My Favorite Books on Paris and France

Photos of Paris by the photographer Robert Doisneau. Order from Amazon.fr

The Story of French By Jean-Benoit Nadeau According to the reviews, it's an interesting book about the French language, its expansion throughout the world, and French culture. Some reviewers say it's too long and dry. A vous de decider. Inspect/Order The Story of French from Amazon.com

Paris Mini Explorer: The Essential Visitors' Guide By Explorer Publishing How to find and discover Paris' many museums, galleries and restaurants Inspect/order Paris Mini Explorer from Amazon.com

French Women Don't Get Fat: The Secret of Eating For Pleasure By Mireille Guiliano American nutritionists have been puzzled over the "French paradox". It's not the wine. This book will reveal the secret of the "French paradox", namely the French attitude toward eating. Inspect/Order French Women Don't Get Fat from Amazon.com

Words in a French Life: Lessons in Love and Language from the South of France By Kristin Espinasse Kristin Espinasse has a way with words and uses French words in a uniquely French context that gets you to really know what the word means. For those who love French, the South of France, and good, warm, interesting writing. Inspect/order Words in a French Life from Amazon.com

C'est la Vie: An American Conquers the City of Light, Begins a New Life, and Becomes--Zut Alors!--Almost French By Suzy Gershman A fun book about a woman who sells her home in the USA and moves to France. Inspect/order C'est la Vie from Amazon.com

Paris in the Sixties By George Perry Illustrated book about many aspects of Paris. Inspect/Order Paris in the Sixties from Amazon.com

Paris to the Moon By Adam Gopnik Gopnik falls in unabashed love with what he calls Paris's commonplace civilization--the cafés, the little shops, the ancient carousel in the park, and the small, intricate experiences that happen in such settings. Inspect/order Paris to the Moon from Amazon.com

Seducing the French: The Dilemma of Americanization By Richard F. Kuisel Americanization of France. Many "American" things are becoming more and more accepted in France. That doesn't mean that France is becoming Americanized. The French will always be French, and I like them that way! Inspect/order Seducing the French: The Dilemma of Americanization from Amazon.com

The French Way: Aspects of Behavior, Attitudes, and Customs of the French By Ross Steele French social customs and manners. The French are not rude and arrogant. Go there and see for yourself. Read this book first. Inspect/order The French Way from Amazon.com

French or Foe? Getting the Most Out of Visiting, Living and Working in France By Polly Platt French customs, life. Let's face it: the French have gotten a bad rap. Mention that you're considering a trip to France and everyone will warn you about rude waiters, supercilious shopkeepers, and snooty concierges who won't give you the time of day--and worse, pretend not to understand your high-school French. Not so, says Polly Platt,. Ms Platt has written several other very interesting books on France. Inspect/order French or Foe? from Amazon.com

Savoir-Flair: 211 Tips for Enjoying France and the French By Polly Platt Loving the French! Another enjoyable book that will make your experience in France unforgettable. Inspect/order Savoir-Flair: 211 Tips for Enjoying France and the French from Amazon.com

Cultural Misunderstandings: The French-American Experience By Raymonde Carroll How to understand and enjoy French and American cultures. Inspect/order Cultural Misunderstandings from Amazon.com

Au Contraire! Figuring Out The French By Gilles Asselin An in-depth look at what it means to be French. French culture has always been a mystery to English-speakers. This book will help understand the French. Inspect/order Au Contraire! Figuring Out The French from Amazon.com

Sixty Million Frenchmen Can't Be Wrong: Why We Love France but Not the French By Jean-Benoit Nadeau French culture, manners, ways of life. The French are the most misunderstood people in America. This book provides insights into the French mind and how things work in France. Inspect/order Sixty Million Frenchmen Can't Be Wrong from Amazon.com

French Toast: An American in Paris Celebrates the Maddening Mysteries of the French By Harriet Welty Rochefort French and American cultures. How to understand and enjoy these two very different cultures. Inspect/order French Toast from Amazon.com

Paris Photos ~ Paris Walks By Peter OToole 14 Parisian neighborhoods in black-and-white images and well-mapped walking tours. Inspect/Order Paris Photos ~ Paris Walks from Amazon.com

Culture Shock!: Survive and Succeed in France By Sally Adamson Taylor French culture. Americans find it hard to understand French customs. This book will go a long way in helping to understand the French. New - Pub Nov 2005. Inspect/Order Culture Shock!: Survive and Succeed in France from Amazon.com

Culture Shock! Paris at Your Door By Frances Gendlin So you won't be surprised when you visit Paris. Inspect/Order Culture Shock! Paris at Your Door from Amazon.com

Paris: An Illustrated History By Elaine Mokhtefi From the Celts to Giscard d'Estaing Inspect/Order Paris: An Illustrated History from Amazon.com

Paris in 3D: From the Stereoscope to Virtual Reality 1850-2000 By Françoise Reynaud Comes with a pair of red-and-green plastic lenses and a cardboard viewer Inspect/Order Paris in 3D from Amazon.com

French Lessons: Adventures with Knife, Fork, and Corkscrew By Peter Mayle If you know "Year in Provence" you know Peter Mayle and his writing style. It's almost as good as actually being there. Peter Mayle, author of the bestselling A Year in Provence has done it again--but differently. Traveling this time beyond his adopted Provence throughout France, the food and travel writer has produced French Lessons, a celebration of many of that country's gastronomic joys. Inspect/Order French Lessons: Adventures with Knife, Fork, and Corkscrew from Amazon.com

