Paris

This delightful little story charms while it entertains, as Paul Gallico makes a case for Anglo-Gallic cordiality. Mrs. Harris and her fellow Cockney char, Mrs. Butterfield, take pride in their humble work: cleaning up other people's messy homes. Their weekkly pleasure consists of placing a few pennies on the football lottery: (soccer, to Americans.) What couldn't they buy if they ever won the jackpot?

Mrs. Harris has become obsessed with the desire to own an exotic gown created by the celebrated French designer, Christian Dior. Not only could she never purchase something so exquisite--she would never be able to wear it! No matter--she is consumed by the dream of Possession; it would suffice her to know that the cherished gown were hanging safely in her wardrobe. Casting common sense to the winds, she dedicates three years of hard work and strict economizing--combined with a modest win--in order to travel to Paris in pursuit of her sartorial dream.

During her weeklong stay in the ciyt of light, Mrs. Harris touches several lives for the better, winning the respect and appreciation of some French citizens. She gradually realizes that they are just folks too--reluctantly discarding decades of anti-French prejudice. After many delays and snafus, she departs with her gown and many grateful gifts, yet disaster awaits this generous
woman back home. Clever and cute this story offers a refreshing change of literary pace. Social Fantasy for the young at heart.

The story of a London charwoman who goes to Paris to improbably buy a long-desired Dior dress is a jaunty, light comedy which began a series of pure entertainments. Mrs. 'Arris is an enchanting character in that her fundamental ordinary humanity and decency, rather than any superhuman virtue or penetrating insight, allows her to connect with those about her. This is musical comedy fiction, gently told, well done. All the Mrs. 'Arris books are splendid reads, and deserve at least a reissue, if not a film series.

I picked this up in a library because the title amused me. It's just a little slice-of-life story about an ordinary woman, not stunningly gorgeous, or rich, or romantic -- in fact she's just a Cockney char nobody noticed. Until she did something unexpected just because she wanted to, changing other people's lives in the process. It's a beautiful story.

This is a well done photo tour of all Disney theme parks, foreign and domestic. It shows a lot of the behind the scenes goings on and has very nice full page pictures. If you are looking for information, though, it doesn't have much, it is mostly just a picture book. Well worth it if you enjoy books like this.

I don't remember where I got this at, but even at cover price it's a GREAT book. If you love Disney parks, GET THIS BOOK!! Yes, it's mostly pictures, but being able to see all 4 castles on one page or the differences between the Haunted mansions is really cool. Not much reading, it is mostly pictures. A great coffee table book. Keeps you dreaming/ remembering until the next trip.

As was once the case with the British Empire, the sun never sets on Disney's theme parks, with little havens of happiness (and profit) around the world -- California, Florida, France and Tokyo, with more just opened (Disney Sea, also in Tokyo) and more coming (Hong Kong).

What this book does, like all the other "A Day at/in..." books, is give you a 24-hour time span. At the same time, it jumps from park to park, showing different aspects of different parks, at different times of the day or night -- with guests streaming in, cast members working, resting, smiling or laughing (if you're looking for a critical eye towards the Disney empire, this is not the book for that), or simply landscapes framed by the good work of Mother Nature and the photographer.

For those who haven't traveled the world (and that's most of us), it gives you a detailed view of what the rest of the world sees when it looks at Disney, noting the differences and the similarities.

And finally, if you just love the theme park(s), this book will help keep those memories fresh. It works for me.

I heard about this book on an NPR talkshow. I was interested from the start and WOW what a different way to look at WWII.

This is a really fascinating story with lots of interesting "characters". With the Stroke of a Pen is interesting on several levels: a behind the scenes look at the French literary world, an intimate look at everyday French life and a comprehensive discussion about the French Resistance and collaborationists during WWII who were sometimes one in the same. Staman does a great job setting the scene from indepth character descriptions to details of everyday life. She is great at walking the reader through this story as details unfold for her (it is refreshing to see the work that goes into a book, adding validity to all the facts). Staman knows when to share her thoughts and feelings wiht us, and when to let the scene takeover remaining a silent observer. Her creation of conversations is compelling and makes the book very difficult to put down!
I am also happy that Staman did not forget about Bebert (I know I didn't)and the footnote about Jean Loviton at the end was well deserved (sorry that's a bit cryptic, I don't want to give anything away:)

This is a book that builds and builds. By the end I could not stop reading. It puts events in post World War II France in a way that I had not seen before and arguably sheds new light on both the events of the time and the ultimate impact of the Nazi occupation. A super job of weaving true crime with actual historical events. My favorite kind of book.

