Versailles

Customer Reviews:

Dazzled...not quite.......2007-05-17

Truth be told, and I am a hard-core Versailles-o-phile, this book left much to be desired in the history department. What, no reproductions of the Enfants de France? And where's Marie Therese? The binding was superior to what I'd been lead to believe by other reviews. Overall, an adequate addition to a casual collection of the Chateau de Versailles.

This book would even make the Sun King proud.......2005-04-15

What an amazing book, it is nothing short of spectacular. The pictures are vivid and the book quality is of the highest caliber. The other reviewer was correct in noting that the reader has to been careful with this book, the pages are so heavy that it will pull from the binding if you are not careful when positioning the book. I have always had a facination with Versailles and this book really captures the chateaux, it makes you feel like you are stolling the gardens and taking in the sumptuous wonders of the palace. Unlike other books on Versailles this one is complete, it covers everything and in striking detail. I urge anyone with any interest in Versailles to buy this book, even used at 200 U.S., it is a bargain. I assure you you will not be disappointed in this book.

NEWEST EDITION BETTER BOUND!!!!.......2004-08-11

Five stars PLUS! I have a new edition and it is very well bound - no need to worry about it falling apart! If you've ever been to Versailles this book will mist you up! If you're planning a return trip this book will be your bible... It is amazing how inexpensive this book is when you consider the spectacular colour photos.

Really deserves 10 stars! However, I must warn you..........2001-11-15

This is THE BEST book there is on Versailles (which is probably why its normally a hundred bucks!) There is only one problem I have ever had with the book and that is the poor physical quality. I had to order it twice because my first copy fell completely apart within a few weeks. Needless to say I was not happy at all when that happened. Every copy that I have seen (in libraries, other bookstores) has the same problem. Normally, I would not have tried again after that, but I HAD to have this book. My second one has also begun to separate from the binding, so I rarely read it... but when I do, I use **EXTREME** care. I think the main reason for this is the size and weight of the book, so if you decide to purchase it, keep that in mind. I recommend turning the pages *slowly* and not leaving it completely flat and/or open for any long period of time. Also, store it horizontally, NOT vertically... the pages are so heavy, they will end up tearing themselves out!

Absolute perfection!.......2001-09-12

Without a doubt, the most beautiful and informative book ever on the Palace of Versailles. Architectural history , decorative wonders, sumptuous furniture, this book explores it all! THE BOOK for all lovers of Versailles or eighteenth century French art.

Marie Antoinette: Princess of Versailles, Austria-France, 1769 (The Royal Diaries)

Average customer rating:

Another Great Royal Diaries Book.
Detailed Summary Of Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette
The Great Review of the book Marie Antoinette
A Marie Antoinette Book Review

Marie Antoinette: Princess of Versailles, Austria-France, 1769 (The Royal Diaries)
Kathryn Lasky
Manufacturer: Scholastic Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Royalty | People & Places | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0439076668

Amazon.com

"I look up now into the oval mirror and see barely a trace of the mud-splattered girl tearing through the woodland on her horse, or the barefoot girl wading at Schonbrunn... I have become what Mama set out for me to be. Majestic. A Dauphine and eventually a Queen."

So writes the headstrong 13-year-old Maria Antonia--future Queen of France--in her diary on October 23, 1769. In this engrossing addition to the Royal Diaries series (Elizabeth I: Red Rose of the House of Tudor, Cleopatra VII: Daughter of the Nile), Kathryn Lasky invents a diary of the young Marie Antoinette in 1769--the year she is to be married off to Dauphin Louis Auguste, eldest grandson of the French king Louis XV. Arranged marriages were common in that day and age--as the Empress Theresa (of the Holy Roman Empire of the Germanic Nations) sought to consolidate power among nations by marrying off her children. Thus, the future of Austria and France falls upon Maria Antonia's young shoulders.

