Suggested Reading List Spain

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Know before you go?  

This is a very personal choice!! Some people like to get a lot of background before their trip, so they have the basics under control and can get the details during their trip. Others prefer to go completely open, with no preconceptions of any sort and ready to get the full, intense blast "in situ".  Others might like to get information beforehand but have no time or energy to do so.    What's your style?   Will you want do immersion before, during, after or all three?  Or some lighter reading to get the "feel" for Spain if not the specific dates and names of rulers or trends?

Spain, The Root and the Flower, by John A. Crow.  Another overall history.  A bit rambling, but the section on art and literature is somewhat more complete than The Story of Spain.  The author visited Spain for the first time before the Civil War, so some of his personal comments are very interesting.   The last part (Spain today) is from the early 1980's (last edition of the book) so is not really current, but is a good benchmark to see just how far Spain has come since that relatively recent date.

Spain, A History, by Raymond Carr. A new history book by one of the recognized experts.

The Ornament of the World, by María Rosa Menocal. A readable book about Spain in the middle ages, when for more than 300 years Christians, Jews and Muslims lived together in peace, learning from each other and benefiting from the cultural interchange. The period immediately after was less harmonious, but might that initial tolerance might teach us something for today's world?

Moorish Spain, by Richard Fletcher. Another readable book about Spain in the middle ages, with more detail about Islamic Spain. Somewhat less positive about amount of harmony and getting along, somewhat more conventional way writing history.

Catherine of Aragon, by Giles Tremlett (see below for another book by the same author). Autobiography about Catherine, daughter of the Catholic monarchs and first wife of Henry VIII of England. Not all about Spain, but given her family ties and later contacts with both Carlos I and Felipe II this is a good one to read to see how her story influenced England's.

-The Spanish Civil War, by Hugh Thomas.

-The Spanish Republic and the Civil War, by Gabriel Jackson.

-Concise history of the Spanish Civil War, by Paul Preston.

-Doves of War, by Paul Preston.

-The Spanish Civil War, a very short introduction. by Helen Graham

If you like history and really want to understand Spain, you should read at least something about the 1930's, covering the Spanish Republic and the Civil War.  Of the books above, Brenan's book is a solid account of the time immediately before the War and the social-political currents at work then (some still present in modern Spain!)   Thomas' book has long been considered one of the most unbiased books on the Civil War,  long but quite readable.  Jackson is another of the gurus of Spanish history so this book is a good choice (for Medieval history his Makings of Medieval Spain is very good). Preston's "Concise"  book is a little dense, but he is considered one of the experts on this period. His "Doves" book takes four women in this period (two left, two right) and tells their stories. The last book is, as the title states, an introduction but may be enough to get the basics of this complicated period: then if you want more, you can get something more detailes.

Spain: Dictatorship to Democracy, by R. Carr and J.P. Fusi.  

The New Spain, from Isolation to Influence, by Kenneth Maxwell and Steven Spiegel 

The New Spaniards, by John Hooper

Ghosts of Spain, by Giles Tremlett

The period from the sixties until the present, especially the "transition" after Franco's death in 1975 is close to miraculous, whan Spain went from a seriously underdeveloped country to a modern country and a full member of the European Union.  Any of the last four books listed above will help you understand this fascinating time.  The last two books are more cultural - sociological studies than actual history, and are considered two good choices to understand today's Spain.

Looking for something on a specific period or theme? Ask us! 

The Shadow of the Wind, by Carlos Ruiz Zafón.  A great read, beautifully written, intriguing story set in Barcelona, from early to mid 20th century. Good description of life in the city at that time - Barcelona fans will recognize places they know well. Written in Spanish, translated into English, if your Spanish is fluent, try the original (La Sombra del Viento).

The Shadow of the Pomegranate tree, by Tariq Ali.  Set shortly after the fall of Granada, this historical novel shows the dilema of the Muslim community as the Christians violate the 1492 treaty respecting their religious freedom. Emigrate to Africa, convert to Christianity or rebel against the powerful political and religious rulers that now controlled the land where they had lived seven hundred years?

