French history
Caro, Ina,THE ROAD FROM THE PAST
Daley, Robert, PORTRAITS OF FRANCE
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Caro visits different parts of France
to explain each stage of its history (e.g., in Provence she explores
Roman France). Daley tells the story of interesting French people
and places in past and present, with especially fine essays on Lafayette
and DeGaulle. |
Living in France today (mostly views by "outsiders")
Greene, Jeffrey, FRENCH SPIRITS: A HOUSE, A VILLAGE, AND A LOVE
AFFAIR IN BURGUNDY
Lenard, Yvone, THE MAGIC OF PROVENCE
Loomis, Susan Herrmann, ON RUE TATIN: LIVING AND COOKING IN A FRENCH
TOWN
Mayles, Peter, A YEAR IN PROVENCE and TOUJOURS PROVENCE
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Greene (a poet) writes a better-than-most
saga of ex-pats restoring a house in Europe, this time in Burgundy.
French-born language teacher Lenard and her American husband buy and
restore a house in Ansouis (Provence). Food writer Loomis chronicles
her family settling in for the long haul in a Normandy village and
(surprise!) restoring a house there. And of course there's always
Peter Mayles, the grandfather of all the "let's fix up a house
in (European region of your choice)" books. |
Provence
Facaros, Dana, & Pauls, Michael, PROVENCE (published by Cadogan)
Kerper, Barrie (ed.), PROVENCE: AN INSPIRED ANTHOLOGY & TRAVEL
RESOURCE
Winn, Bob and Sue, PROVENCE BYWAYS
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The Cadogan guides are favorites of
the Aults, written with a cynical tinge. The Kerper book is one of
a series of collections on various destinations; this one packs a
dense (but sometimes hard to sort out) collection of essays and travel
tips. The Winns' self-published book is subtitled "Guidebook
to the Luberon Region of Provence". It adds detailed driving
and in-town tips to the info available on their website at www.provencebyways.com. |
Paris
Kerper, Barrie (ed.), PARIS: AN INSPIRED ANTHOLOGY & TRAVEL
RESOURCE
Fodor's PARIS 2002 and Zagat's 2002/03 PARIS RESTAURANTS
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Another of Kerper's collections on various
destinations.Like the others, it can be hard to navigate the dense
information packed among the essays by other authors. The Fodor guides
are full of good information, but too bulky to take along. (Note that
the Fodor's web site
provides some of the information in the books as electronic mini-guides.)
Zagat's restaurant guides are worldwide standards. |
Normandy
Shilleto, Carl, and Tolhurst, Mike, A TRAVELLER'S GUIDE TO D-DAY
AND THE BATTLE FOR NORMANDY (NOT RECOMMENDED)
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Norm felt this book was poorly written.
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Getting along with all those French people
Platt, Polly, FRENCH OR FOE? and SAVOIR FLAIR!
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Platt has made a career of teaching
Americans how to live in France. These two books could almost
talk you out of going there at all. |
Guidebooks (for specific locations)
TOP 10 PARIS (Dorling Kindersley Publishing)
Michelin GREEN GUIDES to Provence and Paris
Steves, Rick, PARIS 2002
Wells, Patricia, FOOD LOVERS GUIDE TO PARIS (4TH EDITION)
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Our most experienced
traveler thinks DK's TOP 10 books cater to the American urge to "keep
score". Others like their good maps and useful info about the
sights we really do want to see. The Michelin guides are classics.
Rick Steves writes the best travel guide series going, and always
gives you the skinny on saving time, money, and frustration in Europe.
His Paris handbook will travel there with us. Food critic Wells lists
good restaurants of all types by Paris arrondissement. |
General travel tips
Karen Brown's CHARMING INNS & ITINERARIES and CHARMING BED
& BREAKFASTS
Steves, Rick, EUROPE THROUGH THE BACK DOOR
Steves, Rick, MONA WINKS
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The Aults had good luck
using the Karen Brown books to find inns in Italy, and found our
Provence and Paris inns in the France volumes. Like his PBS
television series,
Rick Steves' guide books are packed with comforting tips and gentle
warnings meant to get you traveling. His "Back Door" concept
leads you past the long tourist lines to the Europe the natives enjoy.
MONA WINKS does the same in detail for the great art museums of Europe. |
Fiction
Laker, Rosalind, TO DANCE WITH KINGS
Johnson, Diane, LE DIVORCE and LE MARIAGE
Mayles, Peter, HOTEL PASTIS
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Laker's novel centers on Versailles
during the reigns of Louis XIV, XV, and XVI. May be a bit melodramatic
for some tastes, but a rich and well-researched tapestry of life in
17th and 18th century France. Johnson's two novels chronicle tangled
relationships among American expats and Parisians. Many witty insights
into modern French vis à vis American culture. Peter
Mayles gives us a highly entertaining (if utterly improbable) romp
through the Luberon with a magnificent assortment of rogues. We especially
enjoyed this on audiotape. |