To prepare her for this awesome responsibility, she must be trained to write, read, speak French, dress, act... even breathe. Things get even more grim as she is shipped off to the court of Versailles and introduced to her puffy, awkward future husband and confronted with the court's ridiculous customs. Marie--an opinionated and insightful young woman--mocks the court of "impeccable etiquette and manners" that makes up nasty rhymes about those they hate, but panics when her hair is mussed. Lasky has done an excellent job of creating a very human character in the young Marie Antoinette--one whom young readers will want to learn more about. Fortunately, her story is given plenty of context with an epilogue describing the history of the young Queen after 1769, a historical note offering an 18th-century context, a Habsburg-Bourbon family tree, and various portraits of the royal family. (Ages 9 to 13) --Karin Snelson

Book Description

Maria Antonia of Vienna has her whole life mapped out ahead of her. She is to marry Dauphin Louis Auguste, eldest grandson of King Louis XV. As his wife, she will be called Marie Antoinette, and will be the highest princess of France. Upon the death of the King, she will become Queen Marie Antoinette. But she dreads both new roles. I am just thirteen...I am not yet ready to be a dauphine, let alone Queen, she writes

Customer Reviews:

Another Great Royal Diaries Book. .......2007-04-29

This royal diaries book starts out in Vienna, Austria January 1, 1769. The book continues while Marie Antoina (Marie Antoinette) goes from an Archduchess in Austria to a Dauphine in France. Marie Antoina becomes Marie Antoinette when she marries Louis Auguste. This book kept me entertained from the first page. When Marie Antoinette first arrives in France she is told to leave everthing Austrian behind and she feels alone. She encounters Madame du Barry, King Louis XV's mistress and ends when she makes up her mind to talk to du Barry after ignoring her for a while in the book. The Epilogue finishes up Marie Antoinette's life in a few pages and a brief description. A Historical Note explains how the world was changing and calling for revolution. A family tree that includes the Habsburg-Bourbon family tree with descriptions of Marie Antoinette's parents, husband and children. There are pictures in the last pages too of Marie Antoina, Antoina's mother, Antoina and her children, castles, and du Barry. There is also 2 and a half pages about the author.

Detailed Summary Of Marie Antoinette.......2007-03-15

This book was written based off of the diary of Marie Antoinette. When she is given a diary, she doesn't know at first what to write in it. She just writes her daily chores down & what she's done that day. She is born as the daughter of Empress Maria Theresa as Maria Antonia. Her mother is a very strict person who likes things done her own way. As custom, Maria Antonia is 13 & awaiting to find out who she will marry. Her mother picks out her husband just as she had done for her 3 sisters before her. She is only allowed to marry royalty because her mother needs allies for Austria. Years before, a ruler from another country had seized power of land that had belonged to her family. Ever since then, her mother had been making allies to take the land that she rightfully owned back. Unfortunately for her mother, Maria Antonia is a very headstrong young girl. She, also, knows what she wants & won't stop until she gets it. She obeys her mother but similtaneously listens to her wilder side. When she is told she is to marry the prince of France & live in Versailles, she isn't quite sure of what to think. She expects him to be a very handsome prince because his grandfather was. She spent months getting ready for the court of Versailles. The rules & manors are very different. This once independent girl has to learn how to let everyone else do everything for her. She isn't even allowed to give herself a bath. She doesn't adjust very well either. She believes that the manors are completely pointless. She doesn't understand why it is that in Versailles, belching at the table is considered polite. She also must change her name to Marie Antoinette to sound more French. The rules are almost opposite from her home. The worst part about her trip is that she cannot take anyone with her except for her dog. Her little dog will be her only companion as she leaves her home to join her awaiting new family & husband. When she gets there, Louis, the prince, is not exactly her idea of a fairytale prince. He's quite overweight, very shy, & has very bad acne on his face. For the first few weeks, he barely speaks to her. He is very sweet but she wants to get to know him better. She decides that if they are going to talk, she's going to have to start the conversations until he gets used to her better. She does, however, make friends with his aunts who aren't too much older than they are. She finds out a lot of important court information from them. Soon, she learns of a secret room in her apartments that had been used by previous princesses to get away from the constant media. When she wants time to herself, she can go in there. She talks to Louis about it & he has it decorated for her. Eventually, they warm up to each other & get to know each other better. When they don't share interests in a particular subject, they still support the other one & watch them anyways. They both teach each other a lot & do grow to like each other. Marie Antoinette knows that she will never truly love him but because they cannot divorse, they are at least good friends. They live a very good adolescent life together. The book stops a few years after their wedding. It doesn't go into her adult life at all but knowing about her childhood, I believe that she led a very independent lifestyle & probably changed some things about the Versailles manors when she became queen. This book was excellent & a good way to learn about history & a very important French ruler.

