Stepping-Stones (Yale University Press)

Well-written and eminently accessible, this book explores and celebrates the Upper Palaeolithic art of the Dordogne, admirably conveying the author's enthusiasm for her subject. Desdemaines-Hugon's text reads as a personalised guided tour to five famous sites, all of which are still open to the public: Font de Gaume, Combralles, Cap Blanc, Rouffignac and Bernifal. The descriptions are beautifully done, marrying the art with its setting, and portable and decorative arts are also covered, giving the reader a real feel for the sophistication of Cro-magnon culture, as well as insights as to its development.