Peter Mayle's Provence books have been bestsellers ever since A Year in Provence was first published in 1989. His stories about life in this beautiful locality enchanted millions of readers with their wit and wry observation...

Provenence A-Z is a treasure trove of fascinating facts and insights. In this anecdotal encyclopedia of more than 200 entries - spanning across eight CD and almost nine hours of listening time - from "Accent" to "Zola", Mayle writes about those aspects of Provence that he finds the most interesting, amusing or bizarre. He discusses subjects as diverse as architecture, expats, lavender and linguistic oddities - and, of course, food and drink: truffles, olives, bouillabaisse and the cheese that killed a Roman emperor. In an eclectic, immensely entertaining selection ranging from the museum of the corkscrew to a recipe for tapenade, Mayle provides an indispensable guide to the region he loves and has made his own.

Mayle steers well clear of any already well documented aspects of the area and instead concentrates on places and customs of interest that you very rarely read about in any guide book.

This collection is read by award-winning actor and narrator Andrew Sachs, of Fawlty Towers fame, and brims with Mayle's trademark humour and affection, and is bound to appeal to all his fans as well as to anyone who loves the unique atmosphere of the south of France.

I listened to this collection over the period of a week, whilst in the car. However, I could just as easily have sat and listened to it in the comfort of my home in a single sitting. Sachs's narration is so relaxed that I kept forgetting that these weren't his thoughts and comical tales.

Even if you haven't read any of Mayle's books, there's plenty here to get you in the mood to start reading them. This is an interesting and very entertaining collection of amusing and intriguing tales and insights into a beautiful and interesting region.

8

Pete Boomer