Books About Spain

Spain ( Lonely Planet Country Guide)

Damion Simonis et al

Lonely planet guidebooks have long been a favorite among backpackers. I bought their first Spain guide when it was published in 1997 and have been traveling with it ever since ! This newest updated edition was published in 2011. As to be expected it contains up to date travel information, accurate maps of towns, hotel and restaurant recomendations for all budgets and lots more.

The Rough Guide to Spain

Jules Brown et al

The rough guide is another excelent guidebook which I've been happy to use both in Spain and South America. They have a slightly different style to lonelyplanet guides and are equally in-depth and up to date.The latest update is the 14th edition published in 2012

Spain & Portugal 2012 Atlas (Michelin Tourist & Motoring Atlases) [Spiral-bound]

As stated above, the Michelin map No. 734 is detailed enough to get you wherever you want to go. However, it's often useful to have all the finer details offered by a full-on road atlas. It also has the advantage of being spiral bound and therefore both harder wearing and easier to handle than a single sheet map. It has the same useful feature of highlighting scenic routes and viewpoints as well as an alphabetical index of towns and street maps of the major cities. This is the map we always carry with us in our campervan.

Spain: A History

Raymond Carr. (Editor)

This compact history of Spain covers from prehistoric times up to the present day in 9 very readable chapters. It has recieved widespread critical aclaim including the Prince of Asturias prize when it was translated into Spanish in 2000.

Spanish in Three Months (Hugo)

Isabel Ciseneros

I bought several books when I was learning Spanish. Spanish in 3 months was definitely the one which I used the most. It is very well laid out with clear explanations and interesting exercises. It is also easy to use as a reference book when you want to refresh your memory. Don't be fooled by the “in 3 months” title tag though – it took me nearly 10 to work my way through from start to finish !

Cathedral of the Sea

Ildefonso Falcones

Set in 14th Century Barcelona this novel follows the life of Arnau, who is forced to flee to the city by a despotic feudal lord. Its a very absorbing story and if you've already visited Barcelona then you'll enjoy rediscovering the medieval city and familiar landmarks as they were during the middle ages.

The Last Jew

Noah Gordon

The story begins with the expulsion of the Jews from Spain. Having been separated from his family, Yonah Toledano remains in Spain and in order to survive, is forced to re-invent himself as he flees the Spanish Inquisition. If like me you have enjoyed other books by Noah Gordon then you will not be disapointed by The Last Jew.

El Sanador de Caballos

Gonzalo Giner

If you speak Spanish then I recommend you read this novel, which unfortunately has not yet been translated into English. An epic adventure following the life of a Christian peasant boy who, after his family is destroyed by the invading Moors, travels to Toledo where he becomes the apprentice to an Arab vet and finally sets out to track down his lost sisters.