I heartily disagree with the Belgian reviewer who found the book lacking in little-known synagogues and other sites. (Which ones did he or she mean?) I'm an American Jew who lived in France for years and who visits regularly. I have used other supposedly complete Jewish guides and found them lacking because they usually just list kosher restaurants and synagogues currently open for prayer without offering any historical or social context. Miss Kamins's book does offer that context, plus fuller and more up to date listings than the other books have. And, if you want the small gems, you'll find them. She discusses the nooks and corners of Paris, plus she pays more attention to the glories of the Jewish life in the provinces than any of the other guides I've seen. If you want a full and lively guide to the rich history of Jewish places in France, buy this book!

As a frequent traveller to France I have been looking for a book like this for years. The history section is wonderfully written and is just the information the traveller needs to appreciate France's Jewish places. The listings include things that most travellers, let alone Jewish travellers, would never think of such as anti-Jewish statuary on churches. The resource sections are also very useful especially if you are orthodox and keep kosher.

I heard the author speak at our local jewish community center and decided to buy the book after her very entertaining talk. Her overview of the Jews in French history and culture was instructive and to the point, and she told us many insightful and even amusing anecdotes to make her point. I like to travel, but I was never much of a history fan. This author makes history as entertaining as traveling.

I concur with the first reviewer, Ben Kingsley would make a great Dr. Jamazi. Mr. McKay's first book is splendid and engrossing! He blends all the elements of intrigue and suspense into an intellectual masterpiece. This would make a great movie. Looking forward to the sequel!

McKay's story is unusual to say the least, but quite interesting. After reading the adventure, I was heartened to learn that there are two more books coming in the series. Something tells me that Dr. Jamazi will be revealed more and more as those stories progress; for the clues indicating such are laced throughout the tale.

I found the recountings of Leninist doctrine to be on the mark along with the history, along with the location descriptions. As to whether such a plot is feasible, that is something that really shouldn't be pressed all that much, after all, the book is fiction. The fight scene, and how it ended, was something else!

What I would like to see is for 'Domo 17' to be made into a movie, and if the author does, in fact, produce two more tales in the series, then there would be a strong box office draw. Maybe Ben Kingsley would be considered for the role of Dr. Jamazi, and Jean Reno as Max. That would be cool!

I'd recommend buying this book -- definitely!

Dr. Alexander Jamazi is a Hercule Poirot of sorts, combined with a little James Bond, and seasoned with the teachings of Buddha. His friends cannot figure out why he is so knowledgeable about the finer points of history, but our author hints that Dr. Jamazi doesn't age because he is super-human or immortal. When he and his sidekicks, Max and Robyn, set out to help a client named Tara Duchenes, they uncover a plot by a higher-up in the security section of the Russian government to take over the government, assassinate the president, and throw Russia into war. Jamazi offers his services to General Drago:

"'Casimir, if you do not mind, I would like to offer your good offices the services of myself, Max and Robyn in getting to the bottom of this affair.' The Doctor was never one to outwardly betray his inner feelings with telegraphic expressions or gestures, but in all truthfulness, he badly wanted to be in on this situation. 'And,' Jamazi added, 'along the way, we might even cross paths with our disappearing client, Mlle Romanov.'"

Domo17 is a brilliantly written first novel! McKay could compete with any of the existing giants of political intrigue novels today. McKay's intensive knowledge of Russian affairs and history takes the reader right to Red Square. His analysis of current political and economical conditions in Russia makes for a very savvy interpretation of "what ifs" in the telling of his tale. He lays out a scenario that is not only possible (with the number of nut heads in the world) but is chilling in contemplation. McKay's characters are lovable and well thought out. Jamazi is perfect in his role of "super-human equalizer." Although the scenario is grim, we as readers cheer on Jamazi and his team and know that they will prevail in the end.

Domo17 is a four-star read from an up-and-comer. Thanks for Mr. McKay for sharing his imagination and historical brilliance in the form of such a wonderful read...

Larry Rochelle hails from Kansas City, and is a mystery writer by trade. He is also interested in blues and jazz, tennis, and photography. Dance with the Pony is his fourth mystery.

