Naïma's father claims to remember nothing; he has made himself French. Her grandfather died before he could tell her his side of the story. But now Naïma will travel to Algeria to see for herself what was left behind--including their secrets.The Algerian War for Independence sent Naïma's grandfather on a journey of his own, from wealthy olive grove owner and respected veteran of the First World War, to refugee spurned as a harki by his fellow Algerians in the transit camps of southern France, to immigrant barely scratching out a living in the north. The long battle against colonial rule broke apart communities, opened deep rifts within families, and saw the whims of those in even temporary power instantly overturn the lives of ordinary people. Where does Naïma's family fit into this history? How do they fit into France's future?Alice Zeniter's The Art of Losing is a powerful, moving family novel that spans three generations across seventy years and two shores of the Mediterranean Sea. It is a resonant people's history of Algeria and its diaspora. It is a story of how we carry on in the face of loss: loss of country, identity, language, connection. Most of all, it is an immersive, riveting excavation of the inescapable legacies of colonialism, immigration, family, and war.

    Instead, she has a ‘nice’ life. Nice job. Nice flat. Absolutely no men. Until her life is turned upside-down when her elderly neighbour, Eulalie, passes away and leaves her the Château of Happily Ever Afters!But there’s a catch: she must share the sprawling French castle with Eulalie’s long-lost nephew, Julian. And no matter how gorgeous he is, or how easily she finds herself falling head over heels, Wendy needs to find a way to get rid of him… Because surely happily ever afters don’t happen in real life?

    Back home in Toronto, she has been living with the devastating diagnosis of her husband’s dementia and the heartbreak of watching the man she has loved for decades slip away before her eyes. What does her future hold without Ben? Before her is a blank canvas.Encouraged by her family to take some time for herself, she has traveled to Arles to set up her easel in the same fields of poppies and sunflowers that inspired Van Gogh. Gradually, she rediscovers the inner artist she abandoned long ago. Drawing strength from the warm companionship and gentle wisdom of her fellow artists at the retreat—as well as the vitality of guest lecturer Jacques de Villeneuve, an artist and a cowboy—Arianna searches her heart for permission to embrace the life in front of her and, like the sunflowers, once again face the light.

    Only twenty-two, Emma learned to bake at the side of a master, Ezra Kuchen, the village baker since before she was born. Apprenticed to Ezra at thirteen, Emma watched with shame and anger as her kind mentor was forced to wear the six-pointed yellow star on his clothing. She was likewise powerless to help when they pulled Ezra from his shop at gunpoint, the first of many villagers stolen away and never seen again.But in the years that her sleepy coastal village has suffered under the enemy, Emma has silently, stealthily fought back. Each day, she receives an extra ration of flour to bake a dozen baguettes for the occupying troops. And each day, she mixes that precious flour with ground straw to create enough dough for two extra loaves—contraband bread she shares with the hungry villagers. Under the cold, watchful eyes of armed soldiers, she builds a clandestine network of barter and trade that she and the villagers use to thwart their occupiers. But her gift to the village is more than these few crusty loaves. Emma gives the people a taste of hope—the faith that one day the Allies will arrive to save them.

    Seventy-four-year-old Jules Lacour—a maître at Paris-Sorbonne, cellist, widower, veteran of the war in Algeria, and child of the Holocaust—must find a balance between his strong obligations to the past and the attractions and beauties of life and love in the present.In the midst of what should be an effulgent time of life—days bright with music, family, rowing on the Seine—Jules is confronted headlong and all at once by a series of challenges to his principles, livelihood, and home, forcing him to grapple with his complex past and find a way forward. He risks fraud to save his terminally ill infant grandson, matches wits with a renegade insurance investigator, is drawn into an act of savage violence, and falls deeply, excitingly in love with a young cellist a third his age. Against the backdrop of an exquisite and knowing vision of Paris and the way it can uniquely shape a life, he forges a denouement that is staggering in its humanity, elegance, and truth.In the intoxicating beauty of its prose and emotional amplitude of its storytelling, Mark Helprin’s Paris in the Present Tense is a soaring achievement, a deep, dizzying look at a life through the purifying lenses of art and memory.

    Beginning on her first day in Paris, Janice MacLeod, the author of the best-selling book, Paris Letters, began a journal recording in illustrations and words, nearly every sight, smell, taste, and thought she experienced in the City of Light. The end result is more than a diary: it's a detailed and colorful love letter to one of the most romantic and historically rich cities on earth. Combining personal observations and anecdotes with stories and facts about famous figures in Parisian history, this visual tale of discovery, through the eyes of an artist, is sure to delight, inspire, and charm.

    That is, until you add in three teenagers, two love interests, one divorcing couple, and a very unexpected pregnancy.Admittedly, this isn’t exactly the relaxing holiday Leah Beaumont was hoping for – but it’s the one she’s got. With her sister Michele’s family falling apart at the seams, it’s up to Leah to pick up the pieces and try to hold them all together.But with a handsome helicopter pilot staying next door, Leah can’t help but think she might have a few distractions of her own to deal with…A glorious summer read, for you to devour in one sitting - perfect for fans of Katie Fforde, Carole Matthews and Trisha Ashley.

    This is the story of twin sisters divided by fierce loyalties and by a terrible secret. The drums of war are beating and France is poised, ready to fall. One sister is an aviatrix, the other is a socialite and they both have something to prove and something to hide. Discover a brilliant story of love, danger, courage ... and betrayal.This epic novel is an unforgettably powerful story of love, loss and the long shadow of war, perfect for readers of Kate Morton and other exceptional historical fiction.

    Paul and Julia moved to Paris in 1948 where he was cultural attaché for the US Information Service, and in this role he met Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Capa, Brassai, and other leading lights of the photography world. As Julia recalled: “Paris was wonderfully walkable, and it was a natural subject for Paul.”Their wanderings through the French capital and countryside, frequently photographed by Paul, would help lead to the classic Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and Julia’s brilliant and celebrated career in books and on television. Though Paul was an accomplished photographer (his work is in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art), his photographs remained out of the public eye until the publication of Julia’s memoir, My Life in France, in which several of his images were included. Now, with more than 200 of Paul’s photographs and personal stories recounted by his great-nephew Alex Prud’homme, France is a Feast not only captures this magical period in Paul and Julia’s lives, but also brings to light Paul Child’s own remarkable photographic achievement.

    From elegant floral boutiques to lively flower markets to glorious blooming trees and expansive public gardens, flowers are the essential ingredient to the lush sensory bouquet that is Parisian life. With beautiful photography, Paris in Bloom transports readers on a stunning floral tour of the city, and provides recommendations to the best flower markets and a detailed guide to spring blooms. Timeless in content, Paris in Bloom is a book for Paris lovers to savor again and again, one to keep on the nightstand to conjure fond memories of their first visit and inspire dreams of the next. Also Available: Paris in Bloom 2019 Wall Calendar (ISBN: 978-1-4197-3004-7)

    The eldest son is a driver for an app-based car service, which comically puts him at odds with his father, whose very livelihood is threatened by this new generation of disruptors. The younger son, shy and serious, works as a nurse in a French hospital. Jaded by the regular rejections he encounters in French society, he decides to join a Muslim humanitarian organization to help wounded civilians in the war in Syria. But when he stops sending news home, the silence begins to eat away at his father and brother who wonder what his real motivations were. When younger brother returns home, he has changed. Guven alternates between an ironic take on contemporary society and the gravity of terrorist threats. He explores with equal poignancy the lives of “Uberized” workers and actors in the global jihad.

    This is a practical way to learn the aspects of language that you’ll actually need and use; from booking a hotel room to navigating a menu, Paul will effortlessly build your confidence and give you the tools to handle any holiday situation.His ‘word robbery’ will also help unlock the range of vocabulary you already know. By making a few simple tweaks, you’ll go from fantastic to fantastique.Ideal for first-time learners or people who struggled in school, this book will help you absorb information quickly and efficiently, just like you did learning English as a child. Forget the way you used to be taught; this course guarantees you minimum effort and maximum success without the need for complex grammar rules or jargon. With thousands of satisfied customers, there’s never been a better time to learn.“There is nothing so complicated in foreign languages that it cannot be made simple.” Paul NobleA quick, easy and fun way to unlock your basic language skills. Perfect for beginners, this book will give you all the information you need to build basic conversations and get by on your travels.

    When the Nazis invaded and imprisoned his father, La Rochefoucald escaped to England and learned the dark arts of anarchy and combat—cracking safes and planting bombs and killing with his bare hands—from the officers of Special Operations Executive, the collection of British spies, beloved by Winston Churchill, who altered the war in Europe with tactics that earned it notoriety as the “Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare.” With his newfound skills, La Rochefoucauld returned to France and organized Resistance cells, blew up fortified compounds and munitions factories, interfered with Germans’ war-time missions, and executed Nazi officers. Caught by the Germans, La Rochefoucald withstood months of torture without cracking, and escaped his own death, not once but twice.The Saboteur recounts La Rochefoucauld’s enthralling adventures, from jumping from a moving truck on his way to his execution to stealing Nazi limos to dressing up in a nun’s habit—one of his many disguises and impersonations. Whatever the mission, whatever the dire circumstance, La Rochefoucauld acquitted himself nobly, with the straight-back aplomb of a man of aristocratic breeding: James Bond before Ian Fleming conjured him.More than just a fast-paced, true thriller, The Saboteur is also a deep dive into an endlessly fascinating historical moment, telling the untold story of a network of commandos that battled evil, bravely worked to change the course of history, and inspired the creation of America’s own Central Intelligence Agency

    After being held for five days in appalling conditions in the Vélodrome d'Hiver stadium, Joseph and his family were transported by cattle car to the Beaune-la-Rolande internment camp and brutally separated: all the adults and most of the children were transported on to Auschwitz and certain death, but 1,000 children were left behind to wait for a later train. The French guards told the children left behind that they would soon be reunited with their parents, but Joseph and his new friend, Joe Kogan, chose to risk everything in a daring escape attempt. After eluding the guards and crawling under razor-sharp barbed wire, Joseph found freedom. But how would he survive the rest of the war in Nazi-occupied France and build a life for himself? His problems had just begun.Until he was 80, Joseph Weismann kept his story to himself, giving only the slightest hints of it to his wife and three children. Simone Veil, lawyer, politician, President of the European Parliament, and member of the Constitutional Council of France—herself a survivor of Auschwitz—urged him to tell his story. In the original French version of this book and in Roselyne Bosch’s 2010 film La Rafle, Joseph shares his compelling and terrifying story of the Roundup of the Vél’ d’Hiv and his escape. Now, for the first time in English, Joseph tells the rest of his dramatic story in After the Roundup.

