Customer Reviews

Iberia: Spanish Travels and Reflections

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I read (and looked at) Iberia while preparing to visit Spain in 1969. I had already read Hawaii and Caravans by Michener, which are 2 great stories, but this photo essay about Spain astounded me. Although I thought I was prepared, I knew how to speak Spanish, I had lived in Peru for about 3 years, I had seen bullfights, I knew about geography, etc, Michener's short but in depth reflections about places in Spain made me hungry for a trip there, to try to experience some of what he wrote about. The photos are an integral part of this book, I can't remember the name of the photographer.

This book should still be in print! I'll look in a library now.

In the summer of 1976 I read this book shortly after Franco died and before I arrived for a years's study in Madrid. I found it a terrific read. I arrived in Spain with more knowledge than most of my American friends.
I have just finished re-reading it. My 17 year old daughter is going to summer school this year in Tarragona for a month, to work on her Spanish skills. I hope she enjoys this as much as I did.
My wife and I have returned to Spain on numerous occasions, to vacation, to visit friends, to just visit. We are never bored. This book was and is a large part of that.

Published in 1968, 'Iberia' is James Michener's tribute to Spain, drawn from his travels there beginning in the 1930s through the late 60s. Not only does he describe the different regions of Spain, but as he does in his novels, he delves into Spain's culture, politics and history and even its ecology (there is a beautiful chapter written about Las Marismas, a large swampland in the south). This is a wonderfully written and fascinating book, and I would highly recommend it to anyone wanting to learn more about or travel to Spain.

I bought this used book because we were going to Spain (from the US). I read it with the intention of learning about the land, history, and culture of Spain before setting foot there. I wasn't using it to find trinket stores or restaurants. It was filled with rich narrative and it met all my expectations.

James Michener has written very in depth novels about Hawaii, South Africa and the US which I have enjoyed but it seems that Spain is one of his favorite destinations. He had visited Spain repeatedly over the years and although this was published in 1968 it is timeless in reading of the ancient cites, villages, art, and culture of the country. He writes of Iberia in the old sense as referred to by the Romans not as the Iberian Peninsula which includes Portugal. This book is entirely about Spain.

An additional valuable aspect of this book perhaps compared to latter versions and more recent guidebooks to Spain is Michener's rich descriptions of the sites he visits. The book is sparsely illustrated (as many older books are probably due to costs) but maps at the start of the chapters are helpful and black and white photographs of Robert Vavra are set throughout the book as beautiful portraits of the people and places of Spain. Michener fills in the details of the artistry of the cathedrals and plazas with descriptive illustration that gives context to each site in a way that often is not available in recent publications. Each statue, painting, building detail is given it's due in historical context and artistic interpretation.

This is a long read, over 800 pages, and is well worth the time you spend on it. I have learned so much about the country and have enjoyed it as it has been more like hearing conversation from a knowledgeable friend than studying a text on Spanish history and culture. I would highly recommend reading this before making a decision on what part of Spain you should visit. It is all here from bullfights (perhaps a little too much on bullfights) to the Gaudi cathedrals in Barcelona, the trek to Santiago de Compostela, the Costa del Sol, Toledo, Granada, Cordoba and much more.