Books, CDs, Videos and DVDs related to France available through Amazon.co.uk

This is one of the more informative guides probably because the author is a legal brain and so understands the contract process. Additionally, there is a helpful summary of the different regions, their attractions and shortfalls and a good explanation of the considerations for running costs for a house in France. Highly recommended. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

The Olive Harvest: A Memoir of Love, Old Trees, and Olive Oil
Carol Drinkwater

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'The stars shimmer like spilled handfuls of glitter. The day is beginning to rise with a faint mist. As I turn my head, ghostly halos, auras of light, appear and disappear and I cannot tell if it is caused by my lightheadedness or is a freak of nature. The silence is truly awesome. Not a bird, not a whisper of wind, not a breath of life. Only the two of us, a most implausible pair, standing shoulder to shoulder gazing upon an awakening heaven'. Carol Drinkwater has already built up a large readership eagerly awaiting the third volume of her Olive Farm memoirs. Returning to their home after an extended absence Carol and her husband Michel are looking forward to summer together on the farm. A shocking blow leaves Carol alone. The future is uncertain. The Olive Harvest takes us beyond the perimeters of her olive groves to where hunters, poets, bee-keepers, boars and gypsies abide. In search of the language of troubadours, the dark and sometimes barbarous heart of Provence is revealed. Nature and the generosity of the South of France's harvests offer a path to joy and an abundant resolution. The magnificent humanity and honesty that characterised the first two episodes of her trilogy sets Carol Drinkwater's work apart from others in the same genre. The Olive Harvest and its vibrant Mediterranean world will enthral her many readers.

Eating Out En Francais

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Over 1,500 gastronomic terms

A comprehensive English-French/French-English dictionary of menu, food, drink and recipe terms including methods of cooking, dishes and ingredients

Bilingual text provides translations to and from English, enabling readers to ask for a particular dish or translate menus

Useful phrases and expressions on how to book a table, order or complain

A guide to the classic French sauces, listing ingredients, method of cooking etc.

A guide to French wines and spirits

This volume includes a full French-English and English-French dictionary covering ingredients, dishes and methods of cooking, so you can decode a menu, order a special dish or ask about a particular ingredient. Also featured are a guide to French wine regions, a glossary of classic French sauces and a mini phrasebook to help you book, order and enjoy your meal.

CELESTINE: Voices from a French village

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Celestine: Voices from a French Village

When Gillian Tindall discovered a cache of tightly folded letters in a desserted house in Central France, recently emptied of 150 years of a family's possessions, she uncovered the obscure and moving life of one woman, Celestine Chaumette. This is Tindall's brilliantly original redreation of the vanished world of a French village.

"Rich, satisfying, warm and utterly vivid" Mail on Sunday

Instructions for Visitors: Life and Love in a French Town
Helen Stevenson

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Instructions for Visitors: Life and Love...

Amazon.co.uk Review
Instructions for Visitors describes life and love in a village in southwestern France as seen through the eyes of British novelist Helen Stevenson. Fortunately, her eye is a discerning one as she settles into everyday living. Her writing captures the sense of bustling village culture; shopping, eating and café society are high on the agenda, as is art--not surprising in a place where the light and scenery are so beautiful that the village has, over the years, attracted Picasso and Matisse, among others. This beauty is not lost on Stevenson ("this part of the world is like a colour wheel") and her imagery is poetic and striking: "…each house looks like a children’s dressing-up trunk that has been plundered, contents spilling out into the sun".

France in the Central Middle Ages: 900-1200 (Short Oxford History of France)
Marcus Bull (Editor)

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France in the Central Middle Ages:...

Book Description
This volume provides a variety of complementary points of entry to the history of France between 900 and 1200. Chapters contributed by a leading team of historians cover key themes such as France's political culture and identity, rural economy and society, the Church, and France's relations with the outside world.

Synopsis
Contributed by a leading team of historians, each chapter in this volume in the Short Oxford History of France focuses on a key theme of the period, such as France's political culture and identity, rural economy and society, the Church, intellectual history, and France's relations with the outside world. Beginning in 900, the volume is able to trace the emergence of France as a country, and the people's sense of national identity. Encompassing every region of France and covering key events, such as the election of Hugh Capet as King in 987 and the Norman conquest of England in 1066, this volume provides a fully rounded and lively introduction to the history of France in the central middle ages.

MUSIC CDs

France - French Cafe Accordion Music

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France - French Cafe Accordion Music

French Kiss Soundtrack

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French Kiss

VIDEOS

JEAN DE FLORETTE

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Jean De Florette [1986]

Amazon.co.uk Review
A truly impressive French film destined to become a modern masterpiece, Jean de Florette is an evocative adaptation of the highly regarded French novel. Two 1920's farmers engage in a bitter rivalry as one tries to tend to a plot of land and the other deviously undermines his efforts in order to conceal a valuable spring. The peasant farmer (Gérard Depardieu) who comes to the countryside to tend the land he has inherited is a naive and trusting soul seeking only to provide for his wife and daughter, while his neighbour (Yves Montand) is intent on doing whatever he can to discourage and demoralise the farmer so that he can take the land for himself. This simple tale unfolds in a wrenching fashion to a tragic conclusion, bringing forth questions about human nature and the prevalence and price of greed. Along with its follow-up, Manon des Sources, this film will leave an indelible impression on anyone who sees it. --Robert Lane --This text refers to the VHS Tape edition.

JOUR DE FETE

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Jour De Fete [1948]

The story of a village's Bastille Day celebrations and a postman's determined efforts to get the mail through. A delightful look at the modern obsession with speed and efficiency. Possibly the first time the film has been available in colour, having been originally filmed in both monochrome and experimental colour. The colour process was not usable until recent advances in technology made reproduction possible. The film is preceded by a short documentary trailer explaining this. French dialogue with subtitles. Filmed in and around Ste Severe, Indre (36).

AUDIO CDs

The Olive Farm: A Memoir of Life, Love and Olive Oil in the South of France [AUDIOBOOK]

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The Olive Farm: A Memoir of Life, Love...

Book Description
First of Carol Drinkwater's wonderful books to be published in audio and CD.

Synopsis
The Olive Farm is a double love story. It is a lyrical tale of the real-life romance between actrress Carol Drinkwater and Michel, a television producer, and of an abandoned Provencal olive farm - Appassioniata - which they fall in love with and buy. And as the olives turn from green to violet, luscious grape-purple to a deep succulent black, we are drawn seductively into Carol and Michel's vibrant Mediterranean world. We experience the highs and lows of Provencal life: the carnivals, customs and local cuisine; the threats of fire, the adoption of a menagerie of animals and a ready-made family; potential financial ruin as well as the thrill of harvesting your own olives by hand - especially when they are discovered to produce the finest extra-virgin olive oil.

MAPS

Allier/Puy-de-Dome (Michelin Local Maps)

Detailing the Allier / Puy-de-Dome region of France, this laminated fold-out map includes a complete index of place names and covers all regional specialities, heritage and traditions. It offers clear and concise mapping for stress-free travelling. BUY FROM AMAZON.CO.UK £4.00

Creuse/Haute-Vienne (Michelin Local Maps)

Detailing the Creuse / Haute-Vienne region of France, this laminated fold-out map includes a complete index of place names and covers all regional specialities, heritage and traditions. It offers clear and concise mapping for stress-free travelling. BUY FROM AMAZON.CO.UK £3.99

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