Nice and the French Riviera have long inspired extraordinary lives and remarkable stories.
This selection of books invites you to explore the region through biographies, true stories and literature to read before your journey, during your stay, or afterwards, to let the experience gently linger.
I also recommend Read the Room,
a charming English-language bookstore and coffee shop (menu), very well located near the Port and Place Garibaldi, offering a beautifully curated selection of novels, guides and cookbooks. Books can be ordered online and collected in store or delivered.
Books on Nice, the French Riviera and the French Culture
Discover the Riviera through stories, lives and memories
Queen Victoria and the Discovery of the Riviera
A fascinating book that plunges the reader into Nice and the Riviera at the end of the 19th century. It is a wonderful way to travel back in time and understand not only the birth of the Riviera as a destination, but also the political and historical context of Europe during that period.
An absorbing and insightful read. Highly recommended.
Michael Nelson, 2007.
Chanel’s Riviera
The book offers fascinating insights into Gabrielle Chanel‘s life during the interwar years and the Second World War, her deep connection to the Riviera, including her house in Roquebrune Cap Martin. Also revealing lesser-known chapters of her story and of the era on the French Riviera.
Anne de Courcy · 2019
Niçoise
An exceptional cookbook for anyone who loves to cook. Rosa Jackson is an essential voice of Niçoise cuisine, and this book is a true gem.
It beautifully teaches the fundamentals of local cooking and is enriched with stunning photography. A joyful, generous and inspiring book.
Strongly recommended.
Rosa Jackson · 2015
Promise at Dawn
A moving and powerful autobiographical novel about love, ambition and destiny. Through the extraordinary bond between a mother and her son, Romain Gary offers a deeply human story that is both tender and profound, touching on identity, exile and the pursuit of one’s place in the world.
Romain Gary · 1960
Les Fables de la Fontaine
A must-read for anyone learning French and wishing to immerse themselves in French culture.
For over a century, French children have grown up with these fables. Stories such as The Crow and the Fox, The Hare and the Tortoise or The Ant and the Grasshopper are beautifully written, timeless, and deeply rooted in the cultural heritage of France.
Jean de La Fontaine · 17th century