Book suggestion: Ghosts of Spain
 

Pretty sure that this book is by now considered 'old hat' for some readers here. But those who may be Spain-bound could do worse than read Gilles Tremlett's 'Ghosts of Spain'.
Those with an interest in modern Spanish history will be well satisfied. Got this recco from the Rough Guide: Spain suggested reading list.
Great stuff.
I am done. the silent past

Gracias.


Greetings from The Future.


There is another classic but I cannot remember the name now.....non-fiction by American author....
IBERIA is worth reading, still.

Driving over Lemmons? ( can't remember)
I believe i enjoyed that One i that the correct title.
Thank you for suggesting Ghosts of Spain.

I did read that and another by same author.
But book I am thinking about is not a memoir but something along the lines of Bahraini's THE ITALIANS, but about Spain. Maybe written during or just after Franco years....

Forgive mistakes...waiting time for Lufthansa flight change by phone is now up to 1 hour 35 minutes!!!!!
Thank whoever invented speaker phone!

Sorry, NOT Bahraini!!! Luigi Barzini!!

ekscrunchy

Are you perhaps thinking of James A Michener's Iberia?

No, that is a great book but this is something else and I've looked and looked online and cannot find it...maybe written by a NYTimes or WaPo writer (?).
it was written decades go but I thought it was kind of a classic and its driving me crazy!

We really enjoyed the book and read it before our 2016 trip to Spain. It gave us a good sense of what the country had been like under Franco and the deep conflicts that were left in his wake.

Ernest Hemingway's for Whom the Bell tolls?

No, non-fiction.

I bet its out of print so that ids why its not on Amazon, or at least I could not find it on Amazon, yet!

Finally:

THE NEW SPANIARDS

I appreciate seeing book reviews on this forum, and it's hard to resist jumping in. I "second" the OP's recommendation for "Ghosts of Spain" -- I read it myself, and found it to be excellent background reading for anyone whose interests in Spain go beyond pleasure and food. (I wouldn't consider it "old hat" at all!)
Like other respondents, I'll offer a recommendation of my own, but for a special reason. My recommendation is "A Stranger in Spain" by Henry V. Morton. It was published in 1955, so it's not exactly an up-to-date travel guide, but I find it interesting to see what places like Spain were like before the recent quantum leaps in mass global tourism. Morton is also an engaging writer -- witty, but also respectful and informative. But my main reason for calling attention to this book is that unlike certain foreign writers such as Michener and Hemingway, who seemed to find a sort of vicarious machismo in their love for the bullfights, the clear-eyed Mr. Morton had no illusions about it at all. Though I recommend the entire book, those who may be flirting with the idea of the bullfight may want to read at least Chapter 6, section 6, where Morton describes a bullfight he witnessed -- describes it in every gory, ugly, agonizing, gruesome detail. (Unlike Hemingway, who as I recall, also revealed some of these details, Morton makes no attempt to raise the bullfight above the level of slaughter.)

I will look for that book..does HV Morton not have at least one book about travel in Italy? (I think I own it but I'm not at home right now to check)
Thanks to you both.

Yes, in fact he does -- two of them, one on Northern, and one on Southern Italy.

Zebec..Mil gracias!! Have it from my library and have begun reading. Reveling in the cheaper on flamenco (huge Camaron fan here). But I skipped to the chapter on Benidorm and could not believe what I read until I watched a videos.....


And now...live from BENIDORM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


https://www.lasexta.com/programas/ap...0011402aa.html

Six in the morning, the scene in..... Benidorm. ...even I am shocked by this:

https://www.lasexta.com/programas/ap...001019396.html

I thought Spain in Our Hearts by Adam Hochschild was an excellent account of the Spanish Civil War and the part played by American and British volunteers -- and also the corporate supporters of the Fascists.

'It gave us a good sense of what the country had been like under Franco and the deep conflicts that were left in his wake.'
Well-put PG! Our Tao of Travel always includes some pre-trip reading that hopefully goes above and beyond 'which cafe has the best views?'

Fra and Eks, I also just finished reading Orwell's famous (infamous?) book about that terrible time. What I had not been aware of was the extent of deadly infighting between local 'communist' groups at that point. They 'didn't play' as some Americans put it. I also had not been aware of the sheer amount of unorganized idiocy, poor equipment (i.e. ancient weapons that misfired) and lack of leadership. All of it defining the folly of War.

Eks, I am glad that you got the book. I like Gilles' style. He's a good journalist who writes clearly and with economy. Btw, as I've posted elsewhere, there exists a newish doc about Camaron you may find interesting. It was part of the DVD/CD collection at one of our recent rentals.

Off topic self-involved section:
Speaking of books... I am currently putting the finishing touches to my musical memoir and thus working closely with my editor. He is a very talented young wordsmith and we are having a blast.
Speaking of NYC... I am aware that some of you once lived/still live in Manhattan. Mrs Z and I are planning a fall 2025 trip there. She has never been and my last trip there was around the time of Michael Jordan's rookie year.
Will have some questions about NYC further down the road (fingers crossed).

I am done. the Spaniard in the works

Faedus, I noticed that you and I are among the Fodorites who also sometimes visit the RS forum.
FWIW, a modest 'Thorn Tree' has been resurrected over on reddit, if that might interest you too.

I am done. the posterz

Zebec: Thanks for the suggestion. I'll look into it.