Description
The author of Life in the English Country House crosses the Channel for a look at French pastoral living, using letters, diaries, inventories, and contemporary etiquette to recreate life in the "great houses" of the French countryside. 12,500 first printing.
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This appealing volume to both eye and mind will be a useful pleasure for students of France's Ancien RTgime , those interested in architectural and French history, and anyone interested in architecture. It is substantially illustrated with high-quality color photos and reproductions of period views, and includes many floor plans. Girouard (architectural historian and author) leads a tour through the architecture's rooms, grounds, plans, and developments, providing frequent snippets of primary sources; historical background to the political situation, owners, builders, locale, individual buildings and architectural elements; and chapters on useful details too often omitted, such as plumbing, lighting, servants' quarters, kitchens, and stables. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
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