Best of
Spain

2010

The Journey in Between


Keith Foskett - 2010
    A thousand-mile hike. A life forever changed. Keith Foskett was the definition of restless. Drifting aimlessly, he knew a piece was missing from his life. But when a stranger in a Greek bar tells him about a world-famous pilgrim’s trail, the chance encounter sets Foskett’s life in a new 1,000-mile direction. On El Camino de Santiago, the wanderer copes with extreme temperatures, fake faith healers, and insatiable kleptomaniacs. Threatened with arrest for ‘not sleeping’ and suffering with excruciating blisters, Foskett pushes himself to new limits. Can he find what he’s looking for and make it to the other side?Keith Foskett’s travelogues have been shortlisted for Outdoor Book of the Year multiple times by The Great Outdoors magazine. Awash with vivid descriptions and a cast of engaging real-life characters, the author delivers a humorous and mesmerizing tale of adventure and metamorphosis. The Journey in Between is a daring travel memoir. If you like indulging your inner adventurer, taking the less popular fork in the road, and visiting foreign locations, then you’ll love Keith Foskett’s transformative tale. Pick up The Journey in Between to take your first step today.

Fragile Beasts


Tawni O'Dell - 2010
    But in a strange twist of fate, their town’s matriarch, an eccentric, wealthy old woman whose family once owned the county coal mines, hears the boys’ story. Candace Jack doesn’t have an ounce of maternal instinct, yet for reasons she does not even understand herself, she is compelled to offer them a home.Suddenly, the two boys go from living in a small, run-down house on a gravel road to a stately mansion filled with sumptuous furnishings and beautiful artwork—artwork that’s predominantly centered, oddly, on bullfighting. And then there’s Miss Jack’s real-life bull: Ventisco—a regal, hulking, jet-black beast who roams the land she owns with fiery impudence.Kyle adjusts more easily to the transition. A budding artist, he finds a kindred spirit in Miss Jack. But local baseball hero Klint refuses to warm up to his new benefactress and instead throws himself into his game with a fierceness that troubles his little brother. Klint is not just grieving his father’s death; he’s carrying a terrible secret that he has never revealed to anyone. Unbeknownst to the world, Candace Jack has a secret too—a tragic, passionate past in Spain that the boys’ presence threatens to reveal as she finds herself caring more for them than she ever believed possible.From the muted, bruised hills of Pennsylvania coal country to the colorful, flamboyant bull rings of southern Spain, Tawni O’Dell takes us on a riveting journey not only between two completely different lands, but also between seemingly incompatible souls, casting us under her narrative spell in which characters and places are rendered with fragile tenderness.

Homage to Catalonia / Down and Out in Paris and London


George Orwell - 2010
    Down and Out in Paris and London chronicles the adventures of a penniless British writer who finds himself rapidly descending into the seedy heart of two great European cities. This edition brings together two powerful works from one of the finest writers of the twentieth century.

Antonio López García: Drawings


Antonio López García - 2010
    Interior scenes of dining tables, bathroom sinks, toilets, dressers are depicted in sober light that recall Chardin or the "intimisme" of Vuillard--though Lopez Garcia surpasses even these masters in his ability to make unforgivingly prosaic subject matter, such as a brick wall or a refrigerator, sparkle and throb with mood. The artist's statement that "you work until the whole surface has an expressive intensity equivalent to what you have before you, converted into a pictorial reality" conveys something of the labor he brings to his works: Lopez Garcia is not a prolific artist, and as a result shows rarely (his 2008 exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, consolidated his already strong audience in the U.S.). His drawings and paintings are equally esteemed, but until now, the drawings have never been the subject of a monograph. All of the work in this superbly designed publication has been carefully selected by the artist's daughter, Maria; much of it has never been reproduced until now. Including 200 color plates and a moving text by the artist himself, it stands as a powerful testimony to Lopez Garcia's astounding achievement.Antonio Lopez Garcia (born 1936) studied at the School of Art in Madrid in the early 1950s, and quickly became part of a nucleus of realist painters, such as Francisco Lopez Hernandez, Amalia Avia and Isabel Quintanilla. Lopez Garcia was the subject of Victor Erice's 1992 film "El Sol del Membrillo" ("The Quince Tree of the Sun"), which closely chronicles the artist's attempts to paint a quince tree.