Palmer Morel is a 6'3" tennis pro with a penchant for making bad decisions in his love life. He has recently had a messy breakup with his wife, who hangs out at his club with a bi-sexual woman known for her nastiness. Palmer, in the meantime, has been frequenting an exotic dance establishment known as "The Stage Door." He has had relationships with one or two of the dancers, but at the moment he is head-over-heels in love with a 5'4" number named Pony, who is quite a package. When one of Pony's bosses, Jim Norris, has just been murdered. Palmer's Walter Mitty life is further turned upside down:

"Pausing on the last step, Morel sprinted the ten paces to his door. His fingers felt intense heat on the doorframe and his loud, dramatic tennis coach's voice screamed, FIRE! FIRE! FIRE!' Across the hall, he pounded on the Frenzels' door, hoping they were home, hoping they could dial 9-1-1 and carry out some of their valuables. He knew, almost by instinct, but really because of seeing the film Backdraft' the other night on TV, not to open the door, fearing a huge burst of flame, almost an explosion, that might greet him."

Dance with the Pony is definitely a XX-pulp detective story, except that it is told via the point-of-view of the victim rather than the detective. Still, Rochelle manages to capture the grittiness of the big city with the vulnerability of a lonely man who is just trying to capture some love in his life. The juxtaposition of rich, country club clients versus the seedy world of exotic dancing illustrates just how blurred these lines can get. Rochelle creates wonderful characters and action that is non-stop in this naughty but fascinating tale.

Palmer Morel is a hero who seems to entangle himself into big messes every time he turns around. As readers, we worry whether he is even going to have a change of clothing as the bad guys burn his possessions' try to smear his good name so he will lose his job; land him in the hospital with gunshot wounds and various and sundry other injuries; and try to set him up as the killer.

Donald Neal McKay is an admitted tale spinner. In 1952 he began his studies of Russia, including Lenin, the old Soviet Union, Bolshevism, and Russian history including the czars and royals. McKay is a native of South Carolina.

Shelley Glodowski
Reviewer

Jake Lamar's Rendezvous Eighteenth is set in modern day Paris's Eighteenth Arrondissement, a beautiful and decadent section of town that underachieving African American Ricky Jenks has chosen to call home for the past ten years. Ricky is leading a carefree bohemian lifestyle as a musician in a small café until his peaceful existence is interrupted by a desperate phone call from his least favorite cousin, Cassius, a renowned surgeon to the NFL and NBA athletes. Cassius is looking for his wife (Serena) who has fled to Paris after a heated domestic dispute and offers Ricky a thousand dollars to look in his expatriate circle of friends for clues to her whereabouts. Good-natured Ricky is immediately drawn into a quagmire that results in him being a suspect in the murder of a transvestite prostitute found in the lobby of his building with keys to his apartment. Complicating matters is the pregnancy of his French Muslim lover, Cassius's strange business dealings and partners, and the enigma behind Serena's cryptic past and reemergence in Paris.

The novel contains excellent characterizations - very full-bodied, rich descriptions that truly bring the characters to life; they have depth, color, and painfully human vulnerabilities. The cultural, political, and societal issues of Paris's rich multi-ethnic, multi-racial environment were relayed in clever dialogue and within the histories of each character, for example: a Serbian freedom fighter/mime, an African American woman restaurant owner with a "divafied" attitude, WWII veterans, a devout Muslim student struggling with worldly desires, etc. The novel was paced and moved very well - every chapter ended with a mini "cliffhanger" making it impossible to stop turning pages. This is a great addition to the crime fiction genre - it had romance, intrigue, and wonderful touches of wit and humor. This was my first exposure to Mr. Lamar's work - I definitely plan to add his other novels to my reading list.

Reviewed by Phyllis
APOOO BookClub, Nubian Circle Book Club

I'm in the final pages of this book. I came to Amazon looking for answers, hoping someone wrote a long and revealing review that would tip me off as to the ending. I'm afraid to go forward. This mystery-thriller has me biting my nails. I'm so afraid of Cash and what he is going to do to Rickey, his naive cousin who is too good for revenge. The missing money. The missing grenade. The missing Serena. And what part does Marva play in all of this?
If anyone wants to save me from biting my nails off, email me: trishrthomas@hotmail.com

Set in romantic Paris in the drippy, rainy springtime, RENDEZVOUS EIGHTEENTH is a delicious mystery about an expatriate African American. Rickey Jenks is escaping his family in New Jersey who he believes think he's fat and dumb. After his bride-to-be leaves him at the altar, Rickey decides he has had enough and moves to Paris where no one knows him. One night when he returns home from work, he discovers a transsexual prostitute has had her throat slit in the entrance to his building. After slipping in the blood and then fainting, he wakes up to find that the Paris police think he did it. To further complicate his life, a cousin he hates, Cash Washington, suddenly appears in Paris and wants to meet with Rickey. At the same time his African girlfriend begins having second thoughts about their relationship and his friend and French tutor, Valista the Serb, wants him to hide a box of hand grenades for her. Amid the confusion, Rickey knows he must solve the mystery or do time in a French jail.