Marie Antoinette.......2007-03-08

I personally thing that this was a very good book. I think it had a lot of good morals, and is apropriate for any age. I would recommend that you read it. I really like the main character i think she was an all around girl that just made a few bad choices. Anyway this is a great book and i think you should read it

The Great Review of the book Marie Antoinette.......2006-12-09

This book ranks in the top 10 best historical fiction books I've ever read.
I love the way that the author, Kathryn Lasky, describes the incredibly easy and at the same time, incredibly difficult life the young woman Marie Antoinette.
She is beautiful, kind, and respectful. She starts out as a playful young girl who likes to joke and have fun with her family and friends, and she ends up a lovely lady.
Through out her life, she must overcome large obsticles, just as we do. As she does, she records this infromation in a small diary, which she receives from her tutor Abbé de Vermond.
I loved reading this book, I hope you do too.

A Marie Antoinette Book Review.......2006-12-08

Marie Antoinette by Kathryn Lasky is a historical fiction book about Marie, the princess of Austria. She gets married to the Prince of France, in order for her mother to expand her empire. At first she is very intimidated by gossiping royalties of France and the ugly prince she is married to. She is very fed up with France and the fact that she has no privacy. She escapes it all by writing in her journal. What will become of her, you ask? Well, you will just have to read this book for yourself to find out.
I very much liked this book because it helped me learn more about Marie Antoinette and what her life was like, while still keeping it fun to read. This book is best suited for pre-teen or teen readers because it is rather short. If it was a huge entire novel that had smaller writing and more facts, it would be meant for an adult. But nay, it is concise with large font letters. But it is still a good book to read if you want something short, yet historical. So go on, buy this book, and enjoy it like I did.

Bento Box in the Heartland: My Japanese Girlhood in Whitebread America

Average customer rating:

Food as the Balm for the Sometimes Unsteady Bridge Between Two Worlds
Delicious read
great read!
Lovely food & family story
Exactly what I was looking for...

Bento Box in the Heartland: My Japanese Girlhood in Whitebread America
Linda Furiya
Manufacturer: Seal Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Japanese | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 158005191X

Book Description

While growing up in Versailles, an Indiana farm community, Linda Furiya tried to balance the outside world of Midwestern America with the Japanese traditions of her home life. As the only Asian family in a tiny township, Furiya's life revolved around Japanese food and the extraordinary lengths her parents went to in order to gather the ingredients needed to prepare it.
As immigrants, her parents approached the challenges of living in America, and maintaining their Japanese diets, with optimism and gusto. Furiva, meanwhile, was acutely aware of how food set her apart from her peers: She spent her first day of school hiding in the girls' restroom, examining her rice balls and chopsticks, and longing for a Peanut Bullter and Jelly sandwich.
Bento Box in the Heartland is an insightful and reflective coming-of-age tale. Beautifully written, each chapter is accompanied by a family recipe of mouth-watering Japanese comfort food.

Customer Reviews:

Food as the Balm for the Sometimes Unsteady Bridge Between Two Worlds.......2007-04-18

As a Japanese-American raised first in California and then in Texas, I can relate to many of the experiences that author Linda Furiya, a food columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle, shares in her childhood memoir of growing up as a Nisei in a small Indiana community, in particular, the complex interdependency evident in her relationship with her Japanese-born mother. In fact, Furiya spends little time writing about her father or her brothers because of the especially symbiotic connection with her mother. Her particular back story as an atypically liberated woman in a male-dominated society lends an intriguing twist on the stereotype one usually associates with the traditional Japanese woman.

