''This isn''t just any cookery book. It is Mastering the Art of French Cooking, first published in 1961, and it''s a book that is a statement, not of culinary intent, but of aspiration, a commitment to a certain sort of good life, a certain sort of world-view; a votive object implying taste and appetite and a little je ne sais quoi. Julia Child was like Amelia Earhart, or Eleanor Roosevelt: she was a hero who''d gone out there and made a difference. Her books are a triumph, and also a trophy.'' AA GILL, The Times''Mastering any art is a continuing process ...'' In this book Julia Child and Simone Beck help cooks everywhere master the full repertoire of classic French dishes. Their recipes range across soups from the garden and bisques from the sea, famour fish stews from Provence and Normandy, to suckling pig and charcuterie, baguettes and croissants, and through a huge variety of desserts to petit-fours, all accompanied by clear step-by-step instructions and 458 illustrations.