Accounting for Taste, The Triumph of French Cuisine  •  Priscilla Parkhurst Ferguson FOOD •  2006 •  PAPER  • 262 PAGES A penetrating look at the evolution of the food of France into "French cuisine," a benchmark for international cooking and shorthand for high culture. Ferguson explores the history and personalities that brought about this revolution in taste. (FRN691, $22.50)
The Age of the Cathedrals, Art and Society 980-1420  •  Georges Duby HISTORY •  1983 •  PAPER  • 320 PAGES The definitive historical study of the building of the great cathedrals. French scholar Duby, writing very accessibly, describes the cathedrals themselves, and the philosophical, religious, and political climate that enabled them to be built. (EUR01, $28.00)
At Home in France  •  Ann Barry TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  1997 •  PAPER  • 247 PAGES Subtitled "Tales of an American and Her House Abroad," this account of life in a small village in southwestern France is shot through with Barry's irony and New York outlook on life. A part-time visitor -- and no homebody despite the title -- she includes her excursions to Rocamadour, Brittany, Provence and other regions in search of fun and food. Barry was a travel editor at the "New Yorker" and "New York Times." (FRN215, $19.00)
The Autumn of the Middle Ages  •  Johan Huizinga HISTORY •  1997 •  PAPER  • 467 PAGES A pioneering work of social and cultural history, this classic volume is a richly detailed portrait of life, thought and art in 14th- and 15th-century France and the Netherlands. You may have read this book in your college history class, but this graceful new translation is well worth a re-visit before journeying to these regions. With 45 illustrations complementing Huizinga's focus on the art and architecture. (EUR17, $25.00)
Auvergne Map  •  IGN 2006 •  MAP A map of the Auvergne from Moulins south to Aurillac and Le Puy-en-Velay, at a scale of 1:250,000. (FRN607, $11.95)
Auvergne-Limousin Map 522  •  Michelin MAP A regional map of Auvergne-Limousin, including Limoges and St.-Etienne, a scale of 1:200,000. All of France is covered in 21 regional maps. (FRN62, $11.95)
Becoming Human, Evolution and Human Uniqueness  •  Ian Tattersall ARCHAEOLOGY •  1999 •  PAPER  • 258 PAGES A cultural history of our tribe, Tattersall offers a wide-ranging, thought-provoking tour of human origins and culture from an anthropologist's point of view. His focus is, in part, on the human ability to represent the world in symbol and art. A curator in the department of anthropology at the American Museum of Natural History and popular author, Tattersall is an opinionated, cultured guide to Homo sapiens. (NAT45, $14.00)
Birds of Europe  •  Killian Mullarney  •  Lars Svensson  •  Dan Zetterstrom  •  Peter J. Grant FIELD GUIDE •  2000 •  PAPER  • 400 PAGES • FAVORITE This Princeton Field Guide features 3,500 illustrations by Killian Mullarney and Dan Zetterstrom. Color plates depict every species -- and sometimes several different variants -- for 722 birds found from the Urals to the Atlantic, Scandinavia to the Middle East. (FG47, $29.95)
Blue Guide Southwest France  •  Delia Gray-Durant GUIDEBOOK •  2006 •  PAPER  • 512 PAGES A compact guide to southwestern France with a strong focus on history and architecture. Within the borders of this region are prehistoric caves and grottos, among the largest collection of medieval towns and castles in Europe, and splendid cathedrals. Organized as a driving guide, it includes helpful town plans. It covers the region from Toulouse west across the Pyrenees, the Atlantic coast, Bordeaux and Biarritz. (FRN53, $28.95)
Bordeaux and its Wines  •  Robert Joseph FOOD •  2008 •  PAPER  • 144 PAGES Replete with vivid photographs, this guide to the Bordeaux region contains excellent information on wine making and wine buying. (FRN762, $19.95)
Bordeaux Wine Region Map  •  IGN MAP A regional map of Bordeaux, shown at a scale of 1:250,000. (FRN203, $12.95)
The Cambridge Illustrated History of Prehistoric Art  •  Paul Bahn  •  Desmond Morris ART & ARCHITECTURE •  1997 •  HARD COVER  • 334 PAGES A nicely illustrated overview of prehistoric art around the world, including good chapters on the caves of France and Spain, by the prolific Paul Bahn. (ART49, $66.00)
Clara's Grand Tour, Travels With a Rhinoceros in Eighteenth-century Europe  •  Glynis Ridley HISTORY •  2006 •  PAPER  • 240 PAGES The entertaining history of a most unusual eighteenth-century European celebrity. Clara the Indian rhinoceros was brought to Europe in 1741 by the Dutch sea captain Douwemout Van der Meer, and toured for seventeen years, to the delight of heads of state such as Louis XV and Frederick the Great. A marvelous and unique look at the introduction of Eastern wildlife into the Western world. (FRN536, $12.00)