Similar to Laura Esquivel's Like Water for Chocolate, the book is a series of vignettes organized around selective memories of preparing and eating food reflective of the author's heritage. Whereas Esquivel opened each of her chapters with a recipe, Furiya chooses to close each chapter with one for family favorites such as Chinese Home-Style Tofu and Japanese Pot Stickers. Although the recipes make nice transitional points within her episodic structure, they actually aren't that necessary since she otherwise captures the pervasive dichotomy of having a racial identity utterly different from her surroundings in ways that are both poignant and painful. Some of the episodes felt so familiar to me that it made me wonder just how well Asian-Americans in general have assimilated into the mainstream.

The book's title refers to the Japanese box lunches that her mother would meticulously prepare for her to take to elementary school where her classmates had their regulation sandwiches. Rather than face embarrassing stares and questions, she would hide in the bathroom eating her mother's homemade onigiri. That palpable sense of isolation informs many of the anecdotes Furiya shares here, as they highlight the subtle forms of racism and sexism she experienced firsthand while attempting to make sense of her place between two distinct cultures. Moreover, she makes precisely calibrated observations on the generational conflict that seemed inevitable in serving to alienate her from her heritage only to embrace it later through her love of Japanese food. Despite some heavy-handed passages, the book is a relatively light read that taps into darker themes in a most affecting manner.

Delicious read.......2007-04-11

Furiya has a voice that is warm, approachable, and intimate. Reading her work, you feel in the company of a friend who also happens to be a masterful storyteller. She weaves a tale that's both exotic and profoundly American, one that combines family and food in a way that's lyrical but never sentimental. Wherever you grew up, and whatever you mother put in your lunchbox, this is a treat to savor.

great read! .......2007-02-13

this book was amazing! i gobbled it up....and then craved sushi all week. it will make you hungry for more. thanks Linda for sharing your story.

Lovely food & family story.......2007-01-11

I adored this book and devoured it like delicious sushi! Even though I am not Japanese-American I felt so much of Linda's story rang true to me as I also grew up in the heartland during my early teens through college. It may not have been the "country" as it was a suburb of Cleveland; but there is a small town feeling in the mid-west that is unlike anywhere else in this country. It was difficult enough for me to adjust coming from the East Coast - never mind a family with roots in Japan!

I especially identified with the cruelty of her classmates when she was young and then even later during a terrible occasion in high school that let her know no matter what - she was somehow, still on the outside, not accepted by her classmates. She must have felt very alone.

There was so much pain that her parents endured, so much suffering and to watch the older, grown-up Linda identify this and come to terms with it with such eloquence and respect was heart-rending.

Her characters are achingly real; I cared about them - even minor characters like her Grandmother and Aunt Jane. I cared about everyone who was a part of this experience, part of her experience.

Linda never makes herself the hero of her own tale. In fact her harshest words are about herself and the regrets she has. What this book is ultimately is a stripped away volume of the truth of a life, of a time in a life. It is all laid bare and exposed with no saccharin, no filler, clean, beautiful, and natural, very much like the Japanese cuisine that is so much a part of the telling.

As a passionate lover of Japanese food, the seamless integration of the role food played in her life and her family life makes this book a unique achievement. It's not a gushy foodie diatribe; but a rich first-person accounting of food as love.

Exactly what I was looking for..........2007-01-03

Linda Furiya's "Bento Box in the Heartland" is a candid, personal, and revealing memoir about the inextricable role of food and eating in the creation of her identity as an American of Japanese descent. Her upbringing in the homogeneous rural mid-west makes her tale of food, eating, and identity all the more rich. In her memoir she chronicles her journey of food and eating during the first 16 years of her life. She begins with a Japanese culture food metaphor where fish bones, and whether they choke on them or gracefully deal with the bones in their infancy, correlate with a person's health and future. She intimates the importance of Japanese food ingredients had to her parents as they tried to hold onto their Japanese culture. She parallels food with her racial insecurities, introductions to bigotry and racism, and a sense of self actualization and pride that she feels later in life. I found the chronicle of her pre-teen eating history, including a trip to Japan, to be the most solid and interesting material.

