all of these elements so we can better understand the entire man and his work.

   As Brassai said, "The meaning of art is not authenticity . . . but the expression of authenticity." Why does he say that? Well, his method of photography required careful staging because of the bulkiness of his equipment and its slow speed. So, although an image may seem like something taken by a news photographer from the Daily Blurb, Brassai's techniques required that subjects hold their poses for long periods of time. Much like Cindy Sherman does today using herself as the model, those in the photographs were often friends of Brassai's who were posing as someone else. So what is remarkable about these "candid" photos is his "use of re-creation and reconstruction" to produce them.

   Taking the photograph was really just the beginning. Using darkness as his ally, it is the print that makes the difference to his representations. "A negative means nothing for my kind of photographer." "It's the artist's proof that counts."

   Here are my favorite photographic images in the book:

   Notre-Dame, c. 1930-32

   The Pont Neuf, c. 1932

   The Viaduc d'Auteiul, 1932

   The Baker, c. 1930-32

   Public Urinals, c. 1932

   For a Detective Story, 1931-32

   The Big Night at Longchamp, July 1937

   False Sky, 1934-35

   Nudes of 1934

   Matches, c. 1930

   Picasso, His Studio and Works, 1932-46

   Montmartre, c. 1935-37

   Metro Pillar, 1934 (you will see a man's face in the shadow of the pillar)

   Odalisque Transmutation, 1934/1967 (this is clearly influenced by Picasso)

   The essays in the book are excellent. I especially liked Alain Sayag's comparison of his work to Chinese painting.

   I also learned a lot about his life. Like many famous photographers he had to earn a living by doing more commercial work. These images often were done on his own time, late at night. Interestingly, many great photographic images were created in only 1-3 takes. In part, this reflected his poverty.

   Actually, he had earlier earned a living from writing about France for German newspapers. The Depression began to cut off that source of funds, and photography was taken up in part to supplement his income. By selling the story and the images, he could get paid a little more. He also worked for Harper's Bazaar taking photographs by day for many years.

   The text also contains many selections from what Henry Miller and he had to say about each other and their long-term friendship. This emphasizes "seeing only what is."

   My appreciation of the photography was improved by seeing his drawings and sculptures. Clearly influenced by prehistoric and primitive art, many of these images look like fertility gods. His women are all bottom. From these, I could understand his graffiti photographs of images that could literally have come from the caves at Lescaux. So in looking for the "reality" Brassai was reaching deeper into our ancient psyches than other photographers before and since.

   I came away very much more interested in Brassai, as I am sure you will be.

   After you finish consider Brassai, I suggest you ask yourself how you could add more dimensions of expression to your personal life. What can you share that is both "real" and important for others? How can you best accomplish that?

   Au revoir.