The Riviera: The Rise and Rise of the Cote D'Azur - Hardcover

'Ring gives some nice descriptions of the beautiful pleasure-craft that bobbed about on the azure coast, but he also records the champagne louts' dismay when fibreglass made sailing cheaper.' -- Daily Telegraph 20040612 'Jim Ring's Riviera corrals an array of vignettes of the Cote d'Azur's most famous habitues, from the Romans to the Rolling Stones. ... a stylish and pleasingly gossipy overview of the region's fluctuating fortunes.' -- Book of the Week, Time Out 20040609 'Jim Ring paints its history in vivid strokes, evoking all the glamour and gaudiness you could shake a face-lift at' -- The News (St Albans) 20040625 'There's a nostalgic, period feel to this reverie about the Riviera' -- Saga Magazine 20040801 'Jim Ring explores the rich history of the alluring southern French coast, the setting for a vibrant and escapist culture of intoxicating beauty and splendour' -- Financial Times 20040626 'An entertaining, highly readable mixture of social and cultural history, and it manages to capture the timeless allure of a unique area of the continent' -- Leicester Mercury 20040629 'Entertaining survey ... [Ring] has a fine nose for the telling detail.' -- Sunday Telegraph 20040613 'Ring's tale rattles along merrily with marvellous period anecdotes' -- Jeremy Gates, Liverpool Daily Post 20040724 'A light-hearted and entertaining picture of the region' -- Lloyd's List 20050729 'Highly readable and entertaining' -- Diplomat 20050701 'An amusing read. It is the ideal book to hide your smirk behind on the Promenade des Anglais as yet another roller-blading granny glides past in a leopard-skin thong.' -- Sunday Telegraph 20040613 'Delightful and informative evocation of the Cote d'Azur at various epochs ... [by] its loving chronicler' -- Critic's Choice, Daily Mail 20040612 'A highly readable account ... as an introduction to the Cote d'Azur, it works wonderfully well' -- Traveller magazine 20040801 'An energetic guide ... an entertaining cautionary tale' -- Independent 20040625 'Lively new history ... entertaining' -- Mail on Sunday 20040829 'Ring covers the ground with just enough detail to titillate' -- Sunday Times 20050508 'Ring, I'm glad to say, rises to the Riviera's defence...a highly readable history' -- J G Ballard, The Guardian 20040731 'Enormously entertaining' -- Daily Express 20050722 'Crammed full of fascinating accounts of disgraceful behaviour on the beaches and in the villas of the world's most decadent playground' -- Guardian 20050507

Synonymous with starlets, European royalty and the spectacle of the Cannes film festival, the Cote d'Azur has attracted the rich, the famous and the unscrupulous since it was 'discovered' by writers and artists in the late nineteenth century. However, the French Riviera had provided 'a place in the sun' for the English upper classes since the Regency period, lured by mild winters and codes of behaviour less oppressive than those demanded at home. Queen Victoria was a regular visitor at the end of the reign, and was followed by Renoir, Monet and Picasso, inspired by the magnificent scenery. The playboys and bon-viveurs of the inter-war years in turn gave way to the harshness of the Vichy regime, before recovering as the Americans who brought with them the magic -- and money -- of post-war Hollywood. In later years, high-rise hotels and gaudy fashions may have become the norm, but the French Riviera still retains its glamour and exclusivity. Jim Ring takes us on a tour of the film stars and politicians, adventurers and eccentrics who visited the coast.An entertaining mix of social and cultural history, Riviera explores the allure of this unique area -- an area that, despite continuous reinvention, remains one of the most evocative in the world.