I just got an email from Amazon, announcing the chance to buy Ivor Guest, "The Paris Opera Ballet" -- publication date 4/30/06. It's only 160 pp. I could find no description.

Does anyone know anything about this book?

There have been previous Ballet Talk references to Guest's writings about PBO, including something in 2004 from Alexandra which mentions two books, "Ballet of the Enlightenment" and "Ballet Under Napoleon."

Just a short reply before going to bed (it's 2 AM here): there is a book by Ivor Guest in French about the Paris Opera Ballet,"Le Ballet de l'Opéra de Paris", a first version was published (by the Paris Opera itself) around 1976 and a more recent one (with more photos and some updates) in the early 2000s. It's a very interesting book, with much information which is not easy to find elsewhere (e.g. all the works in the repertory of the POB since its creation in the 17th century, a list of all principal dancers and ballet masters since then, etc.) I don't know if that book in English is a translatio of that one or a new version.

Thanks, Estelle. I think you're right. I checked the Princeton Book Company website, which lists the Enlightenment and Under Napoleon books, and found this page on The Paris Opera Ballet. It doesn't go into content, however:

http://www.dancehorizons.com/store/product...pID=1007&cID=41

Princeton books also publishes (or do they just import and distribute in the US?) Guest's other two books on Paris ballet, plus many others on technique, teaching, ballet history, etc.