Aquitaine, owned by the English for 299 years, is an area of France that has never been truly "French". Far more than just "claret country", the region has been influenced by a wide range of cultures and peoples from all over Europe. As a result, it boasts a wealth of history, art and architecture, in addition to its more widely known and celebrated traditions of food and wine. During the 40 years in which Pamela Vandyke Price has known Aquitaine, she has observed and absorbed many of its ways, as well as imbibing many of its wines. This book is her personal and detailed appreciation of the region - a mixture of travel, history, wine and biography that offers a picture of Aquitainean life, past and present. The author's other books include "France for the Gourmet Traveller", "France: A Food and Wine Guide" and "Wine: Lore, Legends and Traditions".