May 23, 2013

The Insiders guide to Mallorca and Menorca What are you looking for in a Guide Book to your holiday destination? How to get there, where to stay, where and what to eat?  Must-see sights, maps and itineraries? But wouldn’t it be better if you could get to know somebody who has actually been there, or better still, lives there? What you are looking for is an...

May 17, 2013

The Song of the Eight Winds – a Review Peter Kerr is best known for his quartet of humorous travel books set in Mallorca as well as the Bob Burns comical crime series, a novel and an early memoir. However, in this epic tale, he has now turned his consummate writing skills to an important period in medieval Spanish history, the reconquest of the country...

May 5, 2013

“My Spanish Interlude” – Anna Maria O’Donovan When this book was first introduced to me, I had not read the description – and was told it was a romantic story. Then before I actually picked it up, I was told it was a thriller. What this book actually proved itself to be… was both of those. The tale centres around a young woman named Sylvia, who...

Apr 21, 2013

Review of Spanish Cooking by Miguel Maestre Review by Lynsey Drake. Nothing makes me happier or more content, than to while away a few hours, reading a good book, especially if it is full of recipes, beautiful food photography and writings of a chef from the stories experiences and memories from their lives that have been centered around food, sharing and...

Apr 20, 2013

Franco’s International Brigades by Christopher Othen Review by Rob Innis a long term ex-pat in Spain (http://robinnis.wordpress.com) The Spanish Civil War, 1936-39 has spawned a huge amount of books since the war ended to the present day from a variety of authors. Tradition dictates that the victor gets to write the history books. However, Spanish Civil War...

Apr 7, 2013

An Englishman in Madrid by Eduardo Mendoza The story In the months after the February 1936 General Election, as Spain moves ever closer to a civil war, Anthony Whitelands, an English art historian, is invited to Madrid to value an aristocrat’s collection.  He is drawn unwittingly into the Duke’s attempt to sell a previously unknown painting by a...

Mar 19, 2013

A Short History of The Spanish Civil War by Julian Casanova Review by Rod Younger of Books4Spain The Spanish Civil War is the most written about conflict of the modern era.  The main reasons are: its timing – after the Great Depression, when fascism was on the rise whilst communism had consolidated its position as the intellectuals’ favourite...

Mar 7, 2013

The Return by Victoria Hislop   Review by Molly Sears-Piccavey This book had been recommended to me by several people who love Spain. This was written  I expected a light romantic novel set in Granada, Spain. As I live in Granada this was of particular interest to me as the novel begins in the city. The beginning of the book, (up to page 100) starts off...