A Traveller's History of Spain (Traveller's History Series) [Paperback]

Juan Lalaguna (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1996 | Series: Traveller's History Series

'Curiously enough, though Spain is the most popular holiday destination in Europe, its history is probably unfamiliar to the vast majority of its visitors. For the discerning traveller, therefore, this series fills a very important gap. It gives a brief, readable summary of the country's history, and a gazetteer allows you to fit the sights you can see today into the turbulent and fascinating story of the land' THE GOOD BOOK GUIDE Spain, during its 'golden age', was a political giant whose influence spanned the world from Germany to the Western Pacific. A TRAVELLER'S HISTORY OF SPAIN takes the reader on a journey from the earliest settlements on the Iberian Peninsula, through the influences of the Romans, the Goth and the Muslims, the traumas of expansion and the end of Empire, the bitter civil war, the Franco era and ends with an analysis of Spain today and her future in Europe as a leading member of the European Community.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Dr Juan Lalaguna was born in Navarra in Spain and later graduated from the Univeristy of Zaragoza in History and Law. He came to London for his post-graduate sutides at the LSE and has lived here ever since. He was born in Spain but now lives in East Finchley, London N2. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 292 pages
• Publisher: Interlink Pub Group Inc; 3rd edition (December 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1566562031
• ISBN-13: 978-1566562034
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 4.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 1.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,028,245 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars The title is deceiving., July 20, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: A Traveller's History of Spain (Traveller's History Series) (Paperback)

What a disappointment. I am preparing for my first trip to Spain. Hoping for a summary of the country's history and people that would help me appreciate what I am about to see, I anxiously opened Lalaguna's book. Instead of text that would bring the country's culture and historical figures to life, I found a mere time line. Chapter after chapter that traces groups of people by date and geographical location. The Black Plague, the Inquisition and Ferdinand and Isabella's reign were all dispensed with in a mere paragraph. What a shame that such a rich heritage could sound so boring.

18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Read Iberia instead, November 25, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: A Traveller's History of Spain (Traveller's History) (Paperback)

Having read several other Traveller's History books (Turkey, China, Greece) and enjoyed them, I expected much more than I got from this book. The author makes no connections and assumes the reader already knows a lot about Spanish history, in which case, why read this one? I was particularly turned off by the author's terrible punctuation and sentences that went on for 10 lines. Doesn't anyone edit anymore? Wish I had read the other reviews before buying this book. Someone planning a trip to Spain should read James Michner's Iberia instead Ñ not as much history, perhaps, but a lot more understanding of the country and what shaped it.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars What a waste of time and money!, January 31, 2000

By 

"mike_sh" - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Traveller's History of Spain (Traveller's History) (Paperback)

Bought this book in Canada from Chapters. Dropped it after the first 100 pages. I love history and enjoy history books, but this one is terribly boring and unprofessional. There is no systematic approach whatsoever: events, places and names mentioned without proper introduction or reference. The book fails to build link between the places you might visit (it's a "travelers history" after all) and the historic events. It is neither popular reading nor academic textbook.