Buying Options

Kindle Price: $5.50

Enter a promotion code or Gift Card

Share <Embed>

Utopia and the Valley of Tears: A journey through the Spanish crisis by [Dan Hancox]

Follow the Author

Dan Hancox

Utopia and the Valley of Tears: A journey through the Spanish crisis Kindle Edition

by Dan Hancox (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

9 ratings

See all formats and editions

Price

New from

Used from

Kindle

"Please retry"

$5.50

—

Kindle
$5.50 Read with Our Free App

A worse unemployment rate than Greece. A Spanish economic miracle turned catastrophe. A lost generation of indignados with no homes, no work, and no faith in the system. An austerity government who in nine months have already pushed miners to armed conflict, firing home-made rocket launchers at riot police. An Economics Minister whose last job was director of the Spanish branch of Lehman Brothers.

And right in the middle of the Andalucian countryside is Marinaleda, a little-known communist utopia led by the charismatic poet-rebel, Juan Manuel Sánchez Gordillo: a town of landless labourers who for over 30 years since the death of Franco, have fought capitalism - and won.

In this travelogue through Spain's violent past and febrile present, Dan Hancox finds a lost generation in search of answers beyond the confines of capitalism, and an extraordinary community who have already created their own answer.

“Hancox captures the optimism necessary for alternative ways of doing politics, economics and living together. As the borderline between dream and reality shimmers in the heat of Andalucia, we begin to wonder if living as if change were indeed possible is the very key to making actual change happen. Do we really have any other choice?” - Suzanne Moore, The Guardian

“It sounds like science fiction: a small rural town led by a charismatic mayor tries to turn itself into a communist utopia. But it's fact - it's happening right now in Andalucia, and colliding with the region's real-world history of violent rebellion and radicalism. Hancox's book could not be more timely - with Spain on the brink of social crisis and the shadows of the past emerging.” - Paul Mason, Economics Editor, BBC Newsnight

Print length

76 pages
Language

English
Publication date

August 15, 2012
File size

266 KB
Page Flip

Enabled
Word Wise

Enabled
Enhanced typesetting

Enabled
See all details

Amazon Business: Make the most of your Amazon Business account with exclusive tools and savings. Login now

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B008YF7DRG
Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 15, 2012
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 266 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 76 pages
Lending ‏ : ‎ Enabled

Best Sellers Rank: #4,384,048 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #1,813 in Spain & Portugal Travel
- #3,560 in Two-Hour Politics & Social Sciences Short Reads
- #5,328 in General Spain Travel Guides

Customer Reviews:
9 ratings

Customer reviews

5 star		32%
4 star		33%
3 star		21%
2 star 0% (0%)		0%
1 star		14%

How are ratings calculated?

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

IMARA HYMAN

Inspiration to fuel Aspiration

Reviewed in the United States on March 21, 2014

Verified Purchase

I found this book to be an inspiration in a time when it seems democracy is becoming a rare thing in america. While there is no blueprint, the account let's us know that another world is possible. I recommend this for all who are engaged in maintaining humanity and sanity in a time of profit madness.

Helpful

Minoo Koefoed

An exellent work which filles your heart with bubbely joy and a strengthened belief in that constructive change is possible!

Reviewed in the United States on June 13, 2013

Verified Purchase

I warmly recommend Utopia and the Valley of Tears for anyone with a serious interest in radical social change in the time of economic crisis in Europe and elsewhere. Let's be realistic, and demand the impossible! This book is a must-read for activists of nonviolence, journalists, idealists, as well as for researchers of fields like political science, popular resistance and social movement studies.

Great work!

Helpful

Amazon Customer

basic book to understand Spain today

Reviewed in the United States on August 26, 2012

This little but precious book, is easy to read, funny, ironic but with passion and love. It is all about the 15m movement and the search in Spain for a Utopia that is not perfect but is getting there. You can miss it if you are looking for answers regarding the future of the left in the world, the real left not the one that only uses that word during elections.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

bela_guau

Fantastic insight into the current state of affairs in Spain

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 28, 2012

Verified Purchase

This book takes you inside the current Spanish economic crisis in an entertaining & digestible way. Serious pieces of commentary on historic & current events are interspersed with some witty observations about Spanish society & language. Wants you make to visit Marinaleda, the utopia at the centre of the piece, & meet its eccentric & inspiring mayor. Also - it's cheaper than a pint in London and lasts longer!

6 people found this helpful

londonmarc2342

great subject, ok-ish execution

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 26, 2012

Verified Purchase

The subject itself is great and theres some fascinating quotes and experiences described, but theres quite a bit of irrelevant junk in there too and its quite short

One person found this helpful

Georgi

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 24, 2015

Verified Purchase

Great

susan phasey

Useful and interesting account

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 10, 2015

Verified Purchase

Useful and interesting account; would have enjoyed more detail and a longer stay for the writer!! Interesting historical facts and analysis.

el diabolo

Too short a journey

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 2, 2012

Verified Purchase

It's a well written book but it starts with a load of baggage from the author. Spain is a mess of conflicting demands which center on how much can be taken out of society and the economy and neglects what needs to be put in. The Spaniards are lovely people with no interest in economics and no awareness of how the Euro would eventually crucify their economy. Spain is a lesson that not all change is progress. I hope they make it out their crisis, I really do, but they don't yet understand how much they need to change.

One person found this helpful

See all reviews

Buying Options

Buy for others

Buying and sending eBooks to others

Follow the Author

Similar authors to follow

Utopia and the Valley of Tears: A journey through the Spanish crisis Kindle Edition

Product details

Customer reviews

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Top reviews from other countries