French Art

This memoir is laced with wonderful stories about the French character, particularly in the world of food, and the way of life that Julia Child embraced so wholeheartedly. Above all, she reveals the kind of spirit and determination, the sheer love of cooking, and the drive to share that with her fellow Americans that made her the extraordinary success she became.

What is joie de vivre, and why is it a fundamentally French concept? In search of those ineffable qualities that make up the joy of living, this lively book takes listeners on a voyage to France through forays into literature, history, and culture. How does art contribute to daily life? Why is cuisine such a central part of French existence? Peppered with anecdotes and humor, this book uncovers some of the secrets of the celebrated French art of living well.

As Paris rediscovers its joie de vivre, Tabitha Knight, recently arrived from Detroit for an extended stay with her French grandfather, is on her own journey of discovery. Thanks to her neighbor and friend Julia Child, another ex-pat who's fallen head over heels for Paris, Tabitha is learning how to cook for her Grandpere and Oncle Rafe and Tabitha's sojourn is proving thoroughly delightful. That is, until the cold December day they return to Julia's building and learn that a body has been found in the cellar.

When journalist Ann Mah's diplomat husband is given a three-year assignment in Paris, Ann is overjoyed. A lifelong foodie and Francophile, she immediately begins plotting gastronomic adventures à deux. Then her husband is called away to Iraq on a year-long post - alone. Suddenly, Ann's vision of a romantic sojourn in the City of Light is turned upside down.

So, not unlike another diplomatic wife, Julia Child, Ann must find a life for herself in a new city.

The legends of comedy are back – this time with an even bigger range of in-studio snacks. Dawn and Jennifer once more settle in behind the mic to bring you the fourth series of their smash hit podcast Titting About, armed with a fresh stack of shiny new topics to tit about about. From ghost hunting to grooming rituals, from unwatchable box sets to unlistenable bird noise, from franglais to faff; Dawn and Jennifer once again leave no stone unturned, and no corner of their lives un-poked, in their quest to ensure they are comprehensively titting about for your listening pleasure.

Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders return to the studio for another series of their award-winning show, Titting About. As ever, the comedy icons gather together six weighty subjects… and then tit about with them. From adopting chickens to time travel, these two titans of comedy will stop at nothing to educate, inform, and eat the excellent array of snacks available in the studio. Expect revealing personal stories, showbiz gossip, a good deal of unsubstantiated opinion, and multiple accounts of thoroughly embarrassing themselves.

Step into the enchanting world of French pâtisserie—the delicate, colorful, and utterly irresistible art of pastry that has captivated the world for centuries. From the royal kitchens of Versailles to the bustling cafés of Paris, The Art of French Pâtisserie takes you on a journey through history, culture, and innovation. Discover how legendary chefs like Antonin Carême and Auguste Escoffier transformed desserts into masterpieces, how Sunday family rituals made pastry part of everyday life, and how French techniques continue to inspire chefs around the globe. Filled with fascinating ...

Once again, the legendary comedy duo unearth six vitally important subjects... and then tit about about them. From surviving on a desert island to being eaten by a cardboard crocodile, Dawn and Jennifer will entertain, inform and thoroughly tit about for your pleasure. (Batteries not included.)

How do the French create the elusive and alluring sanctuaries they call home? This question long intrigued Danielle Postel-Vinay. Thanks to a chance encounter with a French expat in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and years of immersive research, she embarked on a quest to discover the secrets of the French home aesthetic. Experiencing first-hand la belle vie - the beautiful life - Postel-Vinay now shows everyone how to create their own French sanctuary, a home sweet maison, no matter where they live.

Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais was an 18th-century French inventor, famed playwright, and upstart near-aristocrat in the court of King Louis XVI. In 1776, he conceived an audacious plan to send aid to the American rebels. What's more, he convinced the king to bankroll the project, and singlehandedly carried it out. By war's end, he had supplied Washington's army with most of its weapons and powder, though he was never paid or acknowledged by the United States. To some, he was a dashing hero - a towering intellect who saved the American Revolution. To others, he was pure rogue.