Furiya's writing ranges from inspired to mediocre. In general, her use of food imagery is on point; so often in writings of food authors over spice their gastro-metaphoric language, making their points seem contrived, cutesy, and less relevant. I was ignorant about Japanese food as I began this book, but I now feel more versed in Japanese home-cooking. The recipes included at the end of each chapter are great, and since the dishes are incorporated into the narrative they take on more meaning for the reader.

The weak points of the work are occasional, though infrequent, lapses into mediocre writing and problems with editing. For example, failure to consistently spell her grandmother's name left me confused about whether her name was Obachan or Obachen. The most disappointing lapse in editing is that she includes the recipe for Japanese dumplings (Gyoza) two times. On the second inclusion I'm sure she meant to included the recipe for for a Japanese dish akin to pizza (Okonomiyaki), which would have been very interesting to learn about. Overall a worthwhile read that I will recommend in the future.

Hot Air: The (Mostly) True Story of the First Hot-Air Balloon Ride (Caldecott Honor Book)

Average customer rating:

Fun to Read!
My son enjoys this
Barnyard Animals Aloft
Congratulations on your 2nd Caldecott Award!!!
Stratospherically Sublime

Hot Air: The (Mostly) True Story of the First Hot-Air Balloon Ride (Caldecott Honor Book)

Manufacturer: Atheneum/Anne Schwartz Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0689826427

Book Description

The first "manned" hot-air balloon is about to take off! But what are those noises coming from the basket?

Based on the (POSSIBLY) true report of a day in 1783, this si the story of (PERHAPS) the bravest collection of flyers the world has ever seen, as (SORT OF) told to Marjorie Priceman.

Customer Reviews:

Fun to Read!.......2007-09-04

This book has a great story line with a sense of humor. Young kids love to hear me read it when I visit their classrooms.
I recommend you buy it as one of the books your primary grade kids will fight over.

My son enjoys this.......2007-05-12

This book wasn't what I had imagined it to be. The first several pages contain a lot of words, and the last several pages are just pictures. My 6 year old son really enjoys this book, though, and asks for it at night.

Barnyard Animals Aloft.......2006-01-31

Starting with the historical facts of the first hot-air balloon ride, which took place in Versailles, France in 1783, Priceman lets her imagination - and illustrations - run wild. The first hot-air balloon aviators (i.e., the guinea pigs) were a sheep, a duck and a rooster. After a few introductory pages of text, Priceman depicts the flight with a series of wordless illustrations. The complex pictures lend themselves to careful inspection to catch all the elements of the story. In the end, our barnyard aviators land safely, which I hope this is one of the true facts of this story. 2006 Caldecott Honor Book.

Congratulations on your 2nd Caldecott Award!!!.......2006-01-27

I love this book and my children love it more. The story is hilariously told through the beautiful illustrations. The Caldecott committee made an excellent choice. This book would appeal to children of all ages.

Stratospherically Sublime.......2006-01-27

In Hot Air: The (Mostly) True Story of the First Hot-Air Balloon Ride, author and illustrator Marjorie Priceman shows once again why reviewers have christened her "the master of whimsy." Recounting the Montgolfiers 1783 test run of their balloon and imagining, with postmodern verve, the story of the duck, sheep, and rooster who formed the first flight crew, Priceman's narrative is sure to delight both young readers and parents alike. (Reassurance: no animals were harmed in the telling of this Enlightenment-era tale). But the illustrations are the real treasure here (and the Caldecott committee concurs). While infused with the same spirited energy as her earlier books--How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World, Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin, Emeline at the Circus--the panels in Hot Air glow with a luminosity that outshines even Priceman's earlier work.

Piety and Politics: Imaging Divine Kingship in Louis Xiv's Chapel at Versailles (University of Delaware Studies in Seventeenth- and Eighteenth-Century Art and Culture)

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Piety and Politics: Imaging Divine Kingship in Louis Xiv's Chapel at Versailles (University of Delaware Studies in Seventeenth- and Eighteenth-Century Art and Culture)
Martha Mel Stumberg Edmunds
Manufacturer: University of Delaware Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

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The smaller houses and gardens of Versailles from 1680 to 1815, (The Pencil Points Library)

Average customer rating:

C'est magnifique!