Claudine's House  •  Colette  •  Doris Lessing LITERATURE •  2006 •  PAPER  • 166 PAGES A marvelous new translation of Colette's warm, sensual account of growing up under her mother's watchful care in the south of France. Written 20 years after her wildly popular Claudine novels. (FRN570, $15.95)
Companion Guide Gascony and Dordogne  •  Richard Barber GUIDEBOOK •  2002 •  PAPER  • 348 PAGES A comprehensive, serious-minded guide to the architecture, art and culture of Gascony and Dordogne, combining descriptions of each attraction with personal anecdote. With black-and-white photos and maps throughout. (FRN06, $34.95)
A Distant Mirror, The Calamitous 14th Century  •  Barbara Tuchman HISTORY •  1987 •  PAPER Tuchman's celebrated history of Europe before the Renaissance, a time of both splendor and war, taking in the crusades, the Plague and other monumental events of the time. (FRN212, $18.95)
Divisadero  •  Michael Ondaatje LITERATURE •  2007 •  PAPER  • 273 PAGES Ondaatje weaves several stories into an interconnected, lushly depicted tale of family, desire and dislocation this this novel, which moves back-and-forth in time from San Francisco to Nevada's casinos and, eventually, to south-central France, where Ondaatje's Anna becomes immersed in the life and the world of a writer from an earlier time. (FRN665, $13.95)
An Englishman A La Campagne, Life in Deepest France  •  Michael Sadler TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  2005 •  PAPER  • 182 PAGES A humourous, quirky narrative of Englishman Michael Sadler making do in rural France, filled with anecdotes that convey the charm of the French countryside and the unavoidable mishaps that accompany Sandler's immersion in local life. (FRN569, $12.95)
Extinct Humans  •  Ian Tattersall  •  Jeffrey Schwartz ARCHAEOLOGY •  2001 •  PAPER  • 224 PAGES An illustrated overview of the origin of our species, rewarding for both the scholar and interested general reader. Tattersall and Schwartz, as knowledgeable as anyone with the six-million-year hominid fossil record, explore the history of our species in this masterly synthesis of archaeological discovery. It features good color photographs of key evidence. (NAT46, $30.00)
Eyewitness Guide France  •  Eyewitness Guides GUIDEBOOK •  2006 •  PAPER  • 720 PAGES This superb guide to all of France features color photography, dozens of excellent local maps and a region-by-region synopsis of the country's attractions. Handsome, convenient and up-to-date, this is the guide to carry. (FRN01, $30.00)
Eyewitness Guide Provence & the Cote D'Azur  •  Roger Williams GUIDEBOOK •  2006 •  PAPER  • 272 PAGES This superb guide, another entry in the excellent Eyewitness series, features color photography, dozens of excellent local maps and a district-by-district synopsis of attractions in both Provence and the Riviera. Handsome, comprehensive and convenient, this is the guide to carry. (FRN18, $23.00)
Floating Through France, Life Between Locks on the Canal Du Midi  •  Barb Euser TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  2006 •  PAPER  • 200 PAGES A lovely collection, evoking the dreamy French countryside along the banks of the Canal du Midi, Europe's oldest functioning canal. The essays and poems are the reflections of a group of writers who slipped along the canal together in two old boats in the summer of 2005. (FRN572, $14.95)
France and the French, A Modern History  •  Rod Kedward CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  2007 •  PAPER  • 736 PAGES A sweeping, in-depth history of France from 1900 to the present day, from the disasterous world wars to the crumbling of the empire to France's modern place in the European Union. (FRN573, $24.95)
France in Mind  •  Alice Powers ANTHOLOGY •  2003 •  PAPER  • 352 PAGES This wonderful selection of essays, excerpts and stories filters the experience of being in France through the lens of 33 British and American writers. (FRN384, $14.00)
France Map  •  Michelin 2007 •  MAP A colorful, accurate and up-to-date map of France at a scale of 1:1,000,000, with scenic routes highlighted. We also carry a variety of more detailed regional and city maps. (FRN07, $11.95)
French English Bilingual Visual Dictionary  •  DK Publishing LANGUAGE & PHRASEBOOKS •  2005 •  PAPER  • 360 PAGES With thousands of neatly arranged color photographs, this compact book is impressively comprehensive, covering everything from the basics of le corps (body) to the vocabulary of la buanderie (utility room). With a handy reference section in the back. (FRN520, $12.95)
