I just picked up "How to Play Against 1.e4" by Neil McDonald which is a repertoire book for black advocating the french defence. I've been playing the french forever and I picked this up because I wanted to learn more about the MacCutcheon variation of the french and this has a nice chapter concerning that variation. I really wasn't expecting anything else but to my surprise McDonald makes a good case for several other variations which I may just incorporate into my own repertoire. 

Anyway, if anyone is interested in picking up the french for black I recommend giving this book a try.

Interesting! Which is your pet line against the french??

Against the french? I never play against the french as I never play 1.e4

Eric, which variation does Neil recommend against the old main line of the Mac Cutch (6.Bd2 Bxc3 7.bxc3 Ne4 8.Qg4 g6 9.Bd3 Nxd2 10.Kxd2 c5 11.Nf3 - or 11.Qf4)

He advocates 8...Kf8 instead of the usual g6 

However, against 8...Kf8 9.Bd3 Nxd2 10.Kxd2 c5 11.Nf3 he likes 11...c4 12.Be2 b5 

Maccutcheon is currently doing fine, right?

Yea, the toughest line for black right now seems to be the Be3 gambit.

I've bought this book a week ago and indeed it's a very good book. McDonald definitely has a gift for expaining things in a pretty clear manner.

For now I'm just cutting some corners in learning the French so I will be playing his recommended....... Fort Knox!