The smaller houses and gardens of Versailles from 1680 to 1815, (The Pencil Points Library)
Leigh French
Manufacturer: The Pencil Points Press, inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0008567S6

Customer Reviews:

C'est magnifique!.......2007-06-29

An incredibly beautiful book documenting the exquisite details of the smaller house and gardens of Versailles. I am honored to be the newest caretaker of this book.

It was described as being in "acceptable" condition. However, considering it is 80 years old it is practically in "prime" condition. Merci beaucoup!

Average customer rating:

Nectar and Ambrosia for the Liberal Economist
When conservatives could still face socialism eye-to-eye.
Exquisite mandarin prose and clear argument

Essays in Persuasion
John Maynard Keynes
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

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Capitalism, Socialism, and Democracy

ASIN: 0393001903

Customer Reviews:

Nectar and Ambrosia for the Liberal Economist.......2003-12-14

To the interested layperson John Mayanrd Keynes is known as a villain/genius responsible for the theory of governmental deficit spending in a time of economic crises. This book in a concise and understandable manner, without recourse to ponderous mathematical formulas, makes a very convincing case for the necessity of governmental intervention.
When people are unwilling to spend and are hoarding cash, it is up to government to inject money into the system by means of expansionary monetary policy, either it is public works in the most dramatic case or reduced interest rates, intended to stimulate investment in a more commonplace scenario.
Fiscal prudence or austerity will not lift the economy out of the slump, for a very simple reason; if everyone is saving and no one is buying, then no one is able to sell and economy is pushed further into a recession.
Villilfied by countless conservatives as an endorsement of governmental intervention and subsequent domination of the people, the ideas proposed in the book are accepted by such respected institutions as the Federal Reserve and merit attention of a person, who would like to claim general economic awareness.
Apart from the the discussion on public spending, there are highly informative essays on German hyperinflation of the 1920s, ruminations on Gold standard and much more; all presented with great clarity and humor, that few if any economists have mangaged to imitate.

When conservatives could still face socialism eye-to-eye........2001-01-13

Writing during the nineteen twenties and thirties, when the specter of socialism didn't yet haunt the Anglo-Saxon ruling elites, Keynes didn't feel his duty to sing eulogies to the free market; on the contrary, he felt his duty as an economist to propose ways through which modern society could supersede the "centrality of the money motive". The essays devoted to problems of politics in this collection, specially "A short view of Russia", "Economic perspectives for our grandchildren" and "Am I a Liberal?" are among the best things written from the liberal-conservative viewpoint on the ideological choices of our age. A must-read.

Exquisite mandarin prose and clear argument.......1999-05-30

John Maynard Keynes at his most beguiling. A series of essays that have not lost their power despite the passage of 70 years or so. As a prose stylist Maynard Keynes could equal his friends Virginia Woolf and E.M. Forster, and he does so in this volume. Perhaps the apogee of essay writing of the Oxford/Cambridge type, this volume has a charm that is absent from his longer works (General Theory, Tract on Monetary Reform, even the Economic Consequences of the Peace). For those people interested in hard edged macro theory, read elsewhere. For admirers of logic and clarity and the British tradition of enlightened common sense, Eureka! You have found it in this book.

The Sun King's Garden: Louis XIV, Andre le Notre and the Creation of the Gardens of Versailles

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LOUIS' EDEN

The Sun King's Garden: Louis XIV, Andre le Notre and the Creation of the Gardens of Versailles
Ian Thompson
Manufacturer: Bloomsbury USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Garden Design | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

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Versailles: A Garden in Four Seasons
Versailles
New Gardens in Provence: 30 Contemporary Creations
Gardens of Versailles
Great Gardens of the World: In Search of Paradise