The Alcantara Bridge, by Frank Bauer. Written in German and translated into at Spanish and I think English. A two-part novel about medieval Spain (11-12th century), famous for tolerance between Jews, Christians and Muslims. The books center around three characters, one for each religion, and we see their different but similiar outlooks and how their life stories start to intertwine.

The Last Jew, by Noah Gordon.  A young man is left behind by his family when all Jewish people were forced to leave Spain in the fifteenth century.   This novel tells the story of his travels and his life.

For Whom the Bell Tolls       and    The Sun Also Rises,   by Ernest Hemingway. Eternal favorites. Hemingway really captures atmosphere and feeling for the times, though certain license has been taken with details (ie there are no caves in the area he describes in For Whom the Bell Tolls). Good reading.

The Day of the Fox, by Norman Lewis.   A man mistakenly decorated for heroism by Franco's side returns to his town after the war and is received well by some and not-so-well by others.  Good account of the war's ongoing influence, many small towns in Spain can tell similiar stories even today.

Winter in Madrid, by C.J. Sansom.  Love story, thriller and more, set in Madrid right after the Spanish Civil War. A few inaccuracies about Madrid geography (picky picky, but it's set partly in my neithborhood so I notice) but the feeling is right on target. A must read if you want to understand why this period is still hard to discuss in today's Spain.

The Spanish Game, by Charles Cumming. Spy book set in modern Madrid, partly about international politics, partly about lust, partly about excessive paranoia and partly about the Basque terrorist group ETA. This guy has the right geography, including some bars (again partly in my 'hood). Good story, also fun to see if you know where he's talking about. 

The Return, by Victoria Hislop. An English woman, daughter of a Spanish woman from Granada goes to Granada for a summer. There she meets a waiter in a cafe who tells her about the Civil War and time right after it. I enjoyed the book, but thought the modern story was better written than the account of the past. Another disturbing story of a disturbing time. Good ending (but read the whole book).

A Woman Unknown, by Lucia Graves. Growing up bi-cultural and tri-lingual on the island of Mallorca during Franco's time. A very good read for everyone, especially for women and extra especially for women who remember the 1960's well: comparing Lucia's life with life in other places is very interesting. The author is the daughter of Engish writer Robert Graves.

As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning, by Laurie Lee. A young English man walks across the Iberian Peninsula in the mid 1930's, just before the breakout of the Spanish Civil War.

The Road of St. James / Camino de Santiago: Too numerous and too varied to list here. If you want to do the Camino, you may want to read any one of the many personal stories by modern pilgrims. For a medieval pilgrim's story, if you read Spanish or can find it in English, try the twelfth-century Calixtine Code, usually considered one of the first "guidebooks" and probably the most influential work in setting out the classic "French Road" that is usually considered the Camino (actually there are many Caminos...).  If you are travelling with an organized group you won't need information on places to stay, but if you are on your own you will have no problem finding a book with this information.  If you are interested, you might try to find something a little esoteric, the Camino has lots of levels of meaning and spirituality, not all of it is religious nor even 100% Christian in the conventional sense of the word.

Nature: There are lots of guidebooks out there for plants, birds and beasts though it may be difficult to find something specifically on Spain in English: usually this will be included in a book on Southern Europe.  

In making your choice, what geographical area the book includes will be an important factor - why get something on Portugal if you don't plan to travel there in the near future?   Different guidebooks also include different mixtures of information on the cultural sights and practical travel information  - if you are a real culture buff you may need more information (local tourist offices can usually help a lot here in Spain).   Of course you should also keep in mind your own travel style, as the different guidebooks are meant for different people - don't get a backpacker's book if you only go first class. And very important  (for Puente at least) is a solid if brief history section -- which will help put things into context during your travels. 

We will be adding more books to this list, based on suggestions we receive and as we make more discoveries on our own.

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