The Grown-Up's Guide to Living in France By Rosanne Knorr How to live and survive in France. "The writing is straight-forward and the information is well arranged. I also really like the additional comments from other Americans living in France...." Inspect/Order The Grown-Up's Guide to Living in France from Amazon.com

Living and Working in France, Ninth Edition: A Survival Handbook By David Hampshire How to live and survive in France. 9th edition, January 2008. "This is by far and away the best book on the subject. The amount of information covered is not short of incredible. The book is divided into 20 useful chapters, plus appendix and index. The sections are Finding a Job, Working Conditions, Permits and Visas, Arrival, Accommodation, Post Office Services, Telephone, Television and Radio, Education, Public Transport, Motoring, Health, Insurance, Finance, Leisure, Sports, Shopping, Odds & Ends, The French, Leaving France. " Inspect/Order Living and Working in France from Amazon.com

Living, Studying, and Working in France: Everything You Need to Know to Fulfill Your Dreams of Living Abroad By Saskia Reilly Living, Studying, and Working in France is a savvy and insightful book offering hard-earned advice on how to make the most of your experience. This book also features: -- hundreds of addresses, telephone numbers and Internet sites, from real estate agencies to job banks; -- details on visas, banking, taxes, and residency permits; -- freelance, seasonal, part-time, and full-time employment options; -- volunteer opportunities and internship programs; -- language schools, American colleges, and French universities. Inspect/Order Living, Studying, and Working in France from Amazon.com

The Great Paris WalkPack By Geoffrey Howard Walking in Paris. The authors share their passion and their insights about Paris, the greatest city for walking in the world. Inspect/orderThe Great Paris WalkPack from Amazon.com

Paris Inside Out, 7th Ed By David Applefield This book will make you want to visit Paris - so get going learning French! It's filled with practical advice, such as how to take the bus at night. Published July 2005. Inspect/Order Paris Inside Out from Amazon.com

Paris in 500 Photos By Bertrand Delanoe The most photographed city because it's the most beautiful. Inspect/Order Paris in 500 Photos from Amazon.com

Boulangerie: A Pocket Guide to Paris's Famous Bakeries By Jack Armstrong This book is perfect for letting you find bakeries with a wonderful range of foods you can carry away with you. Inspect/Order Boulangerie: A Pocket Guide to Paris's Famous Bakeries from Amazon.com

Walking Paris: Thirty Original Walks In and Around Paris By Gilles Desmons Walk around Paris with the author and discover all its hidden delights. Inspect/Order Walking Paris from Amazon.com

Paris in a Basket: Markets: The Food and the People By Nicolle Aimee Meyer Over 400 vivid photographs illustrate the colors and sights of Paris Markets Inspect/Order Paris in a Basket from Amazon.com

Through the Windows of Paris: Fifty Unique Shops By Michael Webb Step through doors decrepit or grand, deco or nouveau, and discover a wealth of unique, handmade treasures. Inspect/Order Through the Windows of Paris: Fifty Unique Shops from Amazon.com

Gourmet Paris By Emmanuel Rubin Rubin leads you dish by dish through the full range of Parisian restaurants Inspect/Order Gourmet Paris from Amazon.com

The Cafes of Paris: A Guide By Christine Graf What is each cafe noted for? Inspect/Order The Cafes of Paris: A Guide from Amazon.com

Eugene Atget: Paris 1857-1927 By Andreas Krase Many of the magnificent photos of Eugene Atget Inspect/Order Eugene Atget: Paris 1857-1927 from Amazon.com

Louvre: Portrait of a Museum By Nicholas D'Archimbaud 650 original photos of the treasures at the Louvre Inspect/Order Louvre: Portrait of a Museum from Amazon.com

Above Paris: A New Collection of Aerial Photographs of Paris By Robert Cameron Paris is beautiful from ground level and from above. Inspect/Order Above Paris from Amazon.com

Paris from Above By Yann Arthus-Bertrand Stunning photos from above Paris Inspect/Order Paris from Above from Amazon.com

Paris 360 Degrees By Attilio Boccazzi-Varotto 360-degree views, including a night scene of boats gliding down the River Seine. Inspect/Order Paris 360 Degrees from Amazon.com

Paris Then & Now By Peter Caine Historic and contemporary photos of Paris Inspect/Order Paris Then & Now from Amazon.com

Robert Doisneau: A Photographer's Life By Peter Hamilton The French photographer famous for the 1950 picture Le Baiser de le Hotel de Ville (Kiss at the Hotel). Inspect/Order Robert Doisneau: A Photographer's Life from Amazon.com

Three Seconds of Eternity By Robert Doisneau Beautiful photos around Paris Inspect/Order Three Seconds of Eternity from Amazon.com

A Propos De Paris By Henri Cartier-Bresson Cartier-Bresson personally selected the more than 130 black-and-white photographs of Paris for this publication. Inspect/Order A Propos De Paris from Amazon.com

Prints Abound: Paris in the 1890's By Phillip Dennis Cate Artists' prints from the 1890's Inspect/Order Prints Abound from Amazon.com

Paris Sketchbook By Fabrice Moireau Beautiful watercolors of Paris Inspect/Order Paris Sketchbook from Amazon.com