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Quirky Culture & Language	Novels about France	French Life
Food & Wine	Travel Guides	About France

Quirky Culture and Language

	When in France, Do as the French Do: The Clued-in Guide to French Life, Language and Culture A crash course in France's contemporary customs and rich cultural heritage, this handy guide is packed with more than 170 articles. A Francophile's dream, it covers a broad range of topics, including customs, food & drink, language, travel, arts & pop culture, politics, business, entertainment, home life, history and education. With light-hearted quizzes, hundreds of cool Internet sites and up-to-date insights into all aspects of French culture, this entertaining and informative reference will delight everyone from students and tourists to armchair travelers and trivia buffs.

	Something to Declare: Essays on France and French Culture Anyone who loves France will be enraptured by this collection of essays on the country and its culture. Barnes's appreciation extends from France's vanishing peasantry to its hyper-literate pop singers, from the gleeful iconoclasm of "nouvelle vague cinema to the orgy of drugs and suffering that is the Tour de France. Above all, Barnes is an unparalleled connoisseur of French writing and writers. Here are the prolific and priapic Simenon, Baudelaire, Sand and Sartre, and several dazzling excursions on the prickly genius of Flaubert. Lively yet discriminating in its enthusiasm, seemingly infinite in its range of reference, and written in prose as stylish as "haute couture, this book is an unadulterated joy.

	The Complete Merde! The Real French You Were Never Taught at School A saucy guide to survival in everyday French. With chapters on insults, sex, drink and those expressive Gallic gestures, this book reveals the necessary vocabulary, explains its proper use and gives examples and exercises for the eager student.

	Merde Encore!: More of the Real French You Were Never Taught at School For those of you who delighted in Genevieve's deliciously naughty first book, "Merde!," and for those unfortunate few who have not yet had the pleasure, she's back with "Merde Encore!" Here the inimitable Genevieve makes further fabulous forays into French "argot" and comes up with a huge range of colorful idioms, essential if you want to speak the language as it really is spoken. As an additional treat, she also gives instructions in the correct use of impassioned Gallic gestures -- those silent but expressive signals so beloved of the French motorist and shopkeeper. And, most important, she reveals how the French language, spoken and visual, is a key to the spirit and character of the people who use it.

	Talk Dirty French: Beyond Merde: The Curses, Slang, and Street Lingo You Need to Know When You Speak Francais Beyond Merde: The curses, slang, and street lingo you need to Know when you speak francais.

	French or Foe? Getting the Most Out of Visiting, Living and Working in France Polly Platt's title French or Foe? is more timely than ever, as the Franco. American alliance frays a little more with each day, the exchanges more vitriolic than ever before. Her book has long been the reference for what it is about theFrench that rubs people the wrong way, why the Franco-American alliance has difficulties, and how to handle French people and find out "how wonderful they are." Now in the third edition, she examines the revolution of the last few years brought about by the computer and the Internet. Interviews with many American and French executives explain the differences and the similarities in procedures in the work place compared five years ago.

	Sixty Million Frenchmen Can't Be Wrong: Why We Love France, But Not the French The French smoke, drink and eat more fat than anyone in the world, yet they live longer and have fewer heart problems. They take seven weeks of paid vacation per year, yet have the world's highest productivity index. From a distance, modern France looks like a riddle. But up close, it all makes sense. This book shows how the pieces of the puzzle fit together. Decrypting French ideas about land, food, privacy and language, the authors weave together the threads of French society, from centralization and the Napoleonic code to elite education and even street protests giving us, for the first time, an understanding of France and the French.

	Speak the Culture: France: Be Fluent in French Life and Culture A guidebook can show you where to go, a language guide for what to say but only "Speak the Culture: France" will lead you to a nation's soul. This easy to use cultural companion considers how it feels to have grown up with Flaubert, Cezanne and Bardot; it captures the flavours of French regional cuisine, paints the colour of festival life and delves deep into the Gallic psyche. Through exploring the people, movements and lifestyles that have shaped the French experience, you'll come to an intimate understanding of France and the French. A superbly designed, informed and engaging insight into French life, culture and who the French really are.

	Savoir-Flair: 211 Tips for Enjoying France and the French Which words unlock a warm welcome? What should you expect in hotels? Taxis? In cafe restrooms? What is the code for getting great customer service? What's all the fuss about food and French restaurants? Do you know how to charm French waiters? How do you entertain business contacts, intrigue French women and French men?

	Words in a French Life: Lessons in Love and Language from the South of France Based on the popular blog (French-word-a-day.com) and newsletter comes a heart-winning collection from an American woman raising two "very" French children with her French husband in Provence, and carrying on a lifelong love affair with the language.