French or Foe? Getting the Most Out of Visiting, Living and Working in France  •  Polly Platt CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  2003 •  PAPER  • 292 PAGES With humor, directness and great insight, this little book explains the French and how to get along with them. Whatever your thoughts about cultural stereotypes, her suggestion for how to get out of sticky situations is perfect: "Excusez-moi de vous deranger." It also works! An expanded third edition, which now includes the French romance with cell phones and a short chapter with recent vignettes. (FRN54, $16.95)
The Frenchman  •  Philippe Halsman  •  Art Buchwald CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  2005 •  HARD COVER  • 108 PAGES This much-loved book, out of print for 50 years, captures something inimitable about the French. It's a highly visual Q&A, featuring the great portrait photographer Philippe Halsman (famous for the Life magazine portrait of Marilyn Monroe among other iconic images) and the vaudeville actor Fernandel. Halsman asked irreverent questions about America and recorded Fernandel's facial expression in response. With 24 black-and-white portraits and humorous accompanying captions on the difference between the French and Americans. (FRN574, $19.99)
From Here, You Can't See Paris: Seasons of a French Village and its Restaurant  •  Michael S. Sanders TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  2003 •  PAPER  • 322 PAGES A lively account of a year in the small village of Les Arques in southwestern France. A fluent speaker of French (and fine chef) Sanders is a sharp observer of local routines in the farming village. Located in the Lot region near Cahors, Les Argues (population 170) was home for 30 years to the sculptor Ossip Zadkine, whose studio is now a small museum. La Recreation, the restaurant where Sanders worked, and an artist retreat are the only businesses in town. (FRN478, $13.95)
The Gothic Enterprise, A Guide to Understanding the Medieval Cathedral  •  Robert A. Scott ART & ARCHITECTURE •  2005 •  PAPER  • 307 PAGES Scott, whose interest in the history of cathedrals began when he first saw the magnificent Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Salisbury, England, takes his reader on a historical, architectural and sociological tour of the magnificent spires and stained-glass windows that dot the landscape of Europe. It's an accessible, personable overview. (EUR190, $17.95)
Henri Matisse 1869-1954, Master of Color  •  Volkmar Essers ART & ARCHITECTURE •  2000 •  PAPER  • 96 PAGES This slim book, an entry in Taschen's popular Basic Art series, features 300 color reproductions of Matisse's work along with brief accompanying text. (ART45, $9.99)
Here Is Where We Meet  •  John Berger LITERATURE •  2006 •  PAPER  • 256 PAGES This novel weaves a portrait of several European countries through encounters with the dead, from the narrator's mother, whom he discovers on a park bench in Lisbon, to a childhood friend wandering a market in Krakow. "The dead don't stay where they are buried," the protagonist's mother tells him, and this becomes the mantra for this most unusual journey through Europe's history and people. (EUR189, $14.00)
Lest Innocent Blood be Shed  •  Philip P. Hallie HISTORY •  1994 •  PAPER  • 336 PAGES A riveting account of the people of people of Le Chambon and their remarkable efforts on behalf of the Jews of the village during the horrors of WWII. Agaionst all odds, the villagers hid -- and saved the lives of -- hundreds of Jewish children in the region. (FRN471, $14.00)
Life With Picasso  •  Francoise Gilot BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  1989 •  PAPER  • 352 PAGES This intimate memoir is as much about Picasso's art as it is about Gilot's experiences with Picasso as a lover and companion. She met Picasso in Paris in 1943, during the German occupation of France, when she was 21 and he was 62. For ten years, she lived with the artist, gave birth to two of his children, and served as his model. She recounts their life together with careful attention to detail, combining memoir, art history and romance. (ART42, $15.00)