ASIN: 1582346313
Release Date: 2006-10-31

Book Description

Warmonger, womanizer, and autocrat, Louis XIV may also have been history’s most fanatical gardener. At Versailles, twelve miles outside Paris, France’s self-styled “Sun King” created not only Europe’s most lavish palace, but, beginning in 1661, the most extensive gardens the Western world has ever seen. Assisting Louis in this enterprise was the low-born gardener André Le Nôtre, whose character and temperament were as different from those of his sovereign as it is possible to conceive. Where Louis was ruthless and relentlessly driven, Le Nôtre was down to earth, witty and amiable – and also phenomenally talented. While Louis could strike fear into the highest in the land with just a look, Le Nôtre enjoyed the king’s trust and friendship for more than 40 years. In this lavishly illustrated book, Ian Thompson tells more comprehensively than ever before the intertwined stories of an extraordinary garden and an extraordinary friendship.

Customer Reviews:

LOUIS' EDEN.......2006-11-08

Louis XIV was fortunite in his association with the great Le Notre or I should say he was lucky to have the power of the devine right monarch, so he could steal him from Fouquet and Vieux le Vicomte to work on his Vallala, Versailles. Louis was king incarnate, he was the state, period, the epitome, the very definition of the devine, absolute monarch, and he knew exactly what he wanted and with the genius of Le Notre he created a garden that was and to this day still is the envey of the world. This book does a fine job of capturing Le Notre's gardens at Versailles at their best. The text is enlightening and the images are well conceived. If you have any interest in Versailles or French Formal Gradens, the I highly recommend this book.

Vienna and Versailles: The Courts of Europe's Dynastic Rivals, 15501780 (New Studies in European History)

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Intriguing Comparison
Descriptive book on French and Austrian Habsburgs courts

Vienna and Versailles: The Courts of Europe's Dynastic Rivals, 15501780 (New Studies in European History)
Jeroen Duindam
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0521822629

Book Description

Drawing together a wealth of unpublished material in a comparative framework, this volume recreates the life of the courtiers and servants of the imperial court in Vienna and the royal court in Paris-Versailles from the sixteenth to the eighteenth century. It reveals how the royal households operated at the heart of the early modern state and offers original approaches to understanding statebuilding and the concept of "absolutism."

Customer Reviews:

Intriguing Comparison.......2005-06-12

At the outset of Vienna and Versailles, Duindam carefully reconstructs court life in Versailles while simultaneously employing a structural and comparative perspective with Europe's other great court in Vienna. His examination spans the time period between the mid sixteenth to late seventeenth centuries, in what he regards as the `Great Age' of these two rival courts.

In doing so, the author systematically dispels the myth of Louis XIV's `absolutist' power - exercised through his court - and comprehensively illustrates how this notion was more of an ideal than reality. Researched over the course of one year in the libraries and archives of Vienna and Paris, the result provides us with a wealth of information which challenges the problematic views of earlier writers of the Early Modern court.

In this cross study of the Habsburg imperial court in Vienna and Bourbon royal court in Versailles, Duindam ensures that all major historical factors are taken into consideration, most commendably a representation of female actors as a category of historical analysis. Duindam presents a more accurate view of monarchy, nobility, and court society and deserves high praise for the breadth of his scholarship and the significance of his contribution to court studies.

Admittedly, the books' index is incredibly insufficient and, although the subject matter is noticeably geared to be read by an academic audience rather than the general public, the work as a whole is undoubtedly quite fascinating. Furthermore, Duindam's thematic organization and vast scholarly bibliography incorporates both recent publications and standard works on the topic which, incidentally, paves the way for further examination of both courts.

Descriptive book on French and Austrian Habsburgs courts.......2005-02-07

Historian Norbert Elias' classic works Court Society and The Civilizing Process had presented a problematic view of the Early Modern monarchies and courts. In his "Myths of Power. Norbert Elias and the Early Modern European Court ", Duindam concluded that Elias' approach to the early modern European court containes many misunderstandings, especially those connected with the much-heralded rise of the middle class and its inseparable companion, modernization. In this descriptive world, the author does not aim at providing a new model to understand European courts, but simply to compare the French court and the court of the Austrian Habsburgs, probably trying to show that there is still much work to be done before rendering any new general theory. The book is no very engaging, but it is not dry either. It can be savoured by the professional historian, and perhaps, by the educated layperson too.Therefore, my rate is 5 (content) and 2/3 (pleasure of reading).

