Paris

Fierro's detailed exploration of the Grand Projets is spot-on, well-told and (for the most part) absent of the architectural demagoguery that so often occurs in books that explore architecture at a level beyond mere form. On occasion the author strays, or interprets differently than other scholars might, but overall her exploration is a solid effort; worthy of notice. Her quiet feud with the well-known braggart architect Stanley Tigerman is left untouched in this book. I've been told that she's adopted a strict adherence to the high road, which was a disappointment to this reader (who's seen the man at his most pompous).

This is a thoroughly enjoyable book full of insight, witticisms, and full-page photos of the City of Lights. The author speaks candidly and casually of the city as one would of a dear friend, including charming anecdotes of his days there. Mentions are made of the usual tourist spots: the Eiffel Tower, the Moulin Rouge, et cetera, but also little known spots and out of the way places. The myriad of pictures throughout the book only serves to heighten the sense of being there: you can almost feel the well-worn cobblestone beneath your feet as you stroll the streets, hear tourists and natives alike conversing en francais at corner cafes, smell the freshly baked bread from the boulangerie patisseries, and see the sunlight glinting off the Seine. A must-read for anyone who has been or simply dreams of visiting Paris.

The book has 3 incantation texts in the original Syriac, with translation into French and a good critical apparatus. Obviously, it's not on the bestseller list, but for those interested in Syriac the texts are quite interesting.

This is a great little travel guide! The small size (about 5 ½" x 4"x 1/2") is perfect to just throw in your bag and go. One side of the book contains laminated maps of the Touileries-Louvre and Les Halles areas that pull out to reveal small maps of the rest of Paris. They are very small, but very detailed (and show the Metro stops). The spine of the book has a compass that pops up if you need to get your bearings.

The second side of the book has brief descriptions of the sites, restaurants, etc. I found the restaurant section especially helpful since my travel companion was a vegetarian and this guide had the only listing for a vegetarian restaurant (none of my other guides had any).

Don't only purchase this guide though. Although it's a good guide to carry around with you while in Paris (and you won't stick out as a tourist trying open and read unwieldy maps), there isn't a lot of detail on the sites. I would recommend purchasing this and the Eyewitness Guide to Paris, which is very detailed (but heavy!)

The only thing the guide is conspicuously lacking is a map of the Metro system, which would have been very helpful.

Insight Guides Paris provides a good overview of Paris, culture, sights to see and a brief history that helps the traveler to understand the culture and people of Paris and how Paris differs uniquely from the rest of France. It is an easy read with detailed insight into whatever aspect of culture you desire. Whether your interest is art, history, fashion, dining, architecture, shopping or any other aspect of this rich diverse city, Insight guides you. An invaluable tool on my recent trip to Paris.

The quarter mile of the Left bank in the early 1920s is what Marcel Duchamp called, "The first really international colony of artist we ever had". This book contains thousands of photographs of the Montparnasse in the 1920s. It's an excellent resource if you are researching Man Ray, Calder, Duchamp, Matisse, Hemingway, Picasso or Stravinsky. Alice Prin or Kiki, was the queen of the artists' quarter. She had a beautiful body and a fine voice. She was the Man Ray's lover and modeled for many Left Bank artists. The book adds the human side of the times, and the art that was made in them. I would recommend this book to any working artist or collector.

In the best style of a Jack Higgins, an Alistair MacLean or Ken Follett, French writer Alain Paris wrote a very exciting, intelligent and fast-paced war thriller.

This time, instead of a "commando" trying to kill Winston Churchill (as in Higgins's book, "THE EAGLE HAS LANDED"), we have a commando, ordered by Hitler and Martin Bormann, destined to kill Hermann Goering. THe commando has a German leader and five British volunteers from the SS British Corps, a divison of British renegades who fought, teoretically, only against the Russians.

Very clever plot and beliavable action, and also has a lot of historic accuracy about the facts of those times. (the action takes place in the last days of April, 1945).

Maybe they translate it to the British language soon.

I have personally known Falih Mahdi, and have watched him grow from a sensitive,creative student in Poona, India [in the outskirts of Bombay, where he was working on his Masters Degree] into a great thinker/writer in Paris. This particular book is the story of his life and his struggle with himself, his beliefs, his aspirations and life itself. What makes me an expert?? I am not only someone special who played a big role in his life, and one of the chapters in this book [I will leave that to the readers imagination to guess who I am] but I am someone who had seen Falih's tears transform into ink, and pain turn into words. I recommend this book to everyone who wants to learn about the Iraqi/Arab afflictions, and witness how an Arab spends most of his life trying to adjust [Falih is an Iraqi who studied in India, worked briefly in Kuwait, before he migrated to France.] I love the book and I love the author for his determination in life, in spite of all the pain and the sacrifices he had to undergo. I strongly encourage English speaking publishers to translate this book into English and sell it worldwide. Falih Mahdi lives in Paris and can be reached [I suppose] through L'Harmattan [publishers] or the University of Versailles where he teaches [at least that is what he did when I met him last year.] If not reached, a publisher can reach me at the above email address and I promise I will help to get him or her in touch with Falih.

Miranda Jan, 04

This is a great vicarious travel book that revolves around quilting and a great little quilt store in Paris, France. It is still open and several friends have visited and enjoyed it. The book is laid out beautifully with photos of picturesque locations in the French countryside to accompany each quilt block illustrated.

This really is an excellent book. It doesn't get the play of some of Zola's other works but it is an excellent view of the food markets and the people who work in and around this very small section of Paris. It is a sometimes sad and sometimes comical view of the shortcomings of everyday working people - just as true today as when it was written. I found myself mapping the actions of the central characters to people I had encountered through the years. If you read it I promise you'll find that you have met these people in your life as I had in mine. It's lighter that Zola's other work but just as real. Enjoy!