    Then she makes an impulsive choice: to stay in France. It proves to be a dangerous decision. World War II erupts. The Nazis conquer Alsace and deport the Jews and others. A frightening German officer commandeers a room in Meme's farmhouse. And when Gen's friend Remi commits an act of sabotage, Gen is forced to hide him in the attic--right above the Nazi officer's head. Genevieve's War is a gripping story that brings the war in occupied France vividly to life. It is a companion work to Lily's Crossing, a Newbery Honor Book.

    Her blog Messy Nessy Chic is described as a 'chic cabinet of curiosities', and it records her bohemian adventures in the city. Her eye for style, both classic and kitsch, has won her a huge, dedicated following, with over 1.5 million unique visitors to her website per month, and 400,000 subscribers on social media. In addition, Vanessa's charisma has seen her profiled in Porter, Vogue, Conde Nast Traveller, and The Daily Mail. Don't be a Tourist is Grall's off-beat guide to her adopted home, in which she looks past the cliches and tourist traps, and uncovers the true heart of Paris. Join her to walk in Hemingway's footsteps, to uncover catacomb parties, and to find the city's most authentic dishes. With tips for visiting on a shoestring, with your parents, or with a broken heart, Don't be a Tourist in Paris is a uniquely warm and insightful guide that affirms Audrey Hepburn's famous statement that "Paris is always a good idea." 1. The Paris Runaways 2. Paris like it is in the Movies (and on Instagram) 3. Anywhere but the Louvre 4. Lonely Hearts Club 5. I hate to say I'm a hipster but... 6. I Know this Great Little Place 7. Parents are Coming to Town 8. Paris in Wonderland: Down the Deep, Dark Rabbit Hole 9. 10 Hour Layover 10. Forget Pinterest Paris

    In the last few years, a flood of new ideas and creative locals has infused a once-static, traditional city with a new open-minded sensibility and energy. Journalist Lindsey Tramuta offers detailed insight into the rapidly evolving worlds of food, wine, pastry, coffee, beer, fashion, and design in the delightful city of Paris. Tramuta puts the spotlight on the new trends and people that are making France’s capital a more whimsical, creative, vibrant, and curious place to explore than its classical reputation might suggest. With hundreds of striking photographs that capture this fresh, animated spirit, The New Paris shows us the storied City of Light as never before.

    A skirmish in a world-famous restaurant leaves two men dead and the restaurant staff baffled. Why did the head waiter, a man who’s been living in France for many years, lunge at his patrons with a knife?As the man awaits trial, a journalist hounds his long-time friend, hoping to expose the true story behind this unprecedented act of violence.Gradually, the extraordinary story of Pitso Motaung, a young South African who volunteered to serve with the Allies in the First World War, emerges. Through a tragic twist of fate, Pitso found himself on board the ss Mendi, a ship that sank off the Isle of Wight in February 1917. More than six hundred of his countrymen, mostly black soldiers, lost their lives in a catastrophe that official history largely forgot. One particularly cruel moment from that day will remain etched in Pitso’s mind, resurfacing decades later to devastating effect.Dancing the Death Drill recounts the life of Pitso Motaung. It is a personal and political tale that spans continents and generations, moving from the battlefields of the Boer War to the front lines in France and beyond. With a captivating blend of pathos and humour, Fred Khumalo brings to life a historical event, honouring both those who perished in the disaster and those who survived.

    Then an assignment sent him to research a story on duck. After enjoying a string of rich meals—Armagnac-flambéed duck tenderloins; skewered duck hearts with chanterelles; a duck-confit shepherd’s pie strewn with shavings of foie gras—he soon realized what he’d been missing.McAninch decided he needed a more permanent fix. He’d fallen in love—not only with the food but with the people, and with the sheer unspoiled beauty of the place. So, along with his wife and young daughter, he moved to an old millhouse in the small village of Plaisance du Gers, where they would spend the next eight months living as Gascons. Duck Season is the delightful, mouthwatering chronicle of McAninch’s time in this tradition-bound corner of France. There he herds sheep in the Pyrenees, harvests grapes, attends a pig slaughter, hunts for pigeons, distills Armagnac, and, of course, makes and eats all manner of delicious duck specialties—learning to rewire his own thinking about cooking, eating, drinking, and the art of living a full and happy life.With wit and warmth, McAninch brings us deep into this enchanting world, where eating what makes you happy isn’t a sin but a commandment and where, to the eternal surprise of outsiders, locals’ life expectancy is higher than in any other region of France. Featuring a dozen choice recipes and beautiful line drawings, Duck Season is an irresistible treat for Francophiles and gourmands alike.

    A young nobleman. And death stalks them both.... The date is 1191 Aumary Belvoir is seventeen. Seventeen, and bound by an oath so holy, he dare not break it.
 Unexpectedly thrust into the position of the Warden of the Savernake; a woodland of one hundred and fifty square miles in Wiltshire, will Aumary succeed in stamping his authority on the forest? He has also acquired a half brother he did not know he had. With the help of his experienced staff and his willing family, things go well. The surprise brother, Robert proves a worthy assistant. Then the deaths begin. Are they accidents as they seem or is there something more sinister happening in the forest? Seventy year old Aumary is dictating his story to a scribe. He can no longer write for himself and wishes to set down for all time, the truth of two mysteries; the death of Arthur Duke of Brittany, King John's nephew and rival, and other more disturbing deaths closer to home. Aumary Belvoir sets off to uncover a plot so dastardly and deadly, so patient and well planned that it takes thirteen years to lay bare.

    Their parents, well-known German playwrights, have been hiding in France, but before their aunt manages to send them south, the gendarmes stop the boys and take them to the Velodromo de Invierno, where more than 4,000 children, 5,000 women, and 3,000 men had to subsist without food or water. Jacob and Moses manage to flee, but the road will not be safe or easy. This novel by internationally bestselling author Mario Escobar follows two brave young Jewish boys as they seek refuge in the French town of Le-Chambon-sur-Lignon and eventually Argentina.

    Restless, bored, and daydreaming of adventure, he comes across an image on the Internet one day: a map of the southeast corner of France with a single red line snaking south from Lake Geneva, through the jagged brown and white peaks of the Alps to the Mediterranean sea—a route more than four hundred miles long. He decides then and there to walk the whole trail solo.  Lacking any outdoor experience, completely ignorant of mountains, sorely out of shape, and fighting last-minute nerves and bad weather, things get off to a rocky start. But Arlan eventually finds his mountain legs—along with a staggering variety of aches and pains—as he tramps a narrow thread of grass, dirt, and rock between cloud-collared, ice-capped peaks in the High Alps, through ancient hamlets built into hillsides, across sheep-dotted mountain pastures, and over countless cols on his way to the sea. In time, this simple, repetitive act of walking for hours each day in the remote beauty of the mountains becomes as exhilarating as it is exhausting.  Mountain Lines is the stirring account of a month-long journey on foot through the French Alps and a passionate and intimate book laced with humor, wonder, and curiosity. In the tradition of trekking classics like A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush, The Snow Leopard, and Tracks, the book is a meditation on movement, solitude, adventure, and the magnetic power of the natural world.

    From flaky croissants to paper-thin mille-feuille, and from the chestnut cream-filled Paris-Brest to festive yule logs, this comprehensive book leads aspiring pastry chefs through every step--from basic techniques to Michelin-level desserts. Featuring advice on how to equip your kitchen, and the essential doughs, fillings, and decorations, the book covers everything from quick desserts to holiday specialties and from ice creams and sorbets to chocolates.Ferrandi, an internationally renowned professional culinary school, offers an intensive course in the art of French pastry making. Written by the school's experienced teaching team of master p�tissiers and adapted for the home chef, this fully illustrated cookbook provides all of the fundamental techniques and recipes that form the building blocks of the illustrious French dessert tradition, explained step by step in text and images. Practical information is presented in tables, diagrams, and sidebars for handy reference. Easy-to-follow recipes are graded for level of difficulty, allowing readers to develop their skills over time.Whether you are an amateur home chef or an experienced p�tissier, this patisserie bible provides everything you need to master French pastry making.

    It was a Paris night that began like so many others—until a series of terrorist attacks brought darkness to the City of Light. Stirred by the tragic events at the Bataclan music club, One Night in November locks into the hearts and minds of all those whose paths crossed that fateful fall evening…A rebellious teenage girl in the throes of a crush. A middle-aged man eager to chase away his buddy’s blues. A young gay student rejected by his father, but discovering himself. Two new parents in need of a date night. They went out seeking love, laughter, and music—and then the world fell down around them.Using intersecting narratives, award-winning author Amélie Antoine choreographs the shocking attack and its aftermath, from grief and devastation to hope and healing.

    It is the most widely read and frequently adapted story of all time, on stage and on film. But why is Les Misérables the novel of the century? David Bellos's remarkable new book brings to life the extraordinary story of how Hugo managed to write his epic novel despite a revolution, a coup d'état and political exile; how he pulled off the deal of the century to get it published, and set it on course to become the novel that epitomizes the grand sweep of history in the nineteenth century. Packed full of information about the background and design of Les Misérables, this biography of a masterpiece nonetheless insists that the moral and social message of Hugo's ever-popular novel is just as important for our century as it was for its own. The Novel of the Century is a book as rich, remarkable and long-lasting as the novel at its heart.Les Misérables is available as a Penguin Classic, in an acclaimed new translation by Christine Donougher, with an introduction by Robert Tombs.

    In this festive holiday novella, Jules Hooker is having her first post-apocalyptic Christmas in the small French village of Chabanel when a mysterious stranger and an unholy secret from the past come together to try to ruin everybody’s holly jolly time.