	The French Experience One - Coursebook Hundreds of thousands of people have already learned French with the popular beginners' course, The French Experience. At home or in a class, you can use this hugely successful course to develop your listening, reading, writing and speaking skills. You can also gain valuable insights into French culture. Using the extensive range of media available to purchase seperately, from the audio CDs or cassettes, to the popular accompanying television series and free online activities, The French Experience can help you reach the equivalent level of high school qualification. 16 structured units and four revision and assessment units reinforce learning using activities and language check ups' 288-page, full-colour book

	The French Experience One - Language Pack - Coursebook with CD's Hundreds of thousands of people have already learned French with the popular beginners' course, The French Experience. At home or in a class, you can use this hugely successful course to develop your listening, reading, writing and speaking skills. You can also gain valuable insights into French culture. The French Experience can help you reach the equivalent level of high school qualification. 16 structured units and four revision and assessment units reinforce learning using activities and language check ups' 288-page, full-colour book PLUS: CD's Authentic dialogues and interviews allow you to hear native French speakers using everyday language. Activities focus on listening and recognising, and progress to speaking and understanding to help you develop your conversational French 4 x 75-minute audio CDs

	The French Experience One - Activity Book Activity Book - the companion to the French Experience One Course Book. Closely linked to each unit of the course book, it provides extra practice in reading and writing.

	The French Experience Two - Language Pack - Coursebook with CD's Hundreds of thousands of people have already learned French with the popular intermediate course, The French Experience. At home or in a class, you can use this hugely successful course to develop your listening and speaking skills. You can also gain valuable insights into French culture. Pack contents: Course Book * Fully integrated with the audio, ten units contain dialogues, role-plays, activities and authentic texts * Self-assessment tests are included to check your progress as you work through the course 224-page full-colour course book Audio *Authentic dialogues and interviews allow you to hear native French speakers using everyday language. Activities focus on listening and recognising, and progress to speaking and understanding to help you develop your conversational French 4 x 75 minute CDs

	2000+ Essential French Verbs: Learn the Forms, Master the Tenses, and Speak Fluently! French Verbs JUST GOT AS EASY AS 1-2-3 . Whether you're learning French for fun, school, or work, 2,000+ Essential French Verbs makes everything simple-conjugations, tenses, irregulars, and even conversation. * 2,000+ French verbs in alphabetical order * Translations, prepositions & regional usage * ALL major tenses & regular & irregular verb forms covered * Help with forming tenses, explained in clear English * Sample sentences that show verbs in action * 40 engaging dialogues that bring verbs to life * More than 100 practice exercises * Special help for tough verb questions * And for extra practice, FLASH CARDS help you memorize key verbs!

	French Verbs: Collins Gem Now in colour, the "Collins French Gem Verbs" offers the learner of French extensive coverage of French verbs in a compact, portable format. Developed as part of the "Collins Education and Life Skills" streams, this book is designed for all levels of language learner, whether at home, at school, or at work. Have confidence: the "Collins French Gem Verbs" offers full conjugations of 112 French verbs, both regular and irregular. Get it right: it also contains an alphabetical index of over 2,000 French verbs each cross-referred to its model verb. Get there fast: now in colour for the first time, the clear layout ensures that users find the information they want quickly and easily.

Novels About France
	The Elegance of the Hedgehog In this enthralling international bestseller, two girls live inconspicuous lives in the center of an elegant Paris apartment building. It is only when a stranger moves into their building - and sees through the girls' disguises - that Paloma and Rene discover their kindred spirits.

	Almost French: A New Life in Paris In the bestselling tradition of Frances Mayes' Under the Tuscan Sun, Chris Stewart's A Parrot in the Pepper Tree or Peter Mayle - but without the pile of stones! Funny, perceptive and poignant Almost French is an often hilarious mixture of a young woman's personal memoir and armchair travel. A spectacular example of culture clash - and a happy ending.

	A Year in the Merde Paul West, a young Englishman, arrives in Paris to start a new job - and finds out what the French are really like They do eat a lot of cheese, some of which smells like pigs' droppings. They don't wash their armpits with garlic soap. Going on strike really is the second national participation sport after petanque. And, yes, they do use suppositories In his first novel, Stephen Clarke gives a laugh-out-loud account of the pleasures and perils of being a Brit in France. Less quaint than A Year in Provence, less chocolatey than Chocolat, A Year in the Merde will tell you how to get served by the grumpiest Parisian waiter; how to make perfect vinaigrette every time; how to make amour - not war; and how not to buy a house in the French countryside.