Love Poems by Pedro Salinas: My Voice Because of You and Letter Poems to Katherine


Pedro Salinas - 2010
    Now, seventy-five years after its publication, the reputation of the poems and its multifaceted writer remains untarnished. A portrait of their era, the poems, from a writer in exile from his native civil war–torn Spain, now reemerge in our time.             In this new, facing-page bilingual edition, Barnstone has added thirty-six poems written in the form of letters from Salinas to his great love, Katherine Whitmore. Discovered years later, these poems were written during and after the composition of La voz and, though disguised as prose, have all the rhythms and sounds of lineated lyric poetry. Taken together, the poems and letters are a history, a dramatic monologue, and a crushing and inevitable ending to the story of a man consumed by his love and his art. Bolstered by an elegant foreword by Salinas’s contemporary, the poet Jorge Guillén, and a masterly afterword by the Salinas scholar, Enric Bou, that considers the poet and his legacy for twenty-first century world poetry, Love Poems by Pedro Salinas will be cause for celebration throughout the world of verse and beyond.

Guastavino Vaulting: The Art of Structural Tile


John Ochsendorf - 2010
    No one was more skilled at this than the Rafael Guastavino family, a father and son team of Spanish immigrants who oversaw the construction of thousands of spectacular thin-tile vaults across the United States between the 1880s and the 1950s. These versatile, strong, and fireproof vaults were built by Guastavino in more than two hundred major buildings in Manhattan, and in hundreds more across the country, including Grand Central Terminal, Carnegie Hall, the Biltmore Estate, the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, the Registry Hall at Ellis Island, and many major university buildings. Their patented vaulting techniques made it possible for Beaux-Arts architects such as McKim, Mead and White to create the bold, broad spaces that made them famous. Yet, because the Guastavinos served only as contractors on these projects, their firms accomplishments have remained relatively unknown to the public. Guastavino Vaulting traces the development of the remarkable construction technology from its Mediterranean roots to its highest achievements in the United States. This long overdue first monograph features archival images, drawings, and beautiful new color photography showcasing the most incredible Guastavino vaulted spaces. An extensive appendix lists the addresses of all known extant Guastavino vaults, over six hundred masterpieces small and large.

Rustica: A Return to Spanish Home Cooking


Frank Camorra - 2010
    In Rustica, award-winning chef Frank Camorra journeys through his native land to deliver more than 120 savory and sweet recipes tailored to the home kitchen. With an eye-catching, modern design, sumptuous photography, clear techniques, and a Spanish culinary glossary, this gorgeous package is as glorious as the cuisine it celebrates.

Islamic Arts from Spain


Mariam Rosser-Owen - 2010
    This fascinating book, lavishly illustrated with objects drawn from the V&A’s collections, includes exquisite ivory caskets, including stunning Byzantine works, marble tombstones and capitals, architectural models, jewelry, textiles, ceramics, and also examines the late 19th-century craze for the "Alhambresque" style promoted by English designer Owen Jones, the work of Antoni Gaudi, and much more. Islamic Arts from Spain addresses the creation, suppression, rediscovery, and influence of Islamic art in Spain from the 8th to the 20th century . It looks first at patronage during the "Golden Age" of the Umayyad caliphate, from the mid-10th to the early 11th century, before discussing the Nasrid dynasty, who ruled from Granada while Christian monarchs were reemerging in northern Spain. The book also explores the phenomenon of the "Mudéjar," Islamic-influenced arts produced under non-Muslim patrons in the Renaissance.

Casa Clara


Kate McCabe - 2010
    Here she can escape the mounting pressure from her domineering elder sister Trish who is pushing her into a marriage she herself has grave doubts about. Emma quickly falls in love with the hotel – her little room overlooking the courtyard with its vivid flowers and soothing fountain, the cast of quirky guests, warm staff and flamboyant owner. When the post of receptionist falls vacant she seizes the bull by the horns and, with little Spanish and no experience, cajoles her way into the job. She soon discovers a talent for management and Casa Clara flourishes in her care. When Fate brings the man of her dreams to the door, the future looks perfect. But her scheming sister is still busy tracking her down and eventually Emma must face forces that threaten to destroy the idyllic life she has built for herself.

Colonialism and Postcolonial Development: Spanish America in Comparative Perspective


James Mahoney - 2010
    The book explores why certain kinds of societies are subject to certain kinds of colonialism and why these forms of colonialism give rise to countries with differing levels of economic prosperity and social well-being. Mahoney contends that differences in the extent of colonialism are best explained by the potentially evolving fit between the institutions of the colonizing nation and those of the colonized society. Moreover, he shows how institutions forged under colonialism bring countries to relative levels of development that may prove remarkably enduring in the postcolonial period. The argument is sure to stir discussion and debate, both among experts on Spanish America who believe that development is not tightly bound by the colonial past, and among scholars of colonialism who suggest that the institutional identity of the colonizing nation is of little consequence.

