 Spectacular Buildings
"Chateaux of the Loire Valley" is quite interesting and has some nice photos. It gives a lot of information on the most prominent chateaux of the region and their description along with the interesting bits of history. The book also contains the map, chronology of the most important facts of French history and the genealogy of the French kings. The only serious disadvantage of the book is that the chateaux are listed according to alphabet (rather formally) and not in chronological or geographical order, which would be more convenient.
 CHATEAUX GALORE!
This is an enjoyable book with lots of photos of chateaux throughout the Loire Valley of France. This is also a great book for a history buff, as the history of each chateau is featured in detail. The book features some well known chateaux as well as some that are not so well known. This is the next best thing to visiting these outstanding chateaux in person. It's also a guide for someone who is planning a trip to the Loire Valley and can't decide which chateau to visit.
Much more than a coffee table book
This is without a doubt the best book on the chateaux of the Loire Valley that I ever ever read (and I have read dozens). Given the superb quality of the pictures and the descriptions of the various chateaux, it is quite a bargain even at the full list price. Now that I think of it, this book is so enjoyable that the coffee table (or the night stand) would be an excellent place to keep it, not for show, but to have it handy to read whenever the mood arises.
definitely the nicest Loire Valley coffee table book
The book Chateaux of the Loire Valley by Jean-Marie Perouse De Montclos and photographer Robert Polidori is definitely the nicest coffee table book on sale about the beautiful castles of the Loire Valley. Besides being a superb wine growing region, the Loire River south of Paris offers a unique combination of beautiful landscapes and castles, which makes it one of France's most attractive regions. You should take at least a week or ten days to do a round trip. This book gives you an excellent idea of what to expect - or you cannot make it - what you are missing!
The Chateaux of the Loire Valley
This is a superb book and a great purchase. I was happily surprised at the excellent quality of the book itself. This chateaux collection is by Jean-Marie Perouse de Montclos author of 'Fontaineblue', which I had bought earlier and enjoyed thoroughly. Perouse de Montclos is obviously an authority in this so interesting and imposing a realm. 'Chateaux of the Loire Valley' is beautifully captured pictorially by Robert Polidori, this treat alone unfolds like some magical visual biography of France, and the world. I can't begin to tell you how much charm this book brings. The architectural relics and historical wonders are each detailed in the accompanying text. The history of Chinon, for example. There is a preface with the best chronology of the Kings of France I've ever seen. Never ending information and art photos about the castles, one better than the other. Including a profile of the unique Chenonceaux, with it's haunting echo of the fascinating Diane de Poitiers. With it's modest price this has to be one of the most satisfying books I've ever come across. You might also look up 'Fountainbleau' a literary and visual collection about the legendary French chateau by the same author.
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