    When a series of remarkable events facilitates her return to the Mount and unveils why Katelyn was called as a Watchman, her fondest hope is to be reunited with Nicolas, regardless of the circumstances. However, when Nicolas unexpectedly appears with a new mission for Katelyn to help him thwart yet another threat to the Mount, she is devastated to learn that his head injury has deprived him of any memories of their relationship. Nonetheless, she is determined to once again find a way to save the Mount—this time in sixteenth-century France amidst violent religious turmoil—and to rekindle Nicolas’s feelings for her during the course of their mission. The couple’s love and loyalty are tested as Katelyn and Nicolas attempt to unmask the true source of the threat, their adversary Abdon, sort out their conflicting emotions, and deal with the consequences of the astounding age-old secret that is finally revealed.

    She knows this is the push she needs to break free of him and to leave London. She applies for her dream job on a vineyard in Alsace, in France, not far from her family home, determined to concentrate on her work. Didier Le Roy can hardly believe it when he sees that the only person to apply for the job on his vineyard is the same woman he once loved but let go because of his stupid pride. Now estranged from his wife, he longs for a second chance with Fran if only she will forgive him for not following her to London. Working so closely together, Fran soon starts to fall in love with Didier all over again. Didier knows that it is now time for him to move on with his divorce if he and Fran are ever to have a future together. Can Fran and Didier make their second chance at love work despite all the obstacles in their way? A romantic read set against the enticing backdrop of the vineyard harvest in France.

    Patricia and her husband Patrick are spending the summer in their holiday home in the Languedoc village of Morbignan la Crèbe. One hot Friday afternoon Patrick walks in with the little dog, thinking she is a stray. They have no intention of keeping her. ‘Just for tonight,’ says Patrick. ‘We will take her to the animal shelter tomorrow.’ It never happens. They spend the weekend getting to know and love the little creature, who looks at them appealingly with big brown eyes, and wags her absurd stump of a tail every time they speak to her. On the Monday her owner turns up, alerted by the Mairie. They could have handed her over. Instead Patricia finds herself saying: ‘We like your dog, Monsieur. May we keep her?’ It is the start of what will be four years as Morbignanglais, as they settle into life as permanent residents of the village. “At Home in the Pays d’Oc” is about their lives in Morbignan, the neighbours who soon become friends, the parties and the vendanges and the battles with French bureaucracy. It is the story of some of their bizarre and sometimes hilarious encounters: the Velcro bird, the builder in carpet slippers, the neighbour who cuts the phone wires, the clock that clacks, the elusive carpenter who really did have to go to a funeral.

    Experience Roman history with self-guided tours of the Pont du Gard aqueduct, Roman theater in Orange, and Arena in Arles. Explore sun-soaked Riviera beaches and resort towns, from cosmopolitan Nice to colorful Villefranche-sur-Mer. Get inspired by artistic masterpieces by Renoir, Matisse, Picasso, and Chagall. After a day of sightseeing, relax at a café with a view, dive into a bowl of bouillabaisse, and watch fishermen return to the harbor.Rick's candid, humorous advice will guide you to good-value hotels and restaurants. You'll learn which sights are worth your time and money, and how to get around by train, bus, car, or boat. More than just reviews and directions, a Rick Steves guidebook is a tour guide in your pocket.

    “Maybe you have already heard about the different events affecting the family.” The general’s brother Pierre had been taken by the Gestapo; his brother Xavier, Genevieve’s father, had escaped to Switzerland. Genevieve asked her uncle where she could be most useful—France? England? A French territory? When no response came immediately, she decided to stay in France to help carry out his call to resist the Nazis. Based on interviews with family members, former associates, prominent historians, and never-before-seen papers written by Genevieve de Gaulle, The General’s Niece is the first English-language biography of Charles de Gaulle’s niece, confidante, and daughter figure, Genevieve, to whom the legendary French general and president dedicated his war memoirs. Journalist Paige Bowers leads readers through the remarkable life of this young woman who risked death to become one of the most devoted foot soldiers of the French resistance. Beginning with small acts of defiance such as tearing down swastikas and pro-Vichy posters, she eventually ferried arms and false letters of transit to fellow resistants and edited and distributed the nation’s largest underground newspaper, until she was arrested and sent to the infamous Ravensbuck concentration camp. The General’s Niece reveals the horrors the young de Gaulle witnessed and endured there that could have broken her spirit but instead inspired her many remaining years of activism on behalf of former prisoners and of France’s neediest citizens. Finally emerging from the shadow of her famous uncle, the life of this little-known de Gaulle adds a fascinating layer to the history of the second world war, including the French resistance, the horrors of and unshakeable bonds formed at Ravensbruck, and the issues facing postwar France and its leaders.

     Few cities on Earth induce such passion, such wonderment as Paris. France's capital, long drawing artists, writers, bon vivants, world leaders, fashionistas and travelers, holds an unassailable position in the hearts and minds of all who have ever strolled her tangled streets. There's simply something about Paris. It's not only the plethora of illustrious art, seemingly endless museum halls, historic ghosts or acclaimed café scene. Paris seems to create its own heartbeat that, much like the mysterious attic of our childhood years, holds a fascinating allure; the city invites you to tap this vein and forever see the world and yourself differently. "Paris, however - because of her purely fortuitous beauty, because of the old things which have become a part of her, because of her entanglement of buildings and tenements - Paris yields herself in discovery as an attic beloved in our childhood gave up its secrets." ― Jean Cocteau, The Paris We Love But if Paris is like a beloved attic from our childhood, it is becoming an increasingly crowded one. More than 15 million international tourists descend on the city every year. It's now imperative for savvy travelers to make the necessary reservations, beat the tour groups and seek out lesser-known, "secret" spots. In 53 Paris Travel Tips, I dispense my very best advice for traveling Paris. Gleaned from over 15 years of travels to the great City of Light, my secrets and insight will help you plan and execute the perfect Paris getaway. You'll learn how to skip crowds, find the city's best values and experience the city more like a savvy local than a bewildered tourist. Whether it's your first time in Paris or you're back for more, this book will teach you something new. 53 Paris Travel Tips offers Paris travelers invaluable advice on how to make the most of a Paris vacation. 53 Paris Travel Tips includes little-known nooks and crannies in Paris, quintessential shopping experiences, travel hacks for skipping lines and saving time and money and everything you need to know for an awesome Paris experience -- condensed into the most important travel tips for Paris. Chock-full of Paris travel tips from a longtime Paris visitor and veteran travel writer, this Paris travel guide covers: Tips on how to avoid long lines in Paris Insight on how to make the most of Paris' museums and attractions Advice on how to beat the Paris crowds and have the coolest Paris experiences Plus, tons of Paris shopping and eating tips!

    The German operation that actually conquered metropolitan France, Fall Rot (Case Red), is usually glossed over in brief. Nor are many people aware today that there was a second BEF in France, which was also successfully evacuated by sea. The current literature on the Western campaign of 1940 essentially spotlights the German drive to the English Channel and the Dunkirk evacuation then skips ahead to the French armistice, skipping over the military, political, and human drama of France's collapse in June 1940.Indeed, some of the most interesting military operations of the 1940 campaign were conducted in June 1940, as the Allies mounted a vigorous counterattack at Abbeville (incl. the British 1st Armoured Division--the first time that the British Army employed an armored division in combat) and then mounted a tough defense along the Somme River. Unlike the easy breakthrough at Sedan, the Germans had to fight hard to break through the Weygand Line. Churchill decided to second a second BEF to France to support the French, but the Germans finally achieved a decisive breakthrough before it could be effectively deployed. The British were forced to mount a second evacuation from the ports of Le Havre, Cherbourg, Brest, and St. Nazaire, which rescued over 200,000 troops, although the transport RMS Lancastria was sunk by German bombers, with the loss of over 4,000 troops. While France was in its death throes, politicians and soldiers debated what to do--flee to England or North Africa or to seek an armistice.The drama of the final three weeks of military operations in France in June 1940 has never effectively been captured on paper, but this is a story that needs to be told since it had great impact on the future course of World War II and Inter-Allied relations. This book will also address the initial German exploitation of France and how the windfall of captured military equipment, fuel and industrial resources enhanced the Third Reich's ability to attack its next foe--the Soviet Union.

    Looming above them, between healing and oblivion, lies the French Republic's most shocking secret. FRANCE, 1794 - The Reign of TerrorJulien d'Aureville, a young boy from a broken home in Paris, meets a fugitive aristocrat who changes his life. As the Terror subsides and Napoleon rises to power, Julien's fortunes improve.Then he meets the mysterious Marguerite.Upon her marriage to Julien, Marguerite Lafolye has all a Parisian woman could ever wish. Yet something is not quite right.Is Marguerite hiding a dark secret?When she attempts to see into Marguerite, even the celebrated fortuneteller, Marie Anne Lenormand, cannot read her cards.From bourgeois Paris to the canals of Napoleon's Venice, Marguerite seems to be living a lie. Who is she really? What drives her obsession with the late Dauphin, Louis-Charles, son of Marie-Antoinette?Could the answer lie in a memory - in Nantes' orphanage, or in the hidden undergound caves of war-torn Vendée, or else in the secret refuge of Gralas Forest, deep in Western France?Or could the answer be right here, in Paris, within the forbidding walls of the Temple Prison that Napoleon threatens to destroy, and where the Dauphin tragically perished.****From the author of THE MING STORYTELLERS and THE MASCHERARI comes an historical psychological thriller that will defy all you knew of France's revolution.In this confronting new novel, Laura Rahme paints the tragedies and triumphs of love in tumultuous and deadly times. JULIEN'S TERROR is a suspenseful mystery where folklore and superstition meet with the horrors of the past.

