Author Description

After church, Sunday morning, 23 March 1766. The streets of Madrid are abuzz with resentful rumours. A new law has been enacted. It forbids men to wear the traditional, long Spanish cloak and broad-brimmed hat. King Charles III has decided that the traditional costume makes life too easy for thieves: they can hide their faces under the hat and their ill-gotten goods under the cloak. Men who disobey the new law are grabbed in the street and their cloaks and hats are trimmed to size with specially designed, extra-large clippers. It's a recipe for trouble... level of knowledge of the reader. The story of Spain is brought to life with clear and entertaining anecdotes such as the one quoted above. By the end of the book (it only takes about four hours to read) the reader has absorbed a thorough outline of Spanish history from 15,000 BC to the present day, enough to enhance any visit to the country. apart from an introductory section. In this book it's the othe way around: tips on where to go arise from the history. For instance, in the chapter on the Spanish Civil War there's information on Ferrol - Franco's birthplace in Galicia, the house in Granada - where Federico Garcia Lorca wrote many of his greatest poems before his assassination, the Tree of Guernika - historic heart of the Basques, and 'Franco's Folly' - the old dictator's mausoleum outside Madrid. flick backwards and forwards through the book in order to get one's bearings. A scattering of amusing cartoons keep the tone light in what is ultimately an affectionate look at a remarkable country.