Provence A-Z

A Francophile's Essential Handbook

By: Peter Mayle

Narrated by: John Lee

An indispensable, richly informative, and always entertaining audio sourcebook on Provence, by the writer who has made the region his own.

Though organized from A to Z, this is hardly a conventional work of reference. It is rather a selection of those aspects of Provence that Peter Mayle, in almost 20 years there, has found to be the most interesting, curious, delicious, or down-right fun.

In more than 170 entries, he speaks about subjects as wide-ranging as architecture and zingue-zingue-zoun (in the local patois, a word meant to describe the sound of a violin), and as diverse as expatriates, Aix-en-Provence, the Provençal character, legends, lavender, linguistic oddities, the museum of the French Foreign Legion, the museum of the corkscrew, the origins of "La Marseillaise", and a bawdy folklore character named Fanny.

And, of course, he tells us about food and drink: vin rosé, truffles, olives, melons, bouillabaisse, the cheese that killed a Roman emperor, even a cure for indigestion.

Provence A-Z is a delight for Peter Mayle's ever-growing audience and the perfect complement to any guidebook on Provence, or, for that matter, France.

©2006 Escargot Productions, Ltd (P)2006 Books on Tape

Critic reviews

"Mayle is the self-appointed pied piper of Provence for Anglophone Francophiles everywhere, and these entries, from 'Accent' to 'Zingue-Zingue-Zoun', display the same conversational style his fans have come to expect." (Publishers Weekly)

Very enjoyable and informative

I absolutely love all of Mayle’s books on Provence. This one was particularly informative for our upcoming trip there!

A review of all things "Provencale"

I have been a fan of Peter Mayle since my first listen to "French Lessons". This is an excellent and entertaining review of all things "provencale". Not for the faint of heart or casual tourist, this is deep journey, mostly on foot and often diverted. This feast leaves you both satisfied yet clamoring for more. What next?

I will listen to it again.

This is an alphabetical format for telling many stories of Provence. The stories cover all kinds of aspects of life, weather, food, history, etc. I loved it.

Great book.

It was easy to listen to and transported me to Provence. It was well read as if talking with a friend.

Absolutely charming,,,

An absolutely charming listen about the small things that make travel and living abroad an adventure.

As only he can, Peter Mayle makes the mundane interesting and the common place unique.

From a prosthetic wooden hand enshrined in a small museum to mushrooms and truffles, to France’s only bamboo forest.

Peter introduces you to the common place and eccentric oddities that make Provence unique.

By: Extra! Extra! Read all about it! 11.01.2022

Charmingly Informative

Informative, witty, charming. I will listen many times, throughout the year.
A true
The French bits are spoken wonderfully.
Though, I particularly enjoyed the delightful stories of Peter Mayler's experiences.

Excellent fun

Very well-narrated, lots of fun.
We took this book on a road trip to Provence, and it was perfect.

Overview of Provence

This is really one of those books you listen to a month before you go and get a glimpse of things that might be of interest about Provence. Simple, but not something I would listen to again , unless I was going to Provence.

Must read before your Provonce trip

This is a wonderful work and I am compelled to buy the hardcopy book. Will read this before I travel to Provence. Essential and very entertaining!