    He wants to meet her!But he doesn't know where to find her. Luckily his friends help him by leading him on a treasure hunt.What an adventure! Will Tovi find his treasure? Let’s find out ....Tovi books are designed in a simple animated way to give young readers the impression of watching a short film where Tovi and his friends play out their adventures.The books are aimed at children aged 2-6 (picturebooks), who hopefully will join Tovi in his mini-adventures, and learn something about life and the world around them. As the lovable characters in these books share a whole range of experiences, they learn about sharing, about helping each other, and most important, they learn the value of friendship.You'll be surprised what an exciting time little penguins can have!Tovi the Penguin is a children's book series.Also available to buy on Amazon:Tovi the Penguin - goes camping (Volume 1),Tovi the Penguin - goes away for Christmas (Volume 2),Tovi the Penguin - goes to London (Volume 3)Tovi the Penguin - goes into space (Volume 4)Tovi the Penguin - goes to the seaside (Volume 5)andTovi the Penguin - goes trick-or-treating (Volume 6)www.tovithepenguin.comor visit Tovi's facebook sitewww.facebook.com/ToviThePenguin/

    Her latest book, the fifth in the series, is a collection of short stories based on her newspaper articles, magazine columns and other writings about France. France in Four Seasons is a series of short (and sweet) anecdotes, designed to give a delightful and evocative insight into French life as the seasons unfold.

    Organized by arrondissement so readers can seek out doors as they walk, it celebrates Parisian portals from the grand to the humble. It will have readers longing to find a doorway to call their own.

    Having always suppressed her travel longings, she opens her neglected 'someday' ledger and takes a much closer look at the contents. After an opportune invitation from a friend to meet in Paris, and her sister’s enthusiastic agreement to be part of the adventure, a plan begins to take shape. Join the Australian trio as they savour the sights of France and Spain, where no trip is complete without a morsel of local cuisine and a sip of something sparkling.

    . . A heart-rending story of loss and enduring love, set between the darkest days of Paris and the sunshine of Provence.Her daughter disappeared four years ago. . .Since her daughter went missing four years earlier, celebrated photographer Kurtiz Ross has been a woman alone. Her only companion her camera. Since Lizzie disappeared, she has blamed and isolated herself, given up hope. Until, out of the blue, an unexpected sighting of Lizzie is made in Paris.Could this lead to the reconciliation she has dreamed of?Within hours of Kurtiz arriving in Paris, the City of Light is plunged into a night of hell when a series of terrorist attacks bring the city to a standstill. Amid the fear and chaos, a hand reaches out. A sympathetic stranger in a café offers to help Kurtiz find her daughter.A stranger's guiding lightNeither knows what this harrowing night will deliver, but the other woman's kindness - and her stories of her own love and loss in post-war Provence - shine light into the shadows, restoring hope, bringing the unexpected. Out of darkness and despair, new life rises. New beginnings unfold.Dare she believe in a miracle?Set during a time of bloodshed and chaos in one of the most beautiful cities on earth and along the warm fragrant shores of the Mediterranean, Kurtiz discovers that miracles really can happen . . . Praise for The Lost Girl: 'A story to savour, complete with wonderful settings stretching from Paris to the glorious countryside of southern France' Dinah Jefferies, Number One Sunday Times bestselling author of The Tea Planter's Wife'A great and compassionate writer' Danuta Kean, Guardian 'Mesmerising, haunting and extraordinarily relevant' Lovereading 'A gripping tale' Sunday Post 'The perfect holiday read that manages to keep you guessing the whole way through' Living France 'A story of love and loss, of sadness and great joy' The Middle East

    Accompanied by his wife, Cathie and their two hardy bicycles christened Bruce and Aiwa, this is an absorbing meander from the craggy peaks of Scotland to the sun-baked landscape of Sardinia. The only past time more important than cycling is sampling the culinary delights of Scottish cafes, English pubs, French restaurants, Spanish tapas bars and the pizzerias of Sardinia. 'Cycling South' is a bicycle adventure, a restaurant safari and an entertaining handbook for those who enjoy slow food and long-distance cycling. Fifty percent of all author proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to Tour de Cure, an Australian charity dedicated to funding cancer research, support and prevention projects. Reviews for other Steven Herrick books in the EuroVelo Series: 'Simply put, I loved this book!' Amazon.co.uk review 'Honest, humble and entertaining whilst being seriously informative.' Amazon.com review 'I read this on my busy commute to work. It was a beautiful escape from being stuffed on a tube in central London. Im going to take up cycling now as a result.' Amazon.co.uk review 'Inspirational book for any middle aged men (or women) contemplating a mid life crisis on 2 wheels.' Amazon.co.uk review 'Really enjoyed this book, which is a witty, fast-paced trek across France.' Amazon.co.uk review 'If you enjoy cycling at any level, read this book. You will not be disappointed.' Amazon.co.uk review 'I laughed from start to finish. I could smell the French countryside... First class reading thoroughly entertaining and not a downside in it. J'taime.' Amazon.com review 'A great read and made me want to fly off to France and begin my own food filled cycle adventure.' Amazon.com review 'A pleasant, gentle stroll through France written in an amusing but engaging Australian manner & perspective.' Amazon.co.uk review

    Pale rosé, languid lunches on a sun-dappled terrasse, and a dash of reckless abandon may have been to blame. Americans Gayle Smith Padgett and her husband, Ralph, leap into a long-distance love affair with La Belle France. Two decades and many beguiling assignations later, they finally launch a quest for a nest in Provence. Despite a lack of French skills and connections, the couple plunges full-time into French life. Through a series of faux pas and lucky encounters, they unlock intriguing mysteries, including France’s food-first policy and its dependence on Gallic shrugs. With self-deprecating humor and quirky candor, the author reveals insightful secrets in Passion for Provence: 22 Keys to La Belle Vie. This delightful memoir will inspire you to pack your bags for Provence—for a sweet sojourn or, just maybe, a longer stay.

    They were eager to pierce the tourist veil, and get as close to the essence of the culture as they could. No more observing from the outside with their noses pressed to the glass. They yearned for someone to open the door and invite them to step right in and make themselves at home. They wanted to become so French that even Americans wouldn’t like them. In September of 2003, the Weismans arrived in Provence, France, for the first of four, monthlong stays. Playing House in Provence follows them on their sometimes wonderful, sometimes humiliating, always playful pursuit, as they learn that feeling disoriented and stupid on a daily basis can be fun. So can looking up French words they need to ask for directions—où est la pharmacie—only to realize there’s pas une chance they will understand the answer. “Funnier, smarter, and more wickedly honest than any memoir about Provence.” —Sybil Steinberg Contributing Editor, Publishers Weekly

    And ancient it was - nearly 700 years had passed since the Bishop Maurice de Sully decided that Paris needed a cathedral worthy of France's capital. "Every face, every stone of the venerable monument," Hugo continued, "is a page not only of the history of the country but also of the history of science and art." Here, National Book Award Winner Richard Winston tells the dramatic story of the building of the great cathedral and the history that was made there - from the marriage of Mary Queen of Scots to the crowning of Napoleon to Charles de Gaulle's celebration of the liberation of Paris from the Nazis.

    . . . Words and images, magnified in this book, are woven together in small strokes to create two moving portraits of women." —Lire"A beautiful book that bears witness. An original compilation of traces, thoughts and photos . . . that form the strata of our collective memory." —TéléramaA young woman moves into a Paris apartment and discovers a storage room filled with the belongings of the previous owner, a certain Madeleine who died in her late nineties, and whose treasured possessions nobody seems to want. In an audacious act of journalism driven by personal curiosity and humane tenderness, Clara Beaudoux embarks on The Madeleine Project, documenting what she finds on Twitter with text and photographs, introducing the world to an unsung twentieth-century figure. Along the way, she discovers a Parisian life indelibly marked by European history. This is a graphic novel for the Twitter age, a true story that encapsulates one woman's attempt to live a life of love and meaning together with a contemporary quest to prevent that existence from slipping into oblivion. Through it all, The Madeleine Project movingly chronicles, and allows us to reconstruct, intimate memories of a bygone era.Clara Beaudoux is a Paris-based journalist for the France Info news network. The Madeleine Project has been wildly popular in France. You can follow her on Twitter at @Clarabdx.

    A Day With Claude Monet in Giverny

    Finished at last, Marielle goes to bed, but when she wakes up, the dresses are gone! With no time to lose, Marielle must overcome her fear of heights to take a wild ride with her friend Pierre the pigeon to recover the missing party dresses, which have been scattered across Paris.

    From out of the gloaming, shapes emerge; suburban visions with all the power of a desert mirage. Are they instances of real magic or of self-fulfilling prophecy? Such a large crowd of spectators can’t all be wrong about the heavy sheet that hung in the sky, unsupported, can they? How is it that scenes from a nocturnal fever dream can re-emerge in a simple card trick? And what about the boat that flew? Antoine Cossé’s cinematic tale of a world-famous magician known only as ‘M’ blurs the lines between what is real and what is the trick.

    She returned to England a few hours later having put in an offer on a rundown old barn in the rural Seven Valleys area of Pas de Calais. This was not something she'd expected or planned for.Janine eventually gave up her job in London to move with her husband to live the good life in France. Or so she hoped. While getting to grips with the locals and la vie Française, and renovating her dilapidated new house, a building lacking the comforts of mains drainage, heating or proper rooms, and with little money and less of a clue, she started to realize there was lot more to her new home than she could ever have imagined.Ten years ago, Janine Marsh decided to leave her corporate life behind to fix up a run-down barn in northern France. This is the true story of her rollercoaster ride, in many ways a love story, with her sharp observations on the very different way of life, culture and etiquette of France.From her early struggles and homesickness through personal tragedy, to her attempts to become self-sufficient and to breed 'the fattest chickens in the village', Janine learned that there was more to her new home than she could ever have imagined.

    Bill, a controller, has an army of child thieves at his command - and Jorge is one of them.But soon Jorge faces an even bigger threat. His home is to be bulldozed. Where will Jorge sleep? What will happen to his friends, Ada and Gino? Could a growing friendship with Australian chef Sticky Ricky help Jorge to stop Bill and save the army of child thieves?And will he do it before he loses Ada forever?Jorge can't keep fighting to live - now he must live to fight.A humbling story about one boy's desperation to escape a life of crippling poverty.

