3 Must-Read Books about Spain

Those books are

The Ghosts of Spain - Giles Tremlett
The Food of Spain - Claudia Roden
South from Granada - Gerald Brenan

[matthewraden]

Thanks for the reading list. John Hooper’s “The New Spaniards” is also an important book.

[josemiguelbs]

Soy español y este tío es un grande! Mola como explica nuestras constumbres, las divulga y disfruta de ellas. Muy bien crack!

[piofernandezlopez]

As a Spaniard, I can recommend The Gohsts of.., since it provides you a first political & sociologycal understanding of today's Spain. Gerald Brenan's is more of a look into the past of the life in Southern Spain's countryside, before the Civil War. About the starts & the Civil War itself, there is Antony Beevor's The Battle for Spain. Some Spaniard's may claim that this literature by English speaking hystorians & writers tends to have some bias towards the left.
It may be the case, but even today it is still hard to find a neutral POV about what happened in the years before 1936, until General Franco's death in 1975.

[fotoblanco]

Ghosts of Spain I highly recommend if you are into history and why things are they way they are. It helped me fill in the gaps that I heard about as a child but had no context. My go to cookbook is Cocina Española de Blanca Serrano. Your last recommendation I will order. Hope to run into you in Madrid. :) Venga, Let's go!

[marcelfahle]

Have and love the first two, just put the third on the list. Thank you and happy holidays!

[elainefigueiredo]

Another great book about Spain is James Mitchner’s IBERIA.

[alpehyl]

Michael Jacobs - Everything is Happening. Great book about "Las Meninas" and more.

[ngodwi]

Hi James
Kiwis currently travelling through Spain (currently in Cordoba), and a weird question for you; why do none of the apartments we rent have potato pealers? Do they just not peal fruit and vegetables?

[krzychonh]

I did read Ghost of Spain - also recommend it :)

[welshtoro]

Any book by J.H. Elliot, Paul Preston and Henry Kamen. Lot's of other good stuff too. I have all three of these books and they are fun reads but not particularly serious. One is a cook book after all. Tremlett has improved no end since Ghosts of Spain and I think his book about the International Brigades is superb and far superior.

[francis]

The end was abrupt. Did we miss anything?

[steenbjrnsndergaard]

I can highly recommend to read "THE MYTH OF THE ANDALUSIAN PARADISE" Muslims, Christians, and Jews under Islamic Rule in Medieval Spain. Written by Darío Fernández-Morera.

[Emy]

I love to read about the history of many countries but I am careful about what is true and is not totally accurate such as the history of the USA. I am so disappointed in our education system. Many Americans are a product of our government and the lies. I have learned more as an adult than I learned in school. Thank you, I will look for those books.

[manueljimenezancos]

Para cuando unos subtítulos en castellano?

[rc]

Here's a shortcut: Spain gets told what to do on a daily basis by Brussels, down the size and shape of the bananas Spain must import. Spain looks like any other place that has been commercialized. Consumer culture high and authentic Spanish culture down.

[leonmiguel]

Hi James, i hope you're doing well you and your lovely Family,
Ich have noticed, whenever you talk about the Historical Spain ( named back then 'Al-Andaluss' ), you try to Avoid to name the Religion of Islam, you abstain to refer to the Muslims, muslims instead of calling them, the Moors " who were there for 8 Centuries 711-1492" on the other hand you insist on stating the Religion of a minority 'the jews', i wonder why.
Best regards from Germany