Best guide books for Provence?

We four friends are heading to Provence for a month in 2010. Can anyone recommend the best guide books for us to read? Many thanks.

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Lonely Planet is always interesting.

The %26quot;Guide du Routard%26quot; is the ultimate French guide, even if you are not back packing. It give you a view with a quirk, different from most blah guides.

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You can buy the %26quot;Guide du Routard%26quot; in English Year 2002 (sites have not changed) used for about $2.00 from:

Alibris:

%26lt;a target=%26#39;new%26#39; href=%26quot;click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click…%26quot; %26gt;Routard: Provence %26amp; the Cote D%26#39;Azur: The Ultimate Food, Drink and Accomodation Guide%26lt;/a%26gt;%26lt;IMG border=0 width=1 height=1 src=%26quot;ad.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/show…%26quot; %26gt;

or

Amazon:

amazon.com/Routard-Provence-dAzur-Ultimate-A…

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I%26#39;ve got the Michelin green guide - it%26#39;s good on history and culture, suggested itineraries and highlights. It%26#39;s not as good as DK for pictures and thumbnail descriptions, though. Sunflower are nice too for driving and walking itineraires, but I%26#39;m not sure if they are widely available. I find some of the other books very %26#39;wordy%26#39; and can%26#39;t get enthused, despite the quality of the information.

Preference is really personal, so it%26#39;s best if you can you get into a bookshop or library and have a look at different books before you buy.

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I%26#39;m also a fan of DK and Michelin Green Guide. I also like Routard guides, although there haven;t been recent ones, as already mentioned, and Lonely Planet can be useful.

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Michelin Green Guide is always a good choice. I also like Cadogan Guides for the opinionated personal touches vs.pure commercialism.

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In addition to the Michelin Green Guide for Provence, my library of Provence guidebooks includes: The Blue Guide for Provence and the Cote d%26#39;Azur,

The Rough Guide to Provence and the Cote d%26#39;Azur,

Ulysses Guide to Provence %26amp; the Cote d%26#39;Azure,

Next Time Round in Provence,

Passport%26#39;s Regional Guide to Provence %26amp; the Cote d%26#39;Azur

and A Guide to Provence, the classic by Michael Jacobs, This one is no longer in print, but it%26#39;s worth looking for on Alibris, or perhaps even e-Bay.

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Thanks to you all! Your suggestions will prove to be very helpful as I begin my research.