	Merde Actually A year after arriving in France, Englishman Paul West is still struggling with some fundamental questions: What is the best way to scare a gendarme? Why are there no health warnings on French nudist beaches? And is it really polite to sleep with your boss' mistress? Paul opens his English tea room, and mutates (temporarily) into a Parisian waiter; samples the pleasures of typically French hotel-room afternoons; and, on a return visit to the UK, sees the full horror of a British office party through Parisian eyes. Meanwhile, he continues his search for the perfect French mademoiselle. But will Paul find l'amour eternel, or will it all end in merde? In his second comedy of errors, Paul West continues to sabotage the entente cordiale.

	Merde Happens Paul West is in deep financial merde. His only way out of debt is to accept a decidedly dodgy job that involves him touring America in a Mini, while pretending to be typically British. Also in the car is Paul's French girlfriend, Alexa, and his American poet friend, Jake, whose main aim in life is to sleep with a woman from every country in the world. Preferably in the back of Paul's Mini. But as the little car battles from New York to Miami, and then heads west, leg-room turns out to be the least of Paul's troubles. His work is being sabotaged, his tour plans are in tatters, and his love life becomes a Franco-American war zone. And as Paul knows better than anyone, when you mix love and war - merde happens...

	French Revolutions: Cycling the Tour de France Battling it out with the old men on butchers' bikes across the plains of Aquitaine and pursued by cattle over Europe's second highest road, Moore soon finds himself resorting to narcotic help, overeating and waxed legs before summoning a support vehicle staffed by cruelly sceptical family & friends. Accounts of his suffering and chicanery, and those encountered in the race's epic history, are interwoven through a look at rural France busy tarting itself up for those 15 seconds of fame as the Tour careers through at 50kph. An heroic depiction of an inadequate man's attempt to achieve the unachievable, Moore's Tour is a tale of calorific excess, ludicrous clothing and intimate discomfort.

	The Piano Shop on the Left Bank: The Hidden World of a Paris Atelier Ever since the piano was invented, people have longed to own one. In the nineteenth century, pianos were everywhere: in every genteel home, restaurants, steamships, in the remote bars of the American west. Some became treasured family heirlooms, some ended up as firewood. Others led a more intinerant life, washing up in all sorts of strange places. Occasionally, these pianos find their way to a secret workshop in Paris where they are lovingly restored by a French piano repairer with a passion for his job. When Thad Carhart discovered this hidden cache of pianos in the dusty repair shop on his street in Paris, his life changed. As he explored the Eldorado of second-hand uprights, grands, harpsichords and player pianos in the atelier, talked about how they work and their history, and finally found the baby grand of his dreams, he rediscovered his deep love for this most magical of instruments.

	C'est La Vie: An American Woman Begins a New Life in Paris And Voila! Becomes Almost French Suzy Gershman fulfilled a lifelong dream of hers and her husband's by moving to Paris after his death. This is the story of her first year in Paris, as she tries to begin her new life, immerse herself in French daily life, and become really French. Her story is always funny, occasionally heart breaking, and, of course, scattered throughout with helpful and little-known shopping tips and hints about living in Paris. Suzy has brought her international expertise to readers, television viewers, travelers, and shoppers the world over with her series of Frommer's Born to Shop books. She has written a travel-shopping column for Travel & Leisure and Travel Holiday and now contributes to National Geographic's Traveler Magazine.

	From Here, You Can't See Paris The author set out to explore the inner workings of a French restaurant kitchen but ended up stumbling onto a wider, much richer world. Whether uncovering the darker secrets of making foie gras, hearing a chef confess his doubts about the Michelin star system, or absorbing the lore of the land around a farmhouse kitchen table after a boar hunt, Michael Sanders learned that life in Les Arques was anything but sleepy. Through the eyes of the author and his family, the reader discovers the still vibrant traditions of food, cooking, and rural living, and comes to know the village's history, sharing along the way an American family's adventures as they find their way in a place that is sometimes lonely, often wondrous, and always fascinating.

	Toujours Provence This is a second enjoyable helping of rural life in France from the author of "A Year in Provence". Skulking through customs with a suitcase full of truffles, toads singing the Marseillaise, taking pastis lessons and finding gold at the bottom of the garden - you might think there is little time left for pleasures of the table. "Toujours Provence" proves that while you might not be able to get away from it all, you can have fun trying.

