Provence A-Z - Hardcover

Mayle, Peter

3.83

965 ratings by Goodreads

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1861978847 ISBN 13: 9781861978844

Publisher: Profile Books, 2006

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An indispensable, hugely informative and consistently entertaining guide to Provence by the best-selling writer who has made the region his own. Organised from A-Z but far from a conventional work of reference, this is a selection of those aspects of Provence that Peter Mayle has found in his twenty years there to be the most interesting, delicious or downright fun. In more than 200 entries - from ail to Francois Zola - he writes about subjects as diverse as architecture, expatriates, lavender, linguistic oddities, the museum of the corkscrew and a bawdy folklore character named Fanny. And, of course, he writes about food and drink: truffles, olives, bouillabaisse, and the cheese that killed a Roman Emperor. He also features artwork that he has gathered over the years - drawings, advertisements, photos and pieces from tourist brochures. Anything qualifies, as long as it has piqued Mayle's curiosity - hence the inclusion of a recipe for tapenade and a morning spent with a public executioner.

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Review:

"Mayle's affection for lavender fields and languid lunched continues unabated-and so does his influence."
--USA Today

"Mayle's magpie dictionary yields amusing facts . . . and useful information. . . . You'll soon succumb to his road-tested charm."
--The New York Times Book Review

"Whether he's smacking his lips in gustatory contentment or mock exasperation, Mayle's affection runneth over. . . . If there is anything charmless or depressing in all of Provence, its secret is safe with him."
--The Boston Globe

"After nearly two decades of writing about the character and the characters of Provence, Mayle's love for this rich and colorful region is undiminished."
--The Christian Science Monitor

Synopsis:

Organised from A-Z but far from a conventional work of reference, this is a selection of those aspects of Provence that Peter Mayle has found in his twenty years there to be the most interesting, delicious or downright fun. In more than 200 entries - from ail to Francois Zola - he writes about subjects as diverse as architecture, expatriates, lavender, linguistic oddities, the museum of the corkscrew and a bawdy folklore character named Fanny. And, of course, he writes about food and drink: truffles, olives, bouillabaisse, and the cheese that killed a Roman Emperor. He also features artwork that he has gathered over the years - drawings, advertisements, photos and pieces from tourist brochures. Anything qualifies, as long as it has piqued Mayle's curiosity - hence the inclusion of a recipe for tapenade and a morning spent with a public executioner.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.