    Malgard is named thegn of the town of Stybbor in East Anglia while Brand is made outlaw and hunted through the woods by Malgard's men, determined to extinguish the last possible claim to Malgard's thegnship.Aided by a strange young woman, Valla, who claims to be 242 years old, Brand escapes and is befriended by Harold Godwinson, Earl of Wessex and the choice of the Saxon nobles to be king after the childless Edward (the Confessor). Brand nurses his dream of vengeance over Malgard while sharing Harold’s perils and waiting for Valla who will only return from The Place of Dreams if Brand has remained true to his promise to lie with no other woman.All stories come together at the Battle of Hastings, where Harold’s great banner, The Fighting Man, flew above the field at Senlac Ridge in opposition to the papal cross carried by William the Bastard."Not since reading Sharpe have I felt such a sense of being in the story. Outstanding." - Stuart Quin, Full Circle Films"I read it on the train, walking down the street, well after my usual bed time and when I was supposed to be working. Even though I knew exactly where the story was headed, I was compelled to know what happened next." - Jane B Rawson, From The Wreck

    Imagine living in a quaint, beach front cottage on the Hawaiian island of Maui. You have an amazing job, combined with the pleasure of working from home. Lunch breaks become a daily picnic on the sand. Dessert is always included because of your marriage to a famous pastry chef. Life could not be any better. Or so it seems.When French born, Nikki Sabine Moueix travels to Hawaii for a special work assignment, her job of writing an article about a famous Swiss pastry chef generates more than a magazine piece. They fall in love, get married, and Nikki Moueix becomes Mrs. Ruggiero Delémont.When another assignment calls for Nikki to spend three weeks in France, Ruggiero's schedule prevents him from joining her. She travels alone, advancing straight into danger. After a threatening confrontation, Nikki wakes up in a French hospital with no knowledge of her past. When she fails to check in, Ruggiero panics and pushes for an immediate investigation. But as he closes in, Nikki's new found friend moves her to another city. It becomes a game of hide and seek with Nikki as the prize. CIRCUMVENT allows readers to form a bond with Nikki as they yearn for her to remember. They will cheer for Ruggiero and his relentless determination to locate his beloved wife. This is a story about two people who never lose their faith in God, and find amazing friends to help them along the way.

    )Rainbow’s magic hands can shape trees at her will, but her gift is dangerous and has fatal consequences.From England to France, through secrets, fears and parallel worlds, Rainbow’s journey to understand her powers takes her beyond everything she’s ever known.To find the truth, she must also find herself.

    In a busy modern world that seems increasingly overcrowded and monopolized by technology, the allure of the ‘good life’ is more potent than ever. As an antidote to texts and tweets, traffic jams and queues, additives and packaging, we seek out the simple and the wholesome, and long for the luxuries of space and fresh air. France can offer all these things, with its traditional farming methods, its authentic regional cuisine, and its low population density. Add to this the inimitable French sense of style and joie de vivre, and you have all the ingredients for an enviable way of life. Perfect French Country revels in the timeless and authentic beauty of the French country home.

    It highlights the political stresses between the Allies, and their resolution; it studies the problems of feeding and paying for 250,000 Allied forces assembling in Belgium during the ‘undeclared war’, and how a strategy was thrashed out. It studies the neglected topic of how the slow and discordant Allies beyond the Rhine hampered the plans of Blücher and Wellington, thus allowing Napoleon to snatch the initiative from them. Napoleon’s operational plan is analysed (and Soult's mistakes in executing it). Accounts from both sides help provide a vivid impression of the fighting on the first day, 15 June, and the volume ends with the joint battles of Ligny and Quatre Bras the next day.

    After sixteen years of priesthood, Monseigneur Desmoulins secretly wishes for excommunication. Fed up with sacristy intrigues and tedious inquisition proceedings, he keeps himself amused by dissecting rats, playing with explosives and stalking foreign women. Some of his dirty work he delegates to his nineteen-year-old protégé Daniel Dufort nicknamed Stone Prince, who plays the organ at the cathedral. The gaunt, copper-haired youth looks may look like an angel, but his music is believed to be demonic, pushing the faithful towards crime and suicide. To keep themselves safe amidst urban violence, the master and his ward take fencing lessons from Lucius Castelmaure, an alcoholic officer facing a court martial. Their alliance is tested when a Wallachian traveler implores them to entertain his terminally-ill daughter Agniese, whose dying whim to is be buried inside the Montfaucon cellar alongside felons and traitors. The three men jump at the chance to indulge the eccentric virgin in the final months of her life. Raised in the spirit of polyamory, Agniese has no qualms about taking all three men as lovers. In a city of where street festivals turn into massacres, it's only a matter of time before the romantic quadrangle tumbles into a pit of hellfire. Filled with witch-hanging, bone-cracking, gargoyle-hugging humor, Blood of the Stone Prince is a blasphemous thriller for the heretic in each one of us.

    . . Wonderful cartoons.’ Nick Robinson, Radio 4 TodayFew contemporaries captured Britain's indomitable wartime spirit as well or as wittily as the cartoonist Carl Giles. Now, for the first time, the very best of the cartoons he produced between 1939 and 1945 are brought together, including many that have not seen the light of day in over 75 years.As a young cartoonist at Reynold’s News and then the Daily Express and Sunday Express, Giles's work provided a crucial morale boost – and much-needed laughs – to a population suffering daily privations and danger, and Giles's War shows why. Here are his often hilarious takes on the great events of the war – from the Fall of France, via D-Day, to the final Allied victory – but also his wryly amusing depictions of ordinary people in extraordinary times, living in bombed-out streets, dealing with food shortages, coping with blackouts, railing against bureaucracy and everyday annoyances. It's a brilliantly funny chronicle of our nation’s finest hour, as well as a fitting tribute to one of our greatest cartoonists.

    Colors, tastes, and smells come to life with each turn of the page, as Dunn's charming watercolor sketches and dreamy photographs beautifully depict the cityscapes, landscapes, foods, and pastimes that epitomize the romance of France. Additionally, hand-lettered notes reveal Dunn's inspirations as an artist. Francophiles, armchair travelers, and art lovers alike will rejoice in this thoughtful celebration of this beloved region's myriad everyday pleasures.

    All were key players in a distinctively Australian art movement that drew on influences ranging from Whistler’s subtle Nocturnes to the European tradition of plein air painting, and revealed Russell (who spent his working life in France, embedded in the avant garde) as one of the outstanding colorists of his time. This beautiful book challenges our preconceptions of what is meant by Impressionism, enriches our understanding of Australian art, and reveals the international nature of art-historical movements and exchanges in the 19th century. The story is framed by unmistakably Australian subjects and locations, by a preoccupation with light and color, and in the context of Australian identity and sense of nationhood.

    Brassai's photographs embody the very essence of Paris, from winsome children playing in Paris's public gardens to amorous couples on amusement park attractions, from opera and ballet stars to prostitutes and vagabonds, from cobblestone alleyways to ephemeral graffiti. Shortly before his death in 1984, Brassai described how the city of Paris had served as an infinite source of inspiration for him--a unifying theme that characterized each phase of his artistic oeuvre and lay at the very heart of his work. Through 120 photographs, this volume presents the diverse facets of Brassai's beloved Paris: from the nostalgic city that he discovered as a child in the 1900s to the fleeting and ever-changing graffiti on the city's walls; from the revelers in the Bohemian bars and clubs of the Annees Folles to his reciprocal artistic exchange with Picasso in their portrayals of 1930s Paris; and finally to Brassai's vision of an eternal Paris, in which he captured everyday Parisians at leisure and elevated the familiar to the sublime.

    Best known for his films La Jetée, A Grin Without a Cat, and Sans Soleil, he was described by fellow filmmaker Alain Resnais as “the prototype of the twenty-first-century man.”In this highly original homage, Adam Bartos’ exquisite photographs of Marker’s studio, a workspace both extraordinarily cluttered and highly organized, appear alongside a moving reminiscence of his friend by the film theorist and practitioner Colin MacCabe. The physical structure of the book, incorporating a concertina of images, echoes Marker’s own commitment to radical, innovative form. The result is a compelling homage to one of the most important and original talents in modern cinema.Illustrated in color throughout, including 8 gatefolds.

     France is a land steeped in history, whose landscapes and light have enthused writers and artists for centuries. Beneath the dust of ages lie buried countless personal histories, which have inspired this collection of twelve fictional short stories. Can Arlette resolve her predicament while her sweetheart fights in the trenches on the Western Front? By escaping to the countryside, will a woman be allowed to leave behind her troubled past? The celebrated painter Edgar Degas wants to paint an exotic circus performer, but will the portrait match her expectations? Can the unsightly Pierre get the girl he is afraid will never want him? These are just four of the dilemmas that must be resolved by the stories’ end. Most of the tales are set in the past and a few contain a hint of the supernatural. All are infused with the essence of France. “Vanessa Couchman has a huge potential talent, and will be an author to watch.” Discovering Diamonds

    Despite being one of the deadliest acts of terrorism in history, it remained overshadowed by the Lockerbie tragedy that had taken place ten months earlier. Both attacks were carried out at the instruction of Libyan dictator Qaddafi, but while “Lockerbie” became synonymous with international terrorism, UTA 772 became the “forgotten flight”. As a lawyer, Stuart H. Newberger represented the families of the seven Americans killed in the UTA 772 attack. Now he brings all the pieces together to tell its story for the first time, revealing in riveting prose how French investigators cracked the case and taking us inside the courtroom to witness the litigation against the Libyan state that followed. In the age of globalization, The Forgotten Flight provides a fascinating insight into the pursuit of justice across international borders.

    At twenty-two she has not been able to discover the reasons for her mother's death nor her father's phantasmal existence, and so, unguided and temperamental, Clara finds no other purpose but to spend her days carousing in Paris with childhood friend Remi.As the mystery of her parents begins to unravel - thanks to the help of her dear friend and neighbor Christophe - deep prejudices, betrayals, and a vindictiveness distilled through generations are revealed; all of which falls onto Clara’s shoulders. While facing her family's past, a new valet in her father's employ catches her interest and causes a jealousy to spark that sets in motion events she never could have imagined. With what little pieces of a life she can claim falling away around her, she must find the resolve to endure a fate she cannot escape, the loss of all she holds dear, and the strength to face the retribution of her parent's mistakes.Exploring themes of independence within an ever shifting society following nearly a century of turmoil, writer Lauren Sobka embarks on a narrative of inherited circumstances, echoes of memory, and the peculiarities of life one can be born into. Her settings are imbued with eloquent observations of nature and the riotous, bohemian life that was Paris nearing the turn of the century. A gothic novel of the French order, its scenes and characters will linger in your memory long after you finish reading.