Whether it's the Protestant work ethic or the capitalist need for productivity, most of us in the English-speaking world believe that in order to achieve anything worthwhile, we must first expend huge amounts of effort and energy. In fact, just the opposite is true, as French philosopher Ollivier Pourriol shows in The French Art of Not Trying Too Hard.

Be calm...stop stressing...embrace the universe...try yoga...be fulfilled...and that's an order! We're overwhelmed with these sorts of commands, and we often torture ourselves to "try harder," yet somehow we never feel we've done quite enough. It's about time we stop pushing ourselves to do what we think we're supposed to do, and instead simply allow ourselves to be angry, be tired, be silly, be passionate - to stop giving a shit, and just be.

The fascinating and little-known story of the Louvre, from its inception as a humble fortress to its transformation into the palatial residence of the kings of France and then into the world's greatest art museum.

Two women. Two timelines. One story of resistance, art, and courage in the face of tyranny. Marseille, August 2004 When Sil Anderson arrives in Marseille to attend the prestigious École des Beaux-Arts, her only goal is to heal through painting. But when she finds a vintage suitcase in her new flat, filled with wartime letters and sketches, everything changes. The letters belonged to Lise de Baissac, a real-life SOE agent in Nazi-occupied France, whose legacy has long been forgotten. Through Lise’s eyes, Sil is swept into the world of WWII female spies, French Resistance missions, and the...

Step into the extraordinary life of Isabelle Huppert, the actress who redefined what it means to be fearless on screen. From her quiet beginnings in Paris to international acclaim across Europe, Hollywood, and Asia, Huppert’s story is one of relentless daring. She has built a career not on safe choices, but on risks that pushed cinema itself forward—playing characters that disturb, provoke, and captivate in equal measure. In The Enigma of Isabelle Huppert, part of the acclaimed series The Stars of French Cinema, biographer Julien Peltier traces Huppert’s journey through decades of ...

In 1937, as the Nazis gained control and anti-Semitism spread in the Free City of Danzig, a majority German city on the Baltic Sea, 16-year-old Justus Rosenberg was sent to Paris to finish his education in safety. Three years later, France fell to the Germans. Alone and in danger, penniless and cut off from contact with his family in Poland, Justus fled south.

Dans l'univers étincelant des vols d'art de haut vol, deux maîtres du jeu sont sur le point de s'affronter... Vivianne Faulks, héritière milliardaire, a passé sa vie dans une cage dorée, protégée par la surveillance excessive de son père et le poids des attentes familiales. Désespérée de se faire un nom avant de céder à un mariage arrangé, elle met à profit son œil averti pour l'art dans une carrière qui lui promet la liberté. Mais lorsqu'elle découvre un faux qui ébranle le monde de l'art jusqu'à ses fondations, Vivianne se retrouve plongée dans un jeu dangereux où ...

Soline Roussel is well schooled in the business of happy endings. For generations her family has kept an exclusive bridal salon in Paris, where magic is worked with needle and thread. It’s said that the bride who wears a Roussel gown is guaranteed a lifetime of joy. But devastating losses during World War II leave Soline’s world and heart in ruins and her faith in love shaken. She boxes up her memories, stowing them away, along with her broken dreams, determined to forget.

Every year upon arriving in Plobien, the small Breton town where he spends his summers, American writer Mark Greenside picks back up where he left off with his faux-pas-filled Francophile life. Mellowed and humbled, but not daunted (OK, slightly daunted), he faces imminent concerns: What does he cook for a French person? Who has the right-of-way when entering or exiting a roundabout? Where does he pay for a parking ticket? And most dauntingly of all, when can he touch the tomatoes?

Nancy's family hails from the foothills of the Appalachians, where life was dominated by coal mining, violence, abuse, and poverty. Longing for an adventure, she married a stranger, moved to New York, and dropped out of college. In spite of her lack of education, she found success as a ghostwriter for conservative political leaders. However, when she was unwilling to endorse an unsuitable president, her allies turned on her and she found herself spiritually adrift, politically confused, and occupationally unemployable.