The Companion Guide to Madrid and Central Spain (Companion Guides) [Paperback]

Alastair Boyd (Author, Editor), Richard Oliver (Editor)

Book Description

Series: Companion Guides | Publication Date: May 6, 2002

This book performs with great thoroughness all the usual functions of a guidebook. But it is much more than a mere inventory of buildings, paintings, sculpture, routes and views, supplemented by appendices packed with practical information. The authors - from their long experience and deep knowledge of the country - are exceptionally well-equipped to draw together into a coherent whole all the threads of history, art, culture and recent developments. They steer you in most rewarding directions, enlivening the hallowed hush of museum or sacristy with an original interpretation of some great painter - El Greco, Goya, Picasso - or an observation which suddenly illuminates the seemingly unexceptional. Madrid, rather than just a political capital at the geographical centre of the country, is revealed as a true metropolis, genuinely representative of all the aspects and regional variations of Spanish life. Its art collections are justly renowned as superb. Add in the cluster of historical cities at an easy distance (including Segovia, Avila and Toledo), to say nothing of the lesser-known treasures and delights secreted in the heartlands of Castile, and you have, within a manageable compass, the core of Spanish civilisation.

Editorial Reviews

Review

The book gives an appetizing account of the cities and monuments within easy reach of Madrid (combining) practical detail with interpretation and background knowledge. --Times Literary Supplement

Product Details

• Paperback: 488 pages
• Publisher: Companion Guides; 4 Rev Upd edition (May 6, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1900639378
• ISBN-13: 978-1900639378
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 4.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #820,757 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #41 in Books > Travel > Europe > Spain > Madrid

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.