In April of 1545 a horrific massacre of more than 3,000 “heretics” in southern France occurred. In one small village, twenty-five women and children hid in a secret grotto in the hills above town. But they were betrayed. Royal and papal troops built a fire in the mouth of the grotto and murdered them all by suffocation. So much is an established historical fact. Two American couples living in the present village of Barigoule and enjoying the peace and pleasures of Provence discover the history of the local atrocity. They resolve to unearth the secrets still hidden in the deadly grotto, now forgotten after four and a half centuries. But they are frustrated at every turn by the stubborn silence of the locals. Worse, the few who offer to help are murdered. Finally, they are aided by a French police inspector and his partner, a lovely Muslim woman (and a deadly shot). When an ancient document is discovered that exposes the fantastic outcome of the killings at the grotto, all concerned are forced to flee for their lives until they take refuge in the cave itself, where the savage conclusion to their quest takes place.

This chronological narrative covers the Bronze Age to the end of the Roman Empire, with a useful epilogue that traces the Greek experience in medieval and modern times. Frost presents a level of detail that requires no prior background in Greek history. Fascinating anecdotes on the lives of ordinary Greek people help bring the past to life.

"Samuel Ward McAllister (December 1827?January 31, 1895) was the self-appointed arbiter of New York society from the 1860s to the early 1890s."--Wikipedia.

Filled with wise insights and discerning critiques, this up-to-date, authoritative guide covers hotels and restaurants throughout the whole of France. Gayot offers fearlessly discriminating reviews of the restaurants, brasseries, and bistros in Paris and its suburbs; descriptions of hotels, resorts, and country inns; and coverage of the restaurants and lodgings across the French countryside. 20 maps.