A Food Lover's Pilgrimage to Santiago De Compostela


Dee Nolan - 2010
    These are what Dee Nolan set out to experience on her pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela—through the rich farming lands of southern France and northern Spain, green Spain. The monks who came here in the Middle Ages to look after the first pilgrims planted grapevines from their homelands far away. Now food lovers come seeking the magnificent wines made using grapes grown in those same ancient vineyards, along with sublime cooking and fresh, luscious produce. Dee's own emotional journey along the Way of St James—el camino de Santiago—took her back to the very heart of things: why we should care about what we eat and how it is produced, why we need escape valves like the pilgrimage in our busy modern lives, and why she found herself, after a long career in publishing, back on her grandfather's farm and connecting with the soil. This joyful book tells the story of Dee's camino, of the pilgrimage itself, and of the food traditions that sustain us all. Following the route of those first pilgrims, Dee met wise cooks and farmers who are finding that the future lies in the past. And she realized why, in our secular age, we are so captivated by this medieval Christian pilgrimage.

Lonely Planet Hiking in Spain


Lonely Planet - 2010
    Or find yourself sampling Spain's diverse natural and cultural beauty in misty Galicia, the forgotten mountains of the Basque Country, and Alpujarran Muslim villages. From gentle coastal rambles to multi-day scrambles, this guide has hikes for every ability level throughout Spain, as well as Mallorca and Andorra In This Guide: Everything you need to know to get preparedListings for sleeping, eating and facilities along the wayAdvice on equipment, health and safety

Dog Days in Andalucía: Tails from Spain


Jackie Todd - 2010
    What really cinched it, though, was his feet being way too big for his body, his ears too big for his head, and that, while trying to look brave, he was obviously terrified. Charly was the first of what grew to be a large family of abandoned Spanish dogs taken in by Jackie Todd and her husband Stephen after they emigrated in 1997 to Frigiliana, a picturesque Spanish village in Andalucia. By the time Charly was four, something magical had happened: the people of the village had become close friends and the Todds' memories of their old lives were as weak as British sunshine. Fourteen years later they have 10 dogs and eight cats and regularly foster tiny strays that need bottle-feeding until they can be found homes. Millions of people dream of turning their vacation into permanent reality—this is the heartwarming, inspirational story of an ordinary British couple who did just that, making a mighty impression on the village, its people, and its surrounding animal population along the way.

Africans in Europe: The Culture of Exile and Emigration from Equatorial Guinea to Spain


Michael Ugarte - 2010
    Tracing the shifts of Africans into and out of Equatorial Guinea, it explores a small former Spanish colony in central Africa. Throughout its history, many inhabitants of Equatorial Guinea were forced to leave, whether because of the slave trade of the early nineteenth century or the political upheavals of the twentieth century. Michael Ugarte examines the writings of Equatorial Guinean exiles and migrants, considering the underlying causes of such moves and arguing that the example of Equatorial Guinea is emblematic of broader dynamics of cultural exchange in a postcolonial world.Based on personal stories of people forced to leave and those who left of their own accord, Africans in Europe captures the nuanced realities and widespread impact of mobile populations. Ugarte illustrates the global material inequalities that occur when groups and populations migrate from their native land of colonization to other countries and regions that are often the lands of the former colonizers. By focusing on the geographical, emotional, and intellectual dynamics of Equatorial Guinea's human movements, readers gain an inroad to "the consciousness of an age" and an understanding of the global realities that will define the cultural, economic, and political currents of the twenty-first century.

Kiwi Compañeros: New Zealand and the Spanish Civil War


Mark Derby - 2010
    Volunteers from more than 50 countries took sides, including New Zealanders who worked for the Spanish cause both abroad and at home. With contributions from some of New Zealand’s leading writers and historians, this volume tells the all-but-forgotten stories of the remarkable heroes who chose to enter into a crucial conflict that became a ruthless rehearsal for World War II.

Conquer or Die!: Wellington’s Veterans and the Liberation of the New World


Ben Hughes - 2010
    The expeditions were plagued with disaster from the start, when one ship sank shortly after leaving Portsmouth with the loss of almost 200 lives. Those who reached the New World faced disease, wild animals, mutiny and desertion. Conditions on campaign were appalling, massacres were commonplace, rations crude, pay infrequent and supplies insufficient. Nevertheless, those who endured made key contributions to Bolivar's success.This book tells the fast-paced and entertaining story of the British volunteers from the raising of the regiments in Britain to the perils of campaigning to their defiant stand at the battle of Carabobo. Drawing on the volunteers' memoirs, letters and journals, supported by unpublished documents and newspaper reports, Conquer or Die! is the result of research across two continents. It is the first narrative on the subject for over eighty years.