    Geoffrion offers a unique visual and meditative journey through Chartres Cathedral in this newest addition to the Mount Tabor Books series. Showing and explaining the most engaging images of Mary created in this location over the last eight centuries, Jill Geoffrion gently introduces the reader to the depth and breadth of the story of Mary at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres. Included are over seventy-five images of the Virgin of Chartres that have been recently restored as well as works of sculpture, painting and liturgical items. Readers will discover an architectural marvel, a stunning showcase for the most complete twelfth and thirteenth century collection of stained glass in the world, with many images of Mary as Jesus’s mother, based on biblical stories such as the Annunciation, Visitation, Nativity, Presentation at the Temple, and Flight to Egypt.

    Paris, 1793.The height of the Reign of Terror.Six strangers meet in a tumbril cart rumbling through the city of light, a journey destined to end at the guillotine…

    Michael's intimate portraits are accompanied by an interview with the player that not only relives the moment, but gives fascinating insight into the occasion, from the music they played on the bus to the stadium, to meal they ate afterwards.The book includes the story of what happened in each World Cup, what happened to the players afterwards and what they do today. Beautifully illustrated, with fascinating text and the backing of FIFA, Goal! is a unique soccer book that captures the essence of the ultimate sporting achievement.

    Champagne is one of the most iconic, sought-after wines in the world, beloved by serious wine collectors as well as everyday wine drinkers. However, it is also one of the most misunderstood wines out there - obscured by a multimillion-pound marketing industry that makes it difficult for consumers to honestly judge value and understand what they're drinking.Included in the stunning box set are the Louis Larmat vinicultural maps - the only detailed wine maps of the region, which were commissioned by the French government in the mid-1940s and have never appeared in print in English.

    The story of Beauty and the Beast is broken, all because of Holden. He accused the Beast of kidnapping, and now the real Beast is in jail! Maddie and Holden have to visit the fairy tale world of rural France to repair this mess - and neither speak French.

    Death. Love. Letters. All Saints 1986. Three destinies converge at the mysterious standing stones of Carnac, France. For Isabeau Martin, the standing stones were the silent companions of her lonely childhood. Now, twenty years later, returning to Carnac to take up the position of Deputy Postmaster, Isabeau is once again drawn back to the stones. Feeling like an outsider, she yearns to put her past to rest and start afresh by finding her father, who disappeared when she was a child, leaving Isabeau alone with her mentally ill mother. On the eve of All Saints’ Day, a parcel from New Zealand arrives at the post office. It contains the ashes of a dead man, and a plea for them to be scattered at the standing stones. Isabeau feels a connection to George Turner. She takes his ashes home and writes back to his son, Joseph. Scattering the ashes at the stones is another matter, however. Before she can do so, Isabeau must first confront her troubled childhood. But now she is not alone; a dead man and a stranger on the other side of the world are helping her create a future and learn to trust in love. Alignment is a novel about two people from opposite sides of the world, drawn together as they come to terms with the losses that define them. A poignant and heart-warming love story with appeal for readers of Jojo Moyes and Joanne Harris’ French novels.

    At the center of the Year of the Animal was the Royal Menagerie in the gardens of Versailles, dominated by exotic and graceful birds. In the unfolding of his original and sophisticated argument, Sahlins shows how the animal bodies of the menagerie and others were critical to a dramatic rethinking of governance, nature, and the human.The animals of 1668 helped to shift an entire worldview in France—what Sahlins calls Renaissance humanimalism toward more modern expressions of classical naturalism and mechanism. In the wake of 1668 came the debasement of animals and the strengthening of human animality, including in Descartes's animal-machine, highly contested during the Year of the Animal. At the same time, Louis XIV and his intellectual servants used the animals of Versailles to develop and then to transform the symbolic language of French absolutism. Louis XIV came to adopt a model of sovereignty after 1668 in which his absolute authority is represented in manifold ways with the bodies of animals and justified by the bestial nature of his human subjects.1668 explores and reproduces the king's animal collections—in printed text, weaving, poetry, and engraving, all seen from a unique interdisciplinary perspective. Sahlins brings the animals of 1668 together and to life as he observes them critically in their native habitats—within the animal palace itself by Louis Le Vau, the paintings and tapestries of Charles Le Brun, the garden installations of André Le Nôtre, the literary work of Charles Perrault and the natural history of his brother Claude, the poetry of Madeleine de Scudéry, the philosophy of René Descartes, the engravings of Sébastien Leclerc, the transfusion experiments of Jean Denis, and others. The author joins the nonhuman and human agents of 1668—panthers and painters, swans and scientists, weasels and weavers—in a learned and sophisticated treatment that will engage scholars and students of early modern France and Europe and readers broadly interested in the subject of animals in human history.

    Unforgettable artwork, heavenly villages, and dream cities--there are so many reasons to visit France that deciding where to go and what to do can be a bit overwhelming. Fodor's Essential France takes the guesswork out of choosing the perfect French experiences by compiling the top choices chosen by Fodor's army of France-based writers. This travel guide includes: - Dozens of full-color maps plus a handy pullout map with essential Paris information - Hundreds of hotel and restaurant recommendations, with Fodor's Choice designating our top picks - Multiple itineraries to explore the top attractions and what's off the beaten path - In-depth breakout features on Provence's fields of lavender, the wine cellars of Champagne, and Mont-St-Michel's medieval glory - Side trips from Paris including Chartres, Versailles, and Monet's Garden - Coverage of Paris Neighbourhoods, Western Ile-de-France, Eastern Ile-de-France, Loire Valley, and Grenoble Planning to focus on just part of France? Check out Fodor's travel guides to Paris and Provence & the French Riviera.

    The second is the reason I'm here. When Alexandra discovers that her husband Philippe is having an affair, she can’t believe he’d risk losing the love that has transformed both their lives.Still in shock, Alexandra finds herself powerfully attracted to a much younger man. Jean-Luc Malavoine is twenty-three, intense and magnetic. He’s also the son of Philippe’s best friend.With every increasingly passionate liaison, Alexandra is pulled deeper into a situation that threatens everyone she holds dear.Beautifully told through the boulevards and arrondissements of the City of Light, Paris Mon Amour is a sensual novel about inescapable desire and devastating betrayals. It is the story of one woman and two men, and what happens when there is no way out.‘A truly emotional ride. A story of lust, love and loss with a beautifully described Paris as its backdrop. I galloped through it in a couple of days’ Claire Fuller, author of Our Endless Numbered DaysIsabel Costello is the host of the Literary Sofa blog, which features authors from new talent to New York Times bestselling novelists. Guest writers on the blog have included Patrick Gale, Linda Grant, Tracy Chevalier and Karen Joy Fowler. She read Modern Languages (French and German) at Oxford, before pursuing a career in marketing and communications. She is now a full-time writer, and lives in London.

    Alys is on her way to marry the Lord of Mirascon, a fiefdom in southern France. However, the south is under threat from Pope Innocent III’s military crusade against the heretics.After trying in vain to rally his fellow lords against invasion, Richart, Vicomte de Mirascon, makes an alliance with King John. A political marriage to the Lady Alys – the king’s discarded mistress – will allow Richart to safeguard his people from a merciless land grab and cruel slaughter.When the bridal party is ambushed, Adela is mistaken for her dead mistress by the people of Mirascon. Adela knows she must tell Richart that she is not his betrothed, but as she is dragged deeper into the deception, she is also powerfully drawn to the beleaguered man trying to protect his people and his culture. Adela is recognised by the dwarf Derwent, Richart’s English jester, who seems willing to keep her secret for the time being. Yet as suspicion builds up against her, paying with her life seems inevitable.As the savage army marches south, can Richart and Adela overcome a web of deceit and treachery and evade the bonfires of the crusaders, or will their land of troubadours and tolerance be destroyed forever?Set in the time of the Crusades, Isolde Martyn’s newest historical adventure has all the battle, action and romance of the Outlander series, plus the political intrigue and danger of a Philippa Gregory novel.

    With that work, Audubon became one of the most adulated artists of his time, and America's first celebrity scientist.In this fresh approach to Audubon's art and science, Gregory Nobles shows us that Audubon's greatest creation was himself. A self-made man incessantly striving to secure his place in American society, Audubon made himself into a skilled painter, a successful entrepreneur, and a prolific writer, whose words went well beyond birds and scientific description. He sought status with the gentlemen of science on both sides of the Atlantic, but he also embraced the ornithology of ordinary people. In pursuit of popular acclaim in art and science, Audubon crafted an expressive, audacious, and decidedly masculine identity as the American Woodsman, a larger-than-life symbol of the new nation, a role he perfected in his quest for transatlantic fame. Audubon didn't just live his life; he performed it.In exploring that performance, Nobles pays special attention to Audubon's stories, some of which--the murky circumstances of his birth, a Kentucky hunting trip with Daniel Boone, an armed encounter with a runaway slave--Audubon embellished with evasions and outright lies. Nobles argues that we cannot take all of Audubon's stories literally, but we must take them seriously. By doing so, we come to terms with the central irony of Audubon's true nature: the man who took so much time and trouble to depict birds so accurately left us a bold but deceptive picture of himself.

    In a forgotten corner of Paris stands a building.Within its walls, people talk and kiss, laugh and cry; some are glad to sit alone, while others wish they did not. A woman with silver-blonde hair opens her bookshop downstairs, an old man feeds the sparrows on his windowsill, and a young mother wills the morning to hold itself at bay. Though each of their walls touches someone else's, the neighbours they pass in the courtyard remain strangers. Into this courtyard arrives Edward. Still bearing the sweat of a channel crossing, he takes his place in an attic room to wait out his grief.But in distant corners of the city, as Paris is pulled taut with summer heat, there are those who meet with a darker purpose. As the feverish metropolis is brought to boiling point, secrets will rise and walls will crumble both within and without Number 37...

