In my first book: A Long Look Back: A Sentimental Journey of an American Growing up in France, readers will find an exciting and enjoyable portrayal of my life in France as a young boy in the 1950s and 1960s. It is a perspective often combined with beautiful family meals and always paired with delicious wines. My passion and deep love for France is made undeniably clear. Readers will be signing on to an entertaining, frequently humorous, sentimental journey set first in our country house tucked away a small village along the rugged, beautiful Emerald Coast of Brittany in the western part of France. We then speed up (after all we are going to Paris) and Neuilly s/Seine, where our story really has its roots, and then conclude with a collection of unique travel and food experiences when, as I meander down from Lyon (culinary ground-zero in France) to the Côte d’Azur. You are immersed in my description of the vivid blue Mediterranean, the long seaside walks, and then being spoiled by an incredible vista, teased with local menus and glorious regional cuisine. A separate section is devoted to a small selection of delicious, traditional French recipes. How can one talk or write about France without fully appreciating and immersing oneself in its cuisine? A Long Look Back is an undeniably warm-hearted, nostalgic and tender journey into a France of yesteryear. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BQGJ6YNQ BOOK REVIEWS "A delightfully sentimental look at growing up in post-war Paris and Brittany in the 1950s as seen through the eyes of a young American and his family and recounted with wonderful flair and genuine affection for the French way of life. Numerous mouth-watering recipes and wine pairings add to the overall rich experience of this autobiography.” RJ July 2022 A Travelogue through France "Richard Rogers has written a delightful tale of his years growing up in France, and returning time and time again. Rogers covers history, culture and the cuisine of France in an easy read that will be enjoyed whether you are intimately familiar with France or thinking about going for the first time. His detailed descriptions of food and dining throughout the various regions of France will certainly inspire you to visit France, or at least to seek out a serious French restaurant if you are lucky enough to have one near you. I understand that Richard Rogers is working on a second book, which I am anxiously looking forward to." DBW April 2023 A Love of France and Food "The author’s love of France comes through in short stories of growing up as part of an ex-pat family. The stories tell you of childhood memories, experiences as an adult, and a few daydreams. If you need a primer on food in various departments of France, it’s here plus some recipes full of tasty calories. This is a book that you can sit down and read a little bit at a time to satisfy the Francophile in you." LW April 2023 "I just finished it a few days ago. Great humor as well as descriptive content about the areas/wine/food. Love the recipes and would have loved to have met your housekeeper/nanny chef." TH, January 2023. Lovely Memoir of Childhood in France "I greatly enjoyed reading this memoir of an American boy and his family growing up in France in the 1950s. The evocation of his “happy place” in Bretagne, where they owned a house and spent summers, was detailed and evocative. Best of all were the descriptions of the meals that Rogers remembers from his childhood. He even includes recipes!" JC December 2022.
My latest book brings a different perspective and an added richness that inevitably comes from having a global background—growing up in France, Belgium, and deep in the very heart of Africa. Those years were tremendously impactful. In this book, I lean on ten of my 26 countries, on five continents, with over 75 visits. All in seven years. I depart from my travel stories, only briefly, to discuss my formative years in the Congo—the Heart of Darkness (to quote Joseph Conrad.) It's an essential journey for me to write about. As a writer, I am passionate about the visual, cultural, and historical richness of cities such as Hanoi and Cape Town, Istanbul, and Cairo. I want my stories to have an added dimension with cuisine from far-flung cultures, which remains essential in shaping many of my stories. The richness and totality of those experiences inevitably translate into meaningful, colorful anecdotes stories, many of which have yet to be written, and adventures that have yet to be shared. BOOK REVIEWS An engaging exotic travelogue This book provides a feel for what travel to exotic and sometimes volatile destinations would feel like. The author describes the architecture, geography, political climate, and especially the food and people of each location in a way that allows the reader to experience the journey with him. I learned a lot and enjoyed the journeys. SDF December 17, 2023.
I am lucky indeed having been born and raised and schooled abroad in such interesting and diverse places as France, Belgium, and deep in the heart of Africa. As an adult, I have traveled on business to so many places in the world, enjoyed the sights and sounds and of course, the wonderful foods. It is this accumulated richness as well as the people who play a vital and continuing role in my writing. For that I am truly thankful and as an author, I could not ask for more. In the Gallery section, I have included a few choice photos drawn from my first book, A Long, Look Back. Those who have already read my book will recognize the photos and put them in their proper context, be it Paris, Brittany, or the South of France. I look forward to your comments and insights. My second book, A Foreign Port of Entry, takes the reader on a dizzying trip across India, the Middle East, Turkey, Southeast Asia, and China with a backward look at my formative years in the Congo, deep in the heart of Africa.
Memories and Footprints is my third travel and culinary experience book. I returned to Paris, France, for more great local stories and delicious food, and then on to Antwerp, Belgium, a wonderful and colorful city dear to my heart. The city of Brussels is where I finished my last year of secondary studies. The school's leafy campus was just past Waterloo. Napoleon never made an appearance. Travel with me to France and Belgium, enjoy incredible culinary dishes, great wines, strong Trappist beer time and again, chocolates made in Heaven, and more wonderful stories. What's not to love? https://lnkd.in/gBs_quee
His latest book, Memories & Footprints: Adventures in Good Taste, is a culinary journey along a road well-traveled. The author presents a gastronomic adventure that takes the reader from Paris, France, to the fascinating port city of Antwerp, then to Brussels, the grand capital of Belgium. Having lived in both countries, the author writes honestly about themes he loves and knows well: the culture, the people, and the food. He explores culinary themes, cultural insights, regional history, exciting and elegant food experiences, and home-cooked bistro-style food. As in previous books, he often pairs the local cuisine and heritage with short stories that, more than not, involve colorful guests but always delicious meals—how could he not? The author paints several amusing scenes when, as a young man, he learned about his father’s cloak-and-dagger revelations as a CIA intelligence officer in various far-flung posts worldwide. The author includes a recipe section with personally selected delicious French and Belgian dishes with carefully paired wines. Now, it is your turn to cook. As a writer, he is passionate about a city's visual, historical, cultural, and culinary richness worldwide. The author has traveled extensively, experiencing over twenty-six countries on five continents with over seventy-five separate visits, from deep in the heart of Central Africa to Istanbul and beyond. The richness of those experiences inevitably translates into meaningful stories that must be shared. BOOK REVIEW "A fun book This is a fun book that can be read in bits and pieces, as it's divided into short sketches and anecdotes. The unifying themes are the differences between Francophone and American cultures; the ins and outs of young expat life in Europe, the history of famous French restaurants, and of course French and Belgian cuisine itself. The author, an international business consultant by day and a lifelong Francophile, knows whereof he speaks and is very witty, as one might expect of someone born in Neuilly and drenched in French culture. A key takeaway: If you're an American, do not ever try to get married in France. Why not? Read and find out."