RENDEZVOUS EIGHTEENTH is a wonderful travel guide to Paris. It is also a social commentary on the past and present expatriate African American community as well as a riveting mystery that holds the reader's attention to the last word on the last page.

Reviewed by alice Holman
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

If you're a theme park enthusiast, the description of the design phases of Eurodisneyland are particularly detailed. If you're a Disney fan, this is a rare chance of looking backstage to discover hidden aspects that will boost your respect for the genius behind the magic. If you're a marketing student, this case history is enough to feed your thoughts for years. And if you're a sociology scholar, "Riding the Black Ship" is better. Warning: no mice, fancy photos and/or hypocrisy inside.

So this is the real story of EuroDisney... I have to admit that I never even thought (hoped ? forget it...) to find such a well made book on this particular topic. It's fascinating, how Lainsbury packs all the different contents and perspecticves into a single, compact book. Comprehensive, informative and above all, entertaining; you'll really enjoy reading it. It's too sad that it only consists of about 200 pages, but hey... it's really well worth a try. If you are curious about the history of EuroDisney/ Disneyland Paris and searching for a comprehensive, interesting source, this is your book of choice.

This is a great book, well documented and footnoted. Plenty of information for the Disney novice. There are anecdotes and paraphrases which imply first person research, but the notations are useful in clearing up issues.

A strong argument in favor of the theme park as a diversion and entertainment and not as an entity to spread American philosophy or forced culture. This is a compelling thesis for a talented author.

A little pricey, the book is a fine compliment to other books in the Disney library.

I have fond memories of the French Michelin Guide I had 20 years ago. But it was a regional Guide (Provance). What I loved about that book was that it seemed anything of cultural importance in a town (or village) was mentioned in the Guide. That is not the case with this overview version for all of France.

The other problem with this book is that it is organized alphabetically. If you want to plan a day trip from Paris you will need either another book or a lot of map reading to decide what to look up in this Guide.

The regional Michelin Guides are unique, and clearly worth the high ratings they receive. I can't see why anyone would buy this excerpted version.

The Paris Michelin Green Guide was invaluable for my last visit to France. When I was a kid and lived in Paris we used to have one of these as well and I ordered the updated one this summer before going on my first trip back since I was a teenager. I highly recommend the book for those who want a detailed arrondisement and museum guide on everything there is to do in Paris. Since I lived there, I wanted something that would give me specific details on smaller, lesser known museums as well. This guide does a fabulous job of that. However, if you are a first timer to Paris and France and/or have only a few short days there I am not sure this is the guide for you - you might be better off with an Eyewitness guide or Lonely Planet Guide that will tell you what to see if you only have a short time period to work with. If you have been before or are spending a while in the city this is the guide you want - it will list places you have never even heard of before with details about times/days open (very important to know in Paris!!) and phone numbers, prices, etc etc with mini maps on each area of Paris.

It would be hard to plan a visit to Paris with just this book, the alphabetical organization means you have to keep referring to a map (provided) or other guide. The hotel and restaurant information is brief, about 25-30 pages.

This book is the ideal guide to the cultural sites in the city. I think that you will not find the breadth of information contained in this book anywhere else, certainly not in such a condensed form. One is tempted to say: if it is not in the Michelin Guide, then it is not important.

"A beautiful and bygone era comes to life again in this exquisite chronicle of postwar Paris, elegantly penned by an award-winning American journalist who was there..."

Makes it sound thrilling, huh? You should want to dive into the novel and find out every detail of the wonderful Paris in the Fifties. Well, you know what? Yawn!

I just got finished reading "Rebecca" by Daphne DuMaurier while I was vacationing in Mexico and I was in a hurry at the Los Angeles airport coming home to find another book for the last couple of hours on the plane. I shoveled out ... (believe me, ... saves a lot!! Always buy before the trip..) from my pocket at an airport book store after I hurriedly found this book. Well, I gave it about 45 minutes (and I read fast, not to forget) and I gave up.

