“A short hop across the Channel; a massive cultural leap,” is how Alison Culliford describes her arrival in France when, having fallen under its spell since childhood and working 12 years as a London-based journalist and travel writer, Time Out Paris gave her the chance to relocate there for good 2001. Alison penned Paris Revisited (Chrysalis Books, 2002) and, when Time Out closed its Paris office in 2004, followed with Pulse Guides' Paris Night + Day for the hip American traveler—all the while freelancing for the British press and simultaneously acquiring a degree in couture.

Now living in a ramshackle Napoleonic apartment in the 10th arrondissement, she has a typical love-hate relationship with Paris, and dreams one day of moving to the country “where life is a little more douce and you can buy a lot more fromage for your euro.” Having struggled through the language barrier and many social faux pas, she leapt at the chance to write France: Instructions for Use and help others discover the spontaneity and joie de vivre lurking just under the proud French extérieur.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nan McElroy was working as an Avid film and video editor when she first traveled to Italy in 1995. She was astounded by the country as a whole, as are most people, and managed to return for an extended period during the Atlanta Olympics study the language. She continued to notice the lack of access to and understanding of the most fundamental information concerning how Italy functioned (where do you buy a pair of scissors?)...the kind that’s critical to any traveler who has so little time.

The first book in the series, Italy: Instructions for Use, found its niche, and now Nan, along with other collaborators and co-writers, continues to pursue the same mission: to compile valuable, practical information that regular guidebooks are unable to include, and to make that information available as directly, clearly, and economically as possible. Nan and her co-authors look forward to helping make your French (and soon Spanish and German, too) sojourn a smooth, informed, and joyful one.
 

Watch for this title in January 2008!