Portraits of France (Paperback)

~ (Author) "He stood against the rail in the dark, pressed as far forward as passengers were permitted, leaning into the wind..." (more)
Key Phrases: ooo livres, Monte Carlo, New York, Haut Brion (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Freely mixing travelogue, history and offhand cultural commentary, Daley's serendipitous journey appraises France's soul. Whether he is expressing consternation at Avignon's immense Palace of the Popes, monument to medieval extravagance, or tracking the legend of bike racer Jacques Anquetil, Daley ( An American Saga ) has a knack for the telling detail, the unusual observation. A few of these 19 vignettes delve into little-known events, like the building of French concentration camps in the Pyrenees during WW II. Among the indelible portraits we find those of French soldier- politican-aristocrat Lafayette, Grace Kelly, Scottish novelist Tobias Smollett (inventor of the "fabulous Riviera" mystique) and De Gaulle, an obscure brigadier general in 1940 worried mainly about his wife and retarded daughter. Other pieces deal with Lourdes, Bordeaux, a perfume factory in Grasse, Jules Massenet writing operas in Paris and the Sansons family, which operated the guillotine through six generations.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Popular writer Daley ( Hands of a Stranger , LJ 8/85) whips up a delightful blend of history and anecdote mixed with a little travelog to provide an intimate, refreshing look at France. Each chapter draws a revealing portrait of a place. "As much as possible, I have based my descriptions on scars that can still be seen today," Daley writes, "scars on the national body, each one dating from some accident in its past." All of the familiar cities (Paris, Nice, Bordeaux) are here, but not sites like the Eiffel Tower and Versailles. Daley's anecdotes are fascinating. He writes about Charles Deville Wells, "the man who broke the Bank of Monte Carlo," and a renegade cop who ran a Paris gestapo. Recommended for those who enjoy a richer form of travel writing and seek a deeper appreciation of France.Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 3/1/91.
- Ron Chepesiuk, Winthrop Coll. Lib . , Rock Hill, S.C.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 528 pages
• Publisher: Back Bay Books (February 8, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316171816
• ISBN-13: 978-0316171816
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.9 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #397,420 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very special and perspicacious., September 26, 1998

By A Customer

I read this book while staying at my friends home in Venasque, France. It was clear from the beginning sentence that Robert Daley had a very special eye and ear for story telling. I became deeply fascinated with his story of the great revolutionary the Marquis de Lafayette. And I was deeply touched that Lafayette was buried in American soil that he carried back to France and used for his grave at Picpus cemetery. And as a serious recreational cyclist I loved the Jacques Anteill story. This is a very special book written from a perspective that would be difficult to duplicate today.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Portraits of France, July 2, 2001

By A Customer

A wonderful book about selected towns in France. For those of you travelling to France--a must read. For those of you WISHING to travel to France -- a must read. For those of you interested in the history of France -- a must read. This book is difficult to explain because it is an historical overview of many areas, but almost reads like a novel. History, antedotes, reasons,perspectives and historic explanations about each area. You will definately have a different viewpoint of your visit. I've read it over and over....and it is fresh every time. ENJOY.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars triumph and tragedy, February 8, 2003

By A Customer

Should be read by anyone with an interest in France. Each of the chapters deals with a different aspect of French culture, and they bind together to form an entertaining whole. French history is the story of great triumphs in the arts, and great tragedies as well. My own favorite personal chapters include the chapter on Bordeaux,which is Micheneresque in its complexity(he starts out by describing Bordeaux's complex river geology which makes it suitable for wine grapes, and continues through its prominent medieval families of wine growers and its tragic role in the French Revolution) , the first chapter on Nice, the incredibly tragic chapters on World War I and Charles De Gaulle's role in World War II, the chapter on Avignon and its popes, the chapter on Le Puy and the Marquis de Lafayette's role in the American Revolution, and the chapter on Brittany--but I am leaving out quite a lot in this brief summary.