This book just did not capture me. I gave it more time after I arrived at home, but soon other books and events captured my attention. I'm not saying that you shouldn't read this book. I mean, if you love Paris, totally love it, try this book. Listen to the other people that have written reviews and enjoyed this book also. Everybody has different tastes, and maybe I just didn't give this book a long enough chance.

I've been to Paris twice. This is a very accurate representation of the one of a kind Paris culture. Excellent stories and personalities. Every second of this book was enjoyable. The only drawback was the difficulty to keep track of the personalities sometimes, other than that, one of the best ever!! A rareity..

The title of this excellent book is a misnomer. Although there is a great deal about Paris, the book as a whole rambles over much of France and even the Mediterranean. Beginning in the late 1940s when Karnow first went to Paris on the GI Bill to study and through much of the 1950s when he served with TIME in their Paris office Karnow lived in Paris. This book is a distillation of his memories and notes he kept from that period. Karnow, however, gives himself free rein to range over a host of topics, sometimes delving into French history, if it helps illuminate his topic. The result is a very personal view of France in the fifties. There is a great deal he doesn't discuss, such as French cinema and art in the decade. He writes of some of the literary figures, but not with any especial emphasis.

The range of topics that are covered in the book are not encyclopedic but they are exceptionally varied. He will write about wine, food, crime, famous politicians, infamous politicians, housing, French manners, Algerian patriots, people he knew, and a host of other subjects. Some of the chapters could be anticipated, such as a long chapter on French wine and a tour through the French wine districts. Some are unexpected, like a chapter on a man who was the last in a line of hereditary executioners. There is a good deal of name dropping (folks like Samuel Beckett pop in for brief cameos), but not too much. He writes of people whose names remain famous, like Christian Dior, and of many others, especially colleagues, whose names are not so well known.

One of the best things about the book is that while it may not give you all the facts about Paris and France in the fifties, it definitely gives you a feel for the time itself. It is also fascinating for what it reveals about the politics of the time. Karnow worked for TIME, which espoused a conservative Republican point of view (though more moderate than what would later characterize the late 1950s NATIONAL REVIEW), while Karnow himself was a liberal. In much of his political writing, therefore, one gets a sense of his take on one things on the one hand and the take of his employers, looking over his shoulder, on the other. The book therefore indirectly tells the story of how much of America felt about France during the fifties.

I can wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone interested either in the years following the war or in France or Paris in general. It is entertaining and informative at the same time.

I'd like to add that the photograph on the paperback edition of the book (and I supposed on the dust jacket of the hardback) is one of the most remarkable I have ever seen of Paris. A couple somewhere in Paris (the angles make it look to be somewhere east of Montmartre) looks over Paris with Notre Dame and the Eiffel Tower off in the distance.

This book is difficult to use and very limited in scope. It is organized by the right and left bank which is so broad as to be of little use. Occassionally, it will mention a street and rattle off the names of some stores on that street. Fewer adjectives and more hard information would have helped. A large amount of space is given to big name stores and famous designers that nobody needs a special guide to find. It mentions Limoges twice but gives no further information about where one can find Limoges. It didn't mention Gien, a famous French pottery which is now sold in Neiman Marcus. Other guides were much more useful than this book in helping locate clothing stores that would appeal to a teenage girl. The shopping information in the typical guide book was more useful and eaiser to access.

I have enjoyed using this book, and shared it with no fewer then six friends this summer who also traveled to Paris. At a recent book club meeting, we all agreed that Ms Winkler's book provides the most unique and pleasurable guide to walking, or shopping in Paris.

I wish she (Susan Winkler) would right a guide to London!!

Like the du Bellay poem, Winkler's book manages to take the chaos of delights to the senses that is Paris and make it intelligible, while preserving the serendipity and spontaneous spirit that characterises the City of Light. The Paris Shopping Companion provides an excellent entree into the city for the novice, and for the seasoned traveler -- or even parisienne -- it is like a generous old friend (one with a much better memory), always ready to offer advice and information. With an engaging style, The Paris Shopping Companion manages to achieve both being excellent bathtime reading and an invaluable reference, whether you are searching for pralines in the 16th or lithographs in the sixth. Of course, Winkler's knowledge of fashion is extensive, and her advice on shopping for clothes is spot-on; her assessments of a boutique's particular style are ringingly accurate. Lastly, Winkler includes interesting bits of information about landmarks, history, and the arts of one of the world's most fascinating cities. This book is more than a shopping guide -- it is truly a superb companion. Je suis accro!