Spain: A Literary Companion

Drawing on his Anglo-Spanish family background and more than fifty years’ personal and professional experience, internationally acclaimed journalist and author, Jimmy Burns, draws on the observations, in a compelling narrative, of an entertaining blend of travellers, writers, soldiers, adventurers, saints and sinners from early times to the present day who have been drawn to Spain and its idiosyncrasies.

Part personal travelogue, part anthology, this Literary Companion will surprise, entertain and, on occasions, move. It is a wide-ranging and incisive portrait of a country and its people, with content from the Roman poets and Cervantes to Orwell and Hemingway.

Highlights include

• Battlefield experiences from Wellington to the Spanish Civil War.
• Tributes to Spain’s three cultures – Christian, Jewish and Muslim.
• The joys – and pitfalls – of Spanish food and wine.
• The enduring nature of regional identity.
• The passions of flamenco and bullfighting.
• The changes to the country brought about by tourism.

Spain: A Literary Companion is required reading for anyone interested in Spain, its history, culture, politics and people.