    39-year old Emmanuel Macron is the youngest-ever inhabitant of the Elysee Palace. A surprise candidate from the start, Macron was considered a rank outsider until a series of fortuitous events - including his survival of a massive last-minute data hack - cleared his path to victory and condemned Marine Le Pen to a resounding defeat in May 2017, in France's most emotional election since 1948.Paris-based British journalist Adam Plowright presents the inside story of Macron’s sudden rise to power, delving into his personal and political background, his vision for the future, and how he is perceived inside France and throughout the rest of the world - especially from within Westminster. Can his movement herald a new centrist vision for Europe, or will his Presidency merely be the forerunner to a Le Pen victory in 2022?Thrilling, informative, and highly readable, The French Exception is essential reading for anyone interested in the immediate future of Europe.

    With an abundance of preserved flora and fauna, taxidermy, and otherworldly creations, the Deyrolle boutique is dedicated to showcasing the beauty of nature. A family venture founded in the spirit of discovery, Deyrolle has a 185-year history that is a Pandora's box of scientific and aesthetic discoveries. Deyrolle flourished under the nineteenth-century passion for natural history, garnering celebrity devotees from Dal� to Nabokov, and quickly established itself as a center for education and research.A vocal advocate of sustainability and responsible business practices in the fields of taxidermy and entomology, Deyrolle works only with creatures that have expired from natural causes. Raising awareness for causes such as World Rhino Day, Deyrolle combines science and art, lightheartedness and engagement. This book provides fascinating insight into the history and day-to-day workings of this unique Parisian institution.

    

    Even experienced felters can pick up tips on how to work with new colors and details. Thorough instructions for each project show you how to take raw wool or roving to make the basic shapes and blend them seamlessly. A special step-by-step section shows you how easy even the most complex piece can be, and how any small figure can be made into an accessory you can carry or wear. These cute felted friends range from the wonderfully realistic to enchantingly cute. Included in this book are:An Elephant all decked out for festival dayA Queen's Guard and a Dutch Girl in traditional dressA Mama Kangaroo with her JoeyAn enchanting Teddy BearCute accessories featuring foods and flags from different landsFelt scenery to set the stage for your felt creationsAnd a lot more!The projects range from about 2-4 inches high and instructions are included for turning a few of your felt creations into fun dangly accessories. A full lesson takes you through one of the projects from beginning to end, covering all the basics to ensure that you have all the skills you need to make any fuzzy friend you want.

    Debussy's Paris: Piano Portraits of the Belle Epoque explores how key works reflect not only the most appealing and innocent aspects of Paris but also more disquieting attitudes of the time such as racism, colonial domination, and nationalistic hostility. Debussy left no avenue unexplored, and his piano works present a sweeping overview of the passions, vices, and obsessions of the era. Pianist Catherine Kautsky reveals little-known elements of Parisian culture and weaves the music, the man, the city, and the era into an indissoluble whole. Her portrait will delight anyone who has ever been entranced by Debussy's music or the city that inspired it.

    First established as a Parisian trendsetter in the 19th century, the beauty emporium has been reincarnated as L'Officine Universelle Buly on Rue Bonaparte in Paris. Invention and natural beauty are at the heart of Buly and this exquisitely designed book allows you to sample their unique aesthetic heritage as a French apothecary as well as discover the modern uses, properties and home beauty recipes for over 80 seeds, flowers, oils, trees, fruits and herbs.Including an exotic and diverse range of botanicals – from apricot and avocado to argan oil and aloe vera – there are explanations for where the ingredient came from, its history, how it has been used in the past and recipes for how to use it as a beauty solution now. This is the perfect guide for all modern natural beauty enthusiasts as the virtues of each ingredient are highlighted and clearly explained to ensure naturally radiant skin is easily achievable.

    In this beautifully illustrated book, Susan Cahill recounts the lives of twenty-two famous Parisians and then takes you through the seductive streets of Paris to the quartiers where they lived and worked: their homes, the scenes of their greatest triumphs and tragedies, their favorite cafes, bars, and restaurants, and the off-the-beaten-track places where they found inspiration and love.From Sainte-Chapelle on the Ile de la Cite to the cemetery Pere Lachaise to Montmartre and the Marais, Cahill not only brings to life the bold characters of a tumultuous history and the arts of painting, music, sculpture, film, and literature, she takes you on a relaxed walking tour in the footsteps of these celebrated Parisians.Each chapter opens with a beautiful four-color illustration by photographer Marion Ranoux, and every tour begins with a Metro stop and ends with a list of "Nearbys"--points of interest along the way, including cafes, gardens, squares, museums, bookstores, churches, and, of course, patisseries.

    The narrative is interspersed with more than 1,100 extracts from letters by, to, and about Renoir, 452 of which come from unpublished letters. Renoir became hugely popular despite great obstacles: thirty years of poverty followed by thirty years of progressive paralysis of his fingers. Despite these hardships, much of his work is optimistic, even joyful. Close friends who contributed money, contacts, and companionship enabled him to overcome these challenges to create more than 4,000 paintings. Renoir had intimate relationships with fellow artists (Caillebotte, Cézanne, Monet, and Morisot), with his dealers (Durand-Ruel, Bernheim, and Vollard) and with his models (Lise, Aline, Gabrielle, and Dédée). Barbara Ehrlich White’s lifetime of research informs this fascinating biography that challenges common misconceptions surrounding Renoir’s reputation.Since 1961 White has studied more than 3,000 letters relating to Renoir and gained unique insight into his personality and character. Renoir provides an unparalleled and intimate portrait of this complex artist through images of his own iconic paintings, his own words, and the words of his contemporaries.“Barbara White is a biographer of courage, seriousness and unrelenting honesty. She has read and dissected about 3,000 letters about Renoir written by him, his friends, his family, as well as the newspapers of the day. Practically every member of the Renoir family has entrusted their personal documents to her – a pledge of trust totally deserved. Whenever I am asked a question about Auguste, I write to Barbara to ask her opinion or call on her knowledge, since she has become an indisputable reference for me. She is always careful and verifies facts and contexts by every route possible. The Renoir family, and Auguste himself, are very lucky that Barbara is so passionate about her subject, and I feel personally lucky to know her. I thank her from the bottom of my heart for this work of a lifetime – a magnificent success. I am very pleased that her book has been edited by the quality editors at Thames Hudson, as it will remain a point of reference for many generations to come.” – Sophie Renoir (great-granddaughter of Auguste Renoir, granddaughter of his eldest son Pierre, and daughter of Renoir’s grandson Claude Renoir, Jr.), June 7, 2017

    So large, in fact, it often supersedes liberal secular society’s understanding of gender and sexuality altogether. Engaging the nexus of race, gender, nation, and sexuality, Sexagon studies the broad politicization of Franco-Arab identity in the context of French culture and its assumptions about appropriate modes of sexual and gender expression, both gay and straight.Surveying representations of young Muslim men and women in literature, film, popular journalism, television, and erotica as well as in psychoanalysis, ethnography, and gay and lesbian activist rhetoric, Mehammed Amadeus Mack reveals the myriad ways in which communities of immigrant origin are continually and consistently scapegoated as already and always outside the boundary of French citizenship regardless of where the individuals within these communities were born. At the same time, through deft readings of—among other things—fashion photography and online hook-up sites, Mack shows how Franco-Arab youth culture is commodified and fetishized to the point of sexual fantasy.Official French culture, as Mack suggests, has judged the integration of Muslim immigrants from North and West Africa—as well as their French descendants—according to their presumed attitudes about gender and sexuality. More precisely, Mack argues, the frustrations consistently expressed by the French establishment in the face of the alleged Muslim refusal to assimilate is not only symptomatic of anxieties regarding changes to a “familiar” France but also indicative of an unacknowledged preoccupation with what Mack identifies as the “virility cultures” of Franco-Arabs, rendering Muslim youth as both sexualized objects and unruly subjects.The perceived volatility of this banlieue virility serves to animate French characterizations of the “difficult” black, Arab, and Muslim boy—and girl—across a variety of sensational newscasts and entertainment media, which are crucially inflamed by the clandestine nature of the banlieues themselves and non-European expressions of virility. Mirroring the secret and underground qualities of “illegal” immigration, Mack shows, Franco-Arab youth increasingly choose to withdraw from official scrutiny of the French Republic and to thwart its desires for universalism and transparency. For their impenetrability, these sealed-off domains of banlieue virility are deemed all the more threatening to the surveillance of mainstream French society and the state apparatus.

    Yet during his lifetime, Blanqui was a towering figure of revolutionary courage and commitment as he organized nearly a half-dozen failed revolutionary conspiracies and spent half of his life in jail. This is Blanqui's story.

    She's a knight who wears men's clothing. The English call her Joan of Arc. Jeanne has led France to victory in epic battles. She hears ghostly voices and has unspeakable desires. The English want to burn her. Her king has abandoned her. Her heart has been broken. Her heart cannot be burnt. This is her story, and the story of her beloved.Ali Alizadeh's novel The Last Days of Jeanne d'Arc is a provocative new portrait of the life of one of history's most fascinating figures. Countless books have been written about the young Frenchwoman who claimed to hear the voices of saints, led the armies of France in the war against England in the Middle Ages, and was captured and burnt for heresy by her enemies. Based on a rigorous study of the historical material, The Last Days of Jeanne d'Arc provides the first serious dramatisation of Jeanne's sexuality. Alizadeh uses an innovative storytelling technique that weaves together multiple narrative perspectives to tell the story of a courageous young woman who, driven by a passion for justice and forbidden desire, changes the course of Western history.