French Life
	Life Style, French Style:All You Need to Know About Making a Home in France Based on twenty five years of experience and six house moves. It's Elizabeth Morgan's second book on France for the virgin house buyer - the one she wishes she'd read twenty years ago; it would have saved her moving so many times. It sets out many aspects of French life and helps you decide where to live. And it's laced with amusing personal anecdotes, friends' anecdotes and tales both cautionary and heart warming. It will take you several steps further along the road to the perfect marriage - a marriage: of you, the house and your surroundings, which all add up to a particular life style, one that has to be absolutely right for you. The book gives a clear picture of life in various parts of France, the upsides and downsides, with ten comparative regional surveys.

	Undiscovered France: An Insider's Guide to the Most Beautiful Villages Perched on an inaccessible mountainside, hidden among green hills or clustered around a medieval castle: some of the most beautiful French villages remain unknown to tourists. Take a pictorial journey through quaint corners of tiny hamlets, breathtaking countryside & colorful, old fashioned markets where the locals exchange goods & gossip. Glorious color photographs show the dramatically rocky seacoast in Plougrescant, Brittany, along with the "tipsy," crooked walls & spire of the town church. In the Loire Valley, ancient forts & castles stand firm by the river & in Poiteven, "le Venise Verte" (the green Venice), steps descend from houses directly to the water & waiting rowboats. These and many more picture-postcard locales, will entrance you & help you plan your next trip to France.

	Vintage French Interiors: Inspiration from the Antique Shops and Flea Markets of France Veritable treasure trove of ideas for French-inspired interiors from the most creative antiques shops across France. French styles set the mood for unique & timeless interiors. Add charm to the kitchen with red & white checkered spice jars & a quirky corkscrew, discover the simple beauty in an Art Deco fon, add mediterranean hues to the garden with ornately decorated pots. This book is a haven for interior designers looking for inspiration from France.

	The French Touch: Decoration and Design in the Private Homes of France Using Southern French style in a bold way, rescue antique French architectural elements & accessories from the countryside-mantels, farmhouse sinks, stone sentinels & fountains, even wooden spiral staircases. Installed in their final destinations, each piece stands as a stately, impressive, and lovely piece of art in a living room, kitchen, garden, or any room of the house. With luscious photography by Tom O'Neill, an extensive resource list, and chapters that include "Importing French culture," "Pieces that Transform," and "Hunting for the Rare," this book is destined to become a classic for Francophiles, antique collectors, and anyone who loves the feel of the old-world countryside.

	The French Property Buyer's Handbook: Everything You Need to Know about Buying a House and Moving to France Takes you through all the stages of buying a house and moving to France, covering everything you need to know about: Buying a house in France, choosing the right area, different property styles, looking for the right property, dealing with agents, building your own house, arranging finance, negotiating the property transaction, living in France, moving in, getting all the paperwork right, opening bank accounts and tax, health and the French social security system, running a gite business, finding a job or starting a business in France, plus hundreds of tips on all those small matters that are key to making your purchase a success.

	French Country Hideaways: Vacationing at Private Chateaus & Manors in Rural France Imagine awakening in a castle. You slip out of your poster bed, open french windows & step onto a stone balcony. You take in the view of surrounding vineyards that slope down to a quaint tile-roofed village in the misty river valley below. This isn't a dream. You can spend the night in an authentic French chateau or manor house. For centuries, the country's small chateaux have remained secret, closed to all but the families of the owners. But in recent years, many are throwing open the doors and inviting the public in to stay. French Country Hideaways takes you inside 35 of these hidden gems where you can experience true French country living.

	A French Companion: A Guidebook for English Speakers Travelling and Living in France This handbook has been written specially for people who travel to France regularly, and for those who are planning to move there. Packed with inside information and tips on lots of practical matters, plus vocabulary lists and model conversations in real everyday French. Above all "A French Companion" is designed to add to the pleasures of living in this weird and wonderful country, and to pass on the insights and tips that will help those who come here, either as visitors or for the longer term, to enjoy and to become part of the local scene.

	La Vie En Bleu: France and the French Since 1900 Rod Kedward brings to life the great, and often terrible, dramas of modern France - the two cataclysmic wars - the Algerian disaster, the student and worker revolt of 1968, as well as exploring the special worlds of the workplace, immigration, minorities, the role of women, and the politics of everyday life and collective memory. "La Vie en Bleu" is a history of people and events that tells a multitude of stories, some impressive, some shameful and many that starkly divide the French among themselves.

Food and Wine
	La France Gourmande: A Food Lover's Guide to French Fairs and Festivals France's fairs & festivals are a prime attraction for locals & travelers. Few can resist the lure of bustling markets as regional specialties & mouthwatering delicacies are fervently discussed amid the jostling crowds. This book explores the country's age-old food festivals & fairs, highlighting the diversity of regional products & traditions, from Normandy's coastal fish fairs to the colorful cherry, olive, & lavender festivals in the south. Traditions, too, are explored, often with the locals themselves, offering a wonderfully evocative picture of French rural life. Each fair or festival features a delicious regional recipe, and the book's 12 chapters provide a month-by-month companion to events.