Little Saint  •  Hannah Green RELIGION •  2001 •  PAPER  • 300 PAGES A moving, reverential account of the traditions and lore of the village of Conques in South-central France, noted for its magnificent gold reliquary, a stop on the Way of St. James. Green interweaves stories about the poor child (beheaded by her father in the fourth century for being a Christian), historical documents and tales of Green's own encounters with modern villagers. The author, who died while preparing the manuscript for this unclassifiable tribute, became deeply drawn to St. Foy and the cult which grew up around her. (FRN420, $19.00)
Mammals of Europe  •  Priscilla Barrett  •  David W. MacDonald FIELD GUIDE •  2002 •  PAPER  • 320 PAGES Published by Princeton, this is a field guide to land and marine mammals throughout Europe, both endemic and introduced. With more than 600 color illustrations of over 200 mammals, it's a comprehensive handbook, with detailed descriptions, range maps and commentary on behavior. (FG61, $34.95)
The Mays of Ventadorn, Tales from Southwest France  •  W.S. Merwin TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  2002 •  PAPER  • 192 PAGES A shapely memoir and meditation by the great poet and author of The Lost Upland: Stories of Southwest France. Merwin -- who has had a farmhouse in the region for decades -- writes of rural traditions, his own love of the region, and, specifically, of the narrative poems and songs of the troubadours. The title refers to the ruined 12-century chateaux of Bernart de Ventadorn in southern France. A book in the series National Geographic Directions. (FRN341, $20.00)
Midi Pyrenees Map 525  •  Michelin Travel Publications MAP A nicely detailed (1:200,000), frequently updated regional map of the central Pyrenees, centered on Toulouse. All of France is covered in 21 maps. (FRN163, $11.95)
Mont Saint Michel and Chartres  •  Henry Brooks Adams HISTORY •  1986 •  PAPER  • 398 PAGES First published at the turn of the century, this classic work is a meditation on the Medieval world as reflected through its most famous religious structures. (FRN44, $16.00)
Oxford Illustrated History of Prehistoric Europe  •  Barry W Cunliffe HISTORY •  2001 •  PAPER  • 532 PAGES Dozens of experts contributed essays to this illustrated account of the sweep of early human history in Europe from the Paleolithic to the fall of the Roman Empire, featuring 300 well-integrated maps, photographs and site plans. (EUR32, $31.95)
Picasso, The Early Years 1892-1906  •  Pablo Picasso  •  Marilyn McCully  •  Natasha Staller ART & ARCHITECTURE •  1997 •  HARD COVER  • 374 PAGES A collection of essays about Picasso's formative years as an artist, featuring hundreds of drawings, plates and photographs. (ART43, $25.00)
Pimsleur Quick & Simple French  •  Pimsleur Language Method LANGUAGE & PHRASEBOOKS •  2005 •  AUDIO CD Four audio CDs with eight 30-minute lessons in basic French, covering elementary vocabulary and phrases used in travel and everyday situations. The Pimsleur method emphasizes the use of listening skills without reading materials (so there isn't a book to follow along). It's advertised as "Totally audio: hear it, learn it, speak it." (FRN523, $19.95)
Prehistoric Art in Europe  •  N.K. Sanders ART & ARCHITECTURE •  1992 •  PAPER  • 508 PAGES An overview of European prehistoric art, well illustrated with black-and-white photos, line drawings and maps. This book places the cave art in southwestern France within the larger context of prehistoric art. (EUR02, $40.00)
Rick Steves' French Phrase Book & Dictionary  •  Rick Steves LANGUAGE & PHRASEBOOKS •  2003 •  PAPER  • 180 PAGES A compact phrase book for travelers, organized thematically and with a brief dictionary. This is no dry litany of phrases but is instead peppered with humor and Rick Steves' insider insight into how to break the ice and make friends around the world. (FRN366, $7.95)
Rick Steves' French, Italian & German Phrase Book & Dictionary  •  Rick Steves LANGUAGE & PHRASEBOOKS •  2003 •  PAPER  • 400 PAGES A compact phrase book for travelers, organized thematically and with a brief dictionary. French, German and Italian phrases are side-by-side on the page so that you can pick and choose depending on the situation. This is no dry litany but instead peppered with humor and Rick Steves' insider insight into how to break the ice and make friends around the world. (EUR142, $9.95)
Short Stories in French  •  Richard Coward LITERATURE •  2001 •  PAPER  • 214 PAGES From Daniel Boulanger's exploration of revenge and the desire for recognition in "The Hunter's Cafe," to Alain Gerber's brief and poetic "You Never Die," these stories by contemporary authors make good reading in any language. A volume in New Penguin Parallel Texts. (FRN594, $14.00)