Other books that I would recommend would be "Kings or People: Power and the Mandate to Rule by Reinhard Bendix"; "State and status" by Samuel Clark; "Monarchy, Aristocracy, and the State in Europe, 1300-1800" by Hillay Zmora; "Nobilities in Transition 1550-1700: Courtiers and Rebels in Britain and Europe" by Ronald G. Asch; and "The Persistence of the Ancient Regime" by Arno J. Mayer (this last one covering approximately the 1815-1914 period).

Views and Plans of the Petit Trianon at Versailles

Average customer rating:

Five stars for the little Trianon

Views and Plans of the Petit Trianon at Versailles
Alain De Gourcuff
Manufacturer: Alain De Gourcuff
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Marie Antoinette

ASIN: 2909838307

Customer Reviews:

Five stars for the little Trianon.......2001-07-17

The little Trianon and gardens have been almost as legendary as it's designer-creator, Queen Marie Antoinette of France. It's here, in this paradoxical, magical realm, where the initial notion, the vicarious allure, for this oh! so tragic a woman has been forged. In this book the reader gets a unique and unexpected first hand gift from the so often missunderstood and enigmatic queen. For 'Views and Plans of the Petit Trianon at Versailles' is the work of Marie Antoinette herself. This one album she thought of, as she strolled about with Fersen or her beloved duchess of Polignac. Here is where she lived and entertained so memorably. The first Trianon was built by Luis XIV for Madame de Maintenon (for a great article on Maintenon look up Luis Auchincloss' 'False Dawn') the petit Trianon was built for Madame de Pompadour(who never saw it finished) by Luis XV. Though the chateau and gardens where re-interpreted by Marie Antoinette when Luis XVI offered it to her later. 'Views and Plans of the Petit Trianon at Versailles' with an introduction and content by Pierre Arizzoli-Clement, dedicated to the memory of Pierre de Nolhac (original Marie Antoinette biographer) is a curious book. As I waited for the postman I imagined the book was perhaps a good collection of modern photographs, and maps. It turned out to be so much more! It's a faithful copy of souvenier albums Marie Antoinette used to offer her most august guests. It contains copies of original XVIIIc graphic maps of the interior and exteriors and little theater, etc of the petit Trianon.Also water color expressions of the gardens, the belvedere, the hameau, etc. Beauty and talent rules here. There is a depth and an originality here that's at odds with the overall notion of the wretched queen. So often dissed as the 'feather head' spendtrift. What were Marie Antoinette's intellectual powers, one is bound to ask oneself, specially after admiring her taste and savvy in decoration and design? It's true her riches were wrought by the sweat of many. Was she consciously aware of it? Was she just following a pattern? Is there something she could have done to prevent her bloody end? How much did she understand of the government of France a dinnosaur about to dissapear in quicksand? Was she smart enough to foretell that an end to the feudal system would cause opprobium and death to her, her husband and children? What did she say to Mirabeau that fateful morning at Saint-Cloud, that had such an effect on him, were hers the words of a silly and fatuous woman? Her smooth machinations at the Tuilleries. As her spending, she spent no more or less than Pompadour, and she, not a noble, got to die serenely amid porcelain and lace. If Marie Antoinette would have died thus, I bet we wouldn't entertain the interest that so many of us have for her today. The preface is first class and offers many new pepper grains for us, watchers of Marie Antoinette. You'd get to know who got the album, what it looked like originally, who were her favorite brother and sisters, and what sister she didn't like. Buy the book. The tome is absolutely delicious and is the real work by the real girl. It could be treasured among your Olivier Bernier, Ian Dunlop, Stefan Sweig, Andre Castelot, etc, etc. Or could be given away as a smart wedding present, At first it seems somewhat somber though it soon emerges in triumph for it's originality and place in history. The direct, personal concept from one of the most

scrutinized and absorbing queens of all. For another good, if earthier, peek into her world, look up 'The Private Realm of Marie Antoinette' by Marie-France Boyer, a pictorial with photos by Francois Halard.

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