De la Broquière set off for the Holy Land in 1432 for the purpose of spying out the possibilities of a new crusade to be led by the Duke of Burgundy. He returned overland, through the Turkish Empire, alone. His observations of the land, the people, the rulers, the food and the customs make fascinating reading. There is also a long section on the organization and tactics of the Ottoman Army, and the ways that the Europeans can use to defeat it. De la Broquière is a highly competent spy and a very observant tourist.

Céleste Albaret was Marcel Proust's housekeeper in his last years, when he retreated from the world to devote himself to In Search of Lost Time. She could imitate his voice to perfection, and Proust himself said to her, "You know everything about me." Her reminiscences of her employer present an intimate picture of the daily life of a great writer who was also a deeply peculiar man, while Madame Albaret herself proves to be a shrewd and engaging companion.

Child of materialism and positivism, Courbet was without a doubt one of the most complex painters of the nineteenth century. Symbolising the rejection of traditions, Courbet did not hesitate to confront the public with the truth by liberating painting of conventional rules. He became from then on the leader of pictorial realism.