España: a Brief History of Spain
España: a Brief History of Spain
paperback
Published:
2 February, 2023
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Description
Bestselling author Giles Tremlett traverses the rich and varied history of Spain, from prehistoric times to today, in a brief, accessible primer for visitors, curious readers and hispanophiles.
'Tremlett is a fascinating socio-cultural guide, as happy to discuss Spain's World Cup win as its Moorish rule' Guardian
'Negotiates Spain's chaotic history with admirable clarity and style' The Times
Spain's position on Europe's south-western corner has exposed it to cultural, political and actual winds blowing from all quadrants. Africa lies a mere nine miles to the south. The Mediterranean connects it to the civilizational currents of Phoenicians, Romans, Carthaginians, and Byzantines as well as the Arabic lands of the near east. Bronze Age migrants from the Russian steppe were amongst the first to arrive. They would be followed by Visigoths, Arabs, Napoleonic armies and many more invaders and immigrants. Circular winds and currents linked it to the American continent, allowing Spain to conquer and colonize much of it.
As a result, Spain has developed a sort of hybrid vigour. Whenever it has tried to deny this inevitable heterogeneity, it has required superhuman effort to fashion a 'pure' national identity – which has proved impossible to maintain. In España, Giles Tremlett argues that, in fact, that lack of a homogenous identity is Spain's defining trait.
More Details
| Type | Book |
|---|---|
| ISBN13 | 9781789544381 |
| ISBN10 | 1789544386 |
| Number Of Pages | 304 |
| Item Weight | 240 g |
| Product Dimensions | 128 x 196 x 24 mm |
| Publisher / Reseller | Bloomsbury Publishing PLC |
| Format | paperback |
Media Reviews
Tremlett is a fascinating socio-cultural guide, as happy to discuss Spain's World Cup win as its Moorish rule * Guardian *
Negotiates Spain's chaotic history with admirable clarity and style * The Times *
Provides an excellent whistle-stop tour through the history that explains it all... Brisk and readable telling * New Statesman *
Aimed at curious visitors and hispanophiles alike, this accessible trot through the country's history covers everything from Spain's connections to the ancient empires of Rome and Byzantium, to its colonisation of swathes of the Americas * BBC History Magazine *
España is well researched, beautifully produced and, as far as generic primers go, an exemplar of its kind * TLS *
Giles Tremlett is adept at grabbing the reader's attention, opening his brief history with a revealing vignette... Tremlett's book with appeal to anyone interested in Spain's past, present, or future * Literary Review *
GoodReads Reviews
Author's Bio
Giles Tremlett is a prize-winning historian, author and journalist based in Madrid, Spain. He has lived in, and written extensively about, Spain almost continuously since graduating from Oxford University thirty-five years ago. He is Visiting Fellow of the Cañada Blanch Centre at the London School of Economics, writes opinion and long form reportage for the Guardian and is a former Madrid correspondent for The Economist.