    Soon dubbed the "New Look," it grabbed headlines all over the world and turned Dior into one of the most influential brands of all time. After the couturier's untimely death in 1957, Yves Saint Laurent took the helm of the fashion house before being succeeded by Marc Bohan, who was in turn replaced by Gianfranco Ferré in 1989. In 1996, John Galliano was appointed creative director, designing flamboyant collections for a decade, before the arrival of Raf Simon in 2012, who gave the house a newly imagined identity for the 21st century. Maria Grazia Chiuri's arrival in 2017 as the first woman designer in Dior's history also marks the seventieth anniversary of the "New Look."  For the first time, every Dior haute couture collection is gathered here in a single, lavishly illustrated volume--providing a unique opportunity to chart the development of one of the world's most famous fashion brands and to discover rarely seen collections.  Dior: The Complete Collections opens with a concise history of the house of Dior before exploring the collections themselves, which are organized chronologically. Each new "era" in Dior's history is inaugurated by a brief overview and biography of the new designer, while individual collections are introduced by a short text unveiling their influences and highlights and illustrated with carefully curated catwalk images. A rich reference section, including an extensive index, concludes this definitive publication.

    It offers a panorama of postwar French thought where attempts to show the perils of transparency in politics, ethics, and knowledge led to major conceptual inventions, many of which we now take for granted.Between 1945 and 1985, academics, artists, revolutionaries, and state functionaries spoke of transparency in pejorative terms. Associating it with the prying eyes of totalitarian governments, they undertook a critical project against it--in education, policing, social psychology, economic policy, and the management of information. Focusing on Sartre, Lacan, Canguilhem, Levi-Strauss, Leroi-Gourhan, Foucault, Derrida, and others, Transparency in Postwar France explores the work of ethicists, who proposed that individuals are transparent neither to each other nor to themselves, and philosophers, who clamored for new epistemological foundations. These decades saw the emergence of the colonial and phenomenological "other," the transformation of ideas of normality, and the effort to overcome Enlightenment-era humanisms and violence in the name of freedom. These thinkers' innovations remain centerpieces for any resistance to contemporary illusions that tolerate or enable power and social coercion.

    It has to be seen and experienced, and with the euro dipping in value, now is an ideal time to make a visit come true. Written by longtime Paris residents Anna E. Brooke and Margie Rynn, Frommer's EasyGuide to Paris is a portable tribute to the City of Light and a roadmap to creating a hassle-free trip of a lifetime. From the world-famous panorama of the Champs-Elysées to the cathedral of Notre-Dame, from how to beat crowds at the Louvre to the ideal way to experience the Eiffel Tower, the book is packed with solid tips, is fully updated yearly, and includes: 16 pages of color photos, plus dozens of more photos throughout Insider lists of the city’s highlights Local knowledge on the best places to eat—and how to avoid tourist traps Detailed maps marked with attractions, hotels, restaurants, and Métro stops Exact pricing for hotels, restaurants, attractions, tours and more—plus invaluable advice about what you’ll need to reserve in advance Full-color Paris Métro map Brilliant walking tours spanning the city, with maps Section on useful phrases including pronunciation guide Fascinating and easy-to-read background on the culture, history and art of the City of Light Picks in all price categories, so you can splurge or be frugal, using the Frommer’s star rating system Full section on suggested side-trips to Giverny, Versailles, Disneyland Paris, and more PLUS! A handy pull-out, indexed map of Paris There’s a reason that Frommer’s has been the most trusted name in travel for more than sixty years. Arthur Frommer created the best-selling guide series in 1957 to help American servicemen fulfill their dreams of travel in Europe, and since then, we have published thousands of titles became a household name helping millions upon millions of people realize their own dreams of seeing our planet. Travel is easy with Frommer’s.

    Lavishly illustrated, it re-creates the splendor and squalor of a fateful era, from the court at Versailles to the filthy back streets of Paris, from royal etiquette to the raucous cries of street peddlers. How the French, rich and poor, dressed, what they ate, how they educated their children, wore their hair, traveled, amused themselves, punished their malefactors—all this and much more comes under the probing eye of Paul Lacroix (1806-1884), Parisian library curator, historian, novelist, playwright, and master of historical detail and trivia. Here are chapters on the lives and courts of the three eighteenth-century kings of France: the last years of the opulent and absolutist Louis XIV, the decadent life of Louis XV, and the well-intentioned reign of the enlightened but blundering Louis XVI. Sections on society, charity, education, fashion, dining, and the theater illustrate the lives of the gentry and bourgeoisie, while street life and Parisian amusements give a picture of the working classes. Chapters on the nobility, the clergy, commerce, finance, and justice outline the functioning—and slow but relentless malfunctioning—of a state and system on the eve of a revolution that would change both France and the world forever. Quotations from contemporary memoirs, diaries, and social commentary add vivid immediacy to Lacroix’s portrait of a vanished epoch. This massive treasure of details, newly annotated to provide additional information for the twenty-first-century reader, is an invaluable reference for specialists in the period, for historical researchers, and for any lover of history. 132,000 words — approximately 380 pages

    From the story of the nativity to the legends that have inspired beloved holiday traditions (like why Father Christmas arrives through the chimney), this collection includes Christmas customs from around the world. Beautifully illustrated with color lithographs taken from missals and prayer books, this joyful little book is a Christmas treasure for the whole family to gather around year after year.

    In his freshman year of college, he joined the reserves, a decision that would take him with the US Army from training across the United States and Britain to combat with the 84th Infantry Division in the Battle of the Bulge. Home Front to Battlefront is the tale of a foot soldier who finds himself thrust into a world where he and his unit grapple with the horrors of combat, the idiocies of bureaucracy, and the oddities of life back home—all in the same day. The book is based on Carl’s personal letters, his recollections, and those of the people he served beside, official military history, private papers, and more.Home Front to Battlefront contributes the rich details of one soldier’s experience to the broader literature on World War II. Lavin’s adventures, in turn disarming and sobering, will appeal to general readers, veterans, educators, and students of the war. As a history, the book offers insight into the wartime career of a Jewish Ohioan in the military, from enlistment to training through overseas deployment. As a biography, it reflects the emotions and the role of the individual in a total war effort that is all too often thought of as a machine war in which human soldiers were merely interchangeable cogs.

    a satisfyingly strong heroine." "[An] ambitious novel involving espionage, counterespionage, romance, and one very quirky relationship with Hitler ... an engaging, briskly paced spy tale with a few surprises." Kirkus ReviewsAbby White and her fellow college interns at the Chicago Tribune have no idea of the peril they will encounter when they find the scoop of their young lives. A full-blown mafia war in 1920s Chicago leads to a dangerous cat-and-mouse chase that forces them to risk it all. Three of the surviving interns struggle to elude the long arm of the mafia only to become immersed in the looming specter of World War II. Midwesterner Abby becomes a foreign correspondent in Berlin, rubbing elbows with the German elite. That puts her in prime position to spy on Hitler's newly formed Nazi government for U.S. Intelligence. Dan, an Irishman with a complicated relationship with the British, is acting as a double agent for MI6. Esther is a Jewish journalist living in France with her husband and young child. Although she fears for family and friends, she soon becomes aware that her little family's safety is also in jeopardy. Can Abby and her friends survive mafia assassins and the murderous Nazis?Kill Abby White! Now! is a fast-paced fun read with well-developed characters and a thrilling plot. The book paints a colorful picture of Chicago in the Roaring Twenties, 1930s Berlin, and France as it prepares for Nazi occupation. Abby White is a heroine to remember; and history fans will enjoy the real events and people woven into this unforgettable story.

    The novelette is about two young girls, growing up in two different countries, two different cultures and two different situations. Aimee is a french girls living a normal life, with every day challenges and some big challenges eventually life trows at her. Aimee donates a pair of her favorite purple shoes, which ends up in Afghanistan. From a first world country to a third world country. Vareena's mother buy the donated shoes from a donation market. She buys new shoes for Vareena For Eid, which is an Afghan special day. Vareena's story starts from there, but Aimee's story is not over yet. Ordinary French girl, ordinary Afghan girl, extraordinary tale of womanhood.

    A central figure in the politics of medieval Europe, Blanche was a sophisticated patron of religion and culture. Through Lindy Grant’s engaging account, based on a close analysis of Blanche’s household accounts and of the social and religious networks on which her power and agency depended, Blanche is revealed as a vibrant and intellectually questioning personality.

    

    This is the first volume of her multi-book, autobiographical series. After university, Suzanne escapes from one-horse Buffalo, New York and moves to elegant, sexy sixties Paris where she hopes to find Prince Charming. Throughout, Suzanne White treats the reader to innocent tales of her personal childhood sexuality and explores the intricacies of doomed love. She also skillfully shares the sudden freedoms of 1960s Paris. You will thrill to Suzanne’s wild escapades. She barrels through Ibiza’s hippie era then bounces back to swanky parties on the artsy Left Bank of Paris. This first volume follows Ms. White from age 4 till 26 through many rambunctious shenanigans, amorous capers and inevitable disappointments. It’s simple. Suzanne White’s jaunty new book offers her readers a generous slice of pure joy. Many have said this book will make 50 Shades blush. Pick up this brave book. You won't be able to put it down - a true page-turner! Thank goodness volume 2 is coming soon.

    Once there were two very lonely people who lived in a very old apartment block, in a very busy city.Although they had lived there a very long time, they’d never met.Their names were Josephine and Pierre and each spent their days wistful and alone until… Monsieur Chat arrived! Each feels less lonely with him around, but when he disappears a desperate search unites them and changes their lives forever…

    In Flaubert in the Ruins of Paris, Peter Brooks examines why Flaubert thought his recently published novel, Sentimental Education, was prophetic of the upheavals in France during this "terrible year," and how Flaubert's life and that of his compatriots were changed forever.Brooks uses letters between Flaubert and his novelist friend and confidante George Sand to tell the story of Flaubert and his work, exploring his political commitments and his understanding of war, occupation, insurrection, and bloody political repression. Interweaving history, art history, and literary criticism-from Flaubert's magnificent novel of historical despair, to the building of the reactionary monument the Sacré-Coeur on Paris's highest summit, to the emergence of photography as historical witness-Brooks sheds new light on the pivotal moment when France redefined herself for the modern world.

    Life in Hong Kong's streets and trades is humorously illustrated with a touch of satire, covering popular habits, social etiquette, traditions and the customs of local people as well as foreign residents. Even half a century later, Zabo's portrayal of Hong Kong still rings true, and his take on life will resonate in the fond memories of all who lived through the Swinging Sixties.