Skeleton Dance  •  Aaron J. Elkins MYSTERY •  2001 •  PAPER  • 352 PAGES The small French village of Les Ezies-de-Tayac surrounds the tenth Gideon Oliver mystery, in which academic rivalry over the nature of man results in a series of murders and an increasing number of bones. The Institut de Prehistoire forms the backdrop for a debate over prehistoric man -- was he primitive or attuned to art and beauty? And are the academic stakes in the debate sufficient cause for murder? The aging, yet horny, Oliver, with the frequent aid of his park ranger wife Julie and FBI friend, John Lau, takes another case. (FRN605, $7.99)
To Travel Hopefully, Footsteps In The French Cevennes  •  Christopher Rush BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  2005 •  PAPER  • 279 PAGES In a last ditch effort to regain himself after the death of his wife, Rush heads off to France with a donkey on the trail of fellow Scot Robert Louis Stevenson. It's a beautifully written, moving tale of getting through grief. (FRN534, $17.95)
The Tour De France, A Cultural History  •  C. S. Thompson HISTORY •  2008 •  PAPER  • 406 PAGES This authoritative, engaging history of the famous cycling event goes beyond a simple history of the race to consider the Tour de France and its meaning in a wider cultural context. (FRN584, $18.95)
Travelers' Tales France  •  James O'Reilly  •  Larry Habegger ANTHOLOGY •  2002 •  PAPER  • 528 PAGES A wonderful collection of mostly contemporary tales, including such marvelous authors as Peter Mayle, M.F.K. Fisher, Mort Rosenblum, Ina Caro and Jan Morris. Organized thematically, it's a good introduction to the history, culture and character of France. With a section of practical travel information. (FRN05, $18.95)
Travelers' Tales, A Woman's Europe  •  Marybeth Bond  •  Mary Morris ANTHOLOGY •  2004 •  PAPER  • 298 PAGES This entertaining collection depicts Europe through the eyes of a diverse group of women writers, including Frances Mayes, Jan Morris and Mary Morris. These humorous and well-written true stories capture the misadventures, discoveries and slices of life that the continent (and travel!) has to offer. (EUR160, $17.95)
Vincent Van Gogh, The Passionate Eye  •  Pascal Bonafoux ART & ARCHITECTURE •  1992 •  PAPER  • 175 PAGES • FAVORITE From Paris to Asnieres, Amsterdam and "dazzling Provence," this jewel of a book traces the life and art of Vincent Van Gogh, the spirited, self-destructive painter who celebrated the golden light of the south of France. With hundreds of color and archival photographs. A volume in the acclaimed "Discoveries" series. (FRN29, $12.95)
Vive La Revolution, A Stand-up History of the French Revolution  •  Mark Steel HISTORY •  2006 •  PAPER This "stand-up history" hits all the major points of the French revolution in a distinctly unique (and hilarious) style. Steel, as you might guess, is a British comedian with a flair for history. (FRN609, $14.00)
Walking in France, Exploring France's Great Towns And Finest Landscapes on Foot  •  John Souter  •  Gillian Souter GUIDEBOOK •  2005 •  PAPER  • 288 PAGES A wonderful guide for the independent traveler, featuring walks in a variety of French locations and settings. There are several suggestions for strolls in Paris as well as walks in rural areas, small cities and vineyards. With maps and color photographs. (FRN533, $20.00)
Walking in the Dordogne  •  Janet Norton GUIDEBOOK •  2005 •  PAPER  • 224 PAGES An overview of the region and practical guide to 30 recommended walks in the Dordogne, taking in villages, chateaux, and other local spots. With full color maps and photographs. (FRN516, $22.00)
A World Lit Only By Fire: The Medieval Mind and the Renaissance, Portrait of an Age  •  William Manchester HISTORY •  1993 •  PAPER  • 322 PAGES In this wide-ranging study, Manchester evokes in vivid detail the great figures and daily life of the 16th century, with information on Henry VIII, Magellan, Borgia, da Vinci and Martin Luther. This is his 18th book and Manchester knows how to tell a great story. It's divided into three sections: Renaissance, Reformation and Discovery. (EUR06, $15.99)
A Year in Provence  •  Peter Mayle TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  1991 •  PAPER  • 207 PAGES The original best-selling tale of settling down in Provence, told with warmth and a great deal of humor. It offers a wonderful inside look at the charms and quirks of the people and the countryside in the south of France. From the best meals in the valley to shady dealings with black-market truffle-hunters to the trials of finding construction workers who will finish their work within a given decade, this loving, mirth-filled picture of the Vaucluse is a mouth-watering treat. (FRN19, $13.00)