It occupies about 85 percent of the iberian peninsula, which it shares with its smaller neighbor portugal. It has coastlines on the bay of biscay a part of the atlantic ocean and the mediterranean sea. Recommended books set in spain fodors travel talk forums. Buy a concise history of spain cambridge concise histories 1 by phillips jr. A funny and entertaining history of printed books as told through absurd moments in the lives of authors and printers, collected by televisions favorite rare book expert from history s hit series pawn stars.
We love to immerse ourselves in a good book fiction and nonfiction alike. History is only told by those who survive it and can be slanted to. What is the best book about the history of spain in. Here is a list of famous books on islamic history and a little intro of the book to help you decide the book you may want to read. And they might take you into a magical world full of mystery. The book opens with the body of stuart pedrell, an important entrepreneur, turning up in a marginalized part of town, having been stabbed to death. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Books to read before you visit spain kids are a trip. There are certainly lots of extras, including minibiographies, a timeline, and a bibliographic essay. Leningrad by anna reid reveals the nazis deliberate decision to starve the city of leningrad into surrender this was the longest and most devastating siege in the history of world war ii. Click here to see our list of ten great books about spain.
Medieval iberia a collection of primary sources from iberian christians, muslims, and jews, many of which deal specifically with the reconquista. Spain, country located in extreme southwestern europe. In 1516, habsburg spain unified a number of disparate predecessor kingdoms. Illustrated with five maps, and at the rear of the book there are two single page genealogical tables, and one eight panel genealogical table of the christian kings of spain, indexed, and with a chronology of the principal events in the history of spain. An excellent single volume history of the peninsular war, which when it was published was the first really good english language history of the entire war since oman. A good book which covers the basics of spanish history. The rich cultural and political life of spain has emerged from its complex history, from the diversity of its peoples, and from continual contact with outside influences. In 2018, two firms in spain ranked among the worlds biggest publishers of books in terms of revenue. This book traces that history from prehistoric times to the present, focusing particularly on culture, society, politics, and personalities. The purple nights were astounding, but i missed matadors and dancers. A history of spain to the start of the second world war. Reconquest and crusade in medieval spain another ocallaghan, talking in particular about the philosophical underpinnings of the reconquest.
It is a nice coverage of the very complex past of spain from pre history to the present. This covers the details after the fall of islamic spain u. In ghosts of spain faber giles tremlett sees a country break the pact of forgetting and try to come to terms with the legacy of the civil war. It is edited by raymond carr but the individual chapters were written by different authors. Here are 10 books to dip into when you are preparing for your spanish odyssey. Buy products related to spanish history products and see what customers say. This excellent little book gave me an overview of the rise and fall of spain and. What are some good books on islamic spain alandalus. Before we travel to a foreign destination we like to learn about the people will we meet, the history of their country, and the places we might visit. Written in an engaging style, it introduces readers to the key themes that have. This covers the early history of islamic spain and its role in shaping europe. Im going to spain soon and thought i should read a book for a quick refresher on spain s history and this book was perfect for that. The history of spain by pierson, peter and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. A concise history of spain cambridge concise histories.
Your next book takes us to a part of world war ii in which you have a particular interest. Roman spain the roman conquest to the creation of an independent gothic kingdom 17 bce 475 ce visigoths the rise and fall of romes most powerful successor state 475 711 spain divided the invasion of the moors to the ascension of charles i 711 1516. Spain is a storied country of stone castles, snowcapped mountains, vast monuments, and sophisticated cities. What is the best book about the history of spain in spanish.
Originally from the north african country of morocco, the moors were medieval muslims who once ruled over areas that currently comprise spain, portugal, and septimania. The warrior queen by kirstin downey, a concise history of spain by willia. Little more than the kingdom of granada remained in moorish hands. Top american libraries canadian libraries universal library community texts project gutenberg biodiversity heritage library childrens library.
Ten books that tell you everything you need to know about spain. This list of the top 25 books about spain covers history, historical. Basic info, history, geography and climate of spain. The basque country in northern spain isnt as well known as the south, famous for flamenco, sunny plazas, and bullfighting.
A brief guide to the marvelous history of the moors in spain. A big book requiring some dedication to get through, this biography of spains. Here youll find everything from an account of life in the mysterious alpujarras region of andalusia in the 1920s to a collection of essays about the future of catalonia. Spain s capital and largest city is madrid, and the country is known for its long history, unique culture, strong economy, and very high living standards. The succession of cultures that onebyone set foot on the iberian peninsula have each left a lasting mark on every facet of spain s culture. Reading is the best way to achieve that understanding, but ten cuidado. This is one of very few budget priced books about spanish history and for that reason is almost unique if you dont want to pay. Piersons book has been lauded as the singlevolume history of spain, the first choice for students and general readers alike. Books to read before you visit spain this post may contain affiliate links, however, all recommendations are my own.
But northern spain is just as if not more so, imho fascinating, with a language, culture, and history unlike any other part of spain. Traveling to spain soon or simply want to learn a bit more about the country. The spanish civil war 19361939 by antony beevor, imperial spain, 1469 1716 by j. I did notice that certain unfavorable moments of spain s history were glossed over a little but overall it is well written and easy to get through. Europe recommended books set in spain we have suddenly decided to take a trip to spain in two weeks. The book analyzes and explains the basic pre history of the universe and how it came into being, the basic dynamics which created life, the basic. Books which capture valencian identity, culture and history. And he certainly had a lot of influence on other historians, particularly in spain. Theresa breslins top 10 books about the spanish inquisition one of the darkest periods in spain s history provides rich pickings for writers, says the childrens author, inspiring novelists from. Indeed, helen grahams book the spanish republic at war is dedicated to him.
More importantly, pierson has written an excellent text that provides a warm and interesting overvi. The path of splitness is a major nonfiction work that will rock the scientific world it is 2,766 pages. Spain is a country located in southwestern europe on the iberian peninsula to the south of france and andorra and to the east of portugal. What all of these books have in common, though, is that they shed light on the. Does anyone have any good book recommendations for me. But spanish history also includes a thriving muslim era and a world empire. The history of spain dates back to the middle ages. History of spain wikibooks, open books for an open world. Spain is overwhelmingly rich in history, art, and culture. The history of spain by peter pierson abebooks passion for books. There are novels, works of history and travel books as well.
This is a well balanced work with detailed coverage of those campaigns conducted entirely by spanish armies, as well as the better known british intervention in portugal and spain. List of books and articles about spanish history online. There are thousands of books about the spanish revolution and thousands of very expensive books about the general history of spain. A war with good outcomes by janice d reese upland, ca united states. So herberts book on guernica is one that i would always include in the five most important books on the spanish civil war in any language.
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