	Rick Stein's French Odyssey: Over 100 New Recipes Inspired by the Flavours of France With over 100 recipes inspired by his gastronomic journey through the idyllic waterways of southern France, this top TV chef's book begins with a diary of his trip and is illustrated throughout with stunning food and location shots

	Barefoot in Paris: Easy French Food You Can Make at Home Hearty boeuf Bourguignon served in deep bowls over garlic-rubbed baguette toast; decadently rich croque monsieur, eggy & oozing with cheese; gossamer creme brulee, its sweetness offset by a brittle burnt-sugar topping. Whether shared in a cozy French bistro or in your own home, the romance & enduring appeal of French country cooking is irrefutable. This book helps you bring that spirit, those evocative dishes, into your own home. What Ina Garten is known for, on her show and in her three bestselling books is adding a special twist to familiar dishes, while also streamlining the recipes so you spend less time in the kitchen but still emerge with perfection. The book is suffused with Ina's love of the city, of the bustling outdoor markets and alluring little shops, of the bakeries and fromageries and charcuteries, of the wonderful celebration of food that you find on every street corner, in every neighborhood. So take a trip to Paris with the perfect guide, the Barefoot Contessa herself, in her most personal book yet.

Travel Guides
	Paris Berlitz Pocket Guide Covering all the major sights, area by area, in an easily navigable format. Tourist attractions described include the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe and Pompidou Centre. The guide also contains background historical information, advice on shopping and entertainment and the low-down on Parisian cuisine. There is an A-Z of practical information, listings of recommended hotels and restaurants and useful expressions in French. Special features on topics ranging from cafe culture to the history of Notre-Dame bring the city alive. Excursions outside the city are also described including Versailles, Monet's garden at Giverny and Disneyland Resort Paris. Maps show Central Paris, the Latin Quarter and Montmartre, and there are dozens of colour photographs throughout.

	Paris (Charming Small Hotel Guides) This expanded and redesigned 4th edition now has larger colour photographs for each charming small hotel, and contains a great selection of affordable and elegant places to stay. Like all "Charming Small Hotel Guides", it is highly selective. Every entry is more than just a bed for the night: it's an experience, worth planning a holiday around, or going out of your way for. This remains the only independently inspected English-language accommodation guide to small and charming hotels in Italy. No hotel pays to be in the guide.

	Streetwise Paris Map - Laminated City Street Map of Paris: Folding Pocket Size Travel Map This map covers the following areas: Main Paris Map 1: 14,000 Paris Metro Map with Map of France inset. The STREETWISE map of Paris is the highest selling map in the history of Amazon.com

	Paris Eyewitness Travel Guide Your holiday starts the moment you open the guide. Capture the essence of Paris, from a romantic stroll along the Seine to the medieval treasures of the Cluny to shopping along Les Grands Boulevards. This title features photos, illustrations, unique 3D models and birds-eye-view maps of all the major sites to ensure you don't miss a thing. Clue up on the basics, from the most comfortable places to stay (whatever your budget) to the best bars and restaurants. Discover where the locals go, enjoy relaxing entertainment, amazing sites and retail therapy, exciting sports, scenic walks or drives, thematic tours and colourful festivals. It presents all that you need for an unforgettable trip. It is the winner of the Guardian & Observer 'Best Guide Books' and Wanderlust Magazine Silver Award for 'Top Guidebook'.

	City Walks: Paris: 50 Adventures on Foot Paris is a perfect city to explore" pied," and this deck is designed for just that. On each card you'll find an illustrated map and on the flip side insider info on where to eat, drink, stop, and shop. With these 50 self-guided walking adventures you can explore historic sites, from the Arc de Triomphe to the Mus e du Louvre, as well as uncover lesser-known gems, from open-air markets and intimate cafes to small museums with world-class art. Choose any card, and Paris is yours for the taking.

About France
	Contemporary France: An Introduction to French Politics and Society Contemporary France is a handbook covering most of the major features of French politics and society. The book is up-to-date, exploring the latest political and social developments and trends while at the same time placing them in a deeper historical, intellectual, cultural and social context that makes for insightful analysis.

	France and the French: A Modern History A history of 20th century France and the citizens who confronted, and created, military, political, and social pressures of dramatic intensity.

	France and the French Explores the geography, industries, climate, people, and culture of France.