Portugal Books

He looks back thirty years to when he first met the woman he married and thinks how romantic he was (and still is) as he informed her that she is his Sancho Panza. Aparo reminded Lamar that Panza was squat (she is not he swears) and dumber than Quixote for following his lead. Now three decades later, three offspring later he ponders whether he fell in love with the Spanish culture as epitomized by his beloved Aparo or by falling in love with Aparo he fell in love with the Spanish culture. He knows even now the clash between his in your face Kentucky Protestant upbringing and her a gentile Catholic Spaniard. Thus as a sort of second honeymoon, the pair retrace the roots of their love by traveling the countryside together while the author ponders whether he was ROMANCING SPAIN when he courted Aparo or romancing Aparo and found Spain; either way Lamar Herrin knows that three decades ago he found his soulmate.

This terrific lyrical biography combines a beautiful declaration of love with a wonderful look at Spain from an American expatriate and the wife he still cherishes. Readers will appreciate the travelogue on three levels: a true love story and salute to his wife, a guide to Spain, and a deep philosophical debate. Mr. Herrin's thought provoking question as to whether it is Spain, which shaped his beloved, or Aparo is delicately and eloquently developed so that the audience will ponder what dynamics shaped the roots of those they cherish. ROMANCING SPAIN is an insightful romantic philosophical treasure.

Harriet Klausner

Lamar Herrin (Professor of Creative Writing and Contemporary Literature, Cornell University) presents Romancing Spain, a memoir and love story about his relationship with the Spanish woman whom he married 30 years ago. Obstructed by a church and bureaucracy, Lamar nevertheless pursued her, earning her love and trust even as he adjusted to the complexities of an Iberian nation steeped in centuries of tradition. Enthusiastically recommended reading, Romancing Spain is a simply beautiful and inspiring true-life story of love, romance, perseverance and eventual triumph which is brilliantly presented with emotion and empathy.

It appears to be an excellent map, but experience has taught us that actually using it is the definitive proof....how much detail it contains. We have yet to use it. However the material is sturdy and waterproof.

Great map for travel. Folds to 9 3/4 x 4". Is made of a very thin waterproof vinyl material. Colors are bright a vivid. Roads, highways, and points of interest are very well marked. There is an extensive city index, map key and mileage guage. Even small towns are noted on the map. Map arrives in a folder. I was very pleased with this map.

I just came back from a 2-week vacation in Spain and let me tell you - this guide was well worth the money. After comparing it to all other guides on Spain I could find in stores, I decided to buy this one, because it seemed to have the most information. One guide that came close in that respect was 'The Illustrated Guide to Spain' - I already own 2 books from the 'Illustrated Guide' series and originally thought about sticking to it - but it's too picture-heavy, which in my opinion is a distraction.
Boy, was I glad to have had chosen 'The Rough Guide'. Here are the reasons:
1. It has detailed information about all cities/places of interest in each of Spain's regions, incl. getting there, and accomodation choices - especially valuale is the budget accomodation info, which most guides don't have
2. It provides historical background on all sites that are worth seeing
3. The city maps with highlights on hotels and restaurants were quite valuable while visiting small towns that did not have a tourist office.
4. The menu dictionary was also very helpful, because in certain regions there aren't very many non-Spanish tourists and the waiters don't understand another language and may not give you a non-Spanish menu.
5. I also found the contexts/appendixes to be a very nice surprise - no visit to another coutry is complete w/o gaining at least a bit of knowledge of its history and culture, and the guide's content was excellent in that respect as well. Also, the mini-dictionary which is in one of the appendixes was very helpful as I went to Spain w/o any knowledge of the language.
6. The guides on eating and drinking were also quite valuable, as each region of Spain has it's own 'indigenous' food and vines.
7. Finally, I liked the layout of the guide - some guides will throw in huge fonts to try to fill in 200-300 pages - this one did not make that mistake.

It is true that the guide is voluminous (1000+ pages) and won't fit into your pocket. But if you want a guide that will tell you the most about Spain, this is the book. I went to that country impromptu - w/o reservation in most cities I was planning to visit and not knowing the language (not a good idea) - and still head a smooth trip around the country and great time.

Here's why

1. Has tons of information on Spain, above and beyond the other guides - culture, history, architecture, cinema, you name it.
2. Not too many illustrations/pictures to distract you.
3. Maps of hotels/hostels and restaurants.
4. Detailed information even on remote/small towns.
5. The dictionary appendix is very helpful if you don't know Spanish (not many Spaniards know or even understand English/other languages, especially in areas that see few international tourists).
6. Precious info on finding budget accomodation if your budget is tight or you just arrived w/o a reservation.

This is not a guide that you can stick in your pocket - it's 1000+ pages after all! But the sheer wealth of information makes it well worth the money. A few days ago I came back from a 2-week vacation in Spain - went there w/o any knowledge of Spanish and w/o reservation in most cities i visited - just improptu decided to visit the country, although I would not recommend doing that. The guide saved my vacation, and then made it a great one. This is the first book from the 'Rough Guide' series I've ever bought - if the rest are as good as this one, I won't even look at the other guides out there..

This is a great book, and luckily for travelers to Europe, it is part of a series. I've travelled with these books to London, Paris, Italy and Spain and have found all of the gems included on the pages absolutely on the mark. The description of each restaurant is quite useful and you know exactly what to expect when you walk into the front door. Not only does Sandra describe the decor and atmosphere, in many descriptions she also includes good picks for menu items, as well as any cost saving tips. This book will guarantee that you have a great meal every time you pick it up.

The book is especially great for travelers since you don't have to plan your meals in advance. There are great finds in almost every part of the city and all you have to do is open to the map page to locate a handfull of close restaurants, then read about them. I've found many of my favourite spots this way and most of these are visited by locals only - a great bonus!

Just returned from Spain yesterday. We visited Pamplona and Barcelona. This book covered restaurants in Barcelona, Madrid, and Seville. The book was 5 for 5 of the restaurants we tried for GREAT VALUE value. The food was great, the writeups were very descriptive, and the five restaurants were a 100% hit with all five in our travelling party. We did not have a similar book for Pamplona, and did OK in finding good dining, but not nearly as well as we did in Barcelona. The book will pay for itself the first day. The first thing I did after returning home was to get on Amazon and order several more of this authors books.

In Barcelona I recommend especially the "Els Quatre Gats", (The Four Cats), a former Picasso hangout with charm, piano - violin music, and a great meal for 5 adults with dessert and wine, for less than $100. I would also, highly recommend the Hotel Gravina.

Good luck and good eating!

First of all, Rubén Darío's poetry is so immensely important and contemporary in its relevancy that I cannot believe this is the first quality translation of it!

Originally published in Spain in 1905, "Cantos de vida y esperanza" is one of the most important collections of Darío's poetry. He is widely considered the father of the modernistic movement.

For me to review his poetry would be folly- I believe everyone takes what they bring to the poem with them. I can tell you that his poetry has such an honesty in it that I cannot but help be moved by his plight... his plight as a human being :) something we all share, which is why his poems are great and immortal.
One of his most famous poems is "Canción de otoño en primavera"/Song of autumn in springtime. While I do not feel at liberty to reproduce the translation included in the book, I will give you a small sample of the poetry itself in case you are new to his writings or curious.

Juventud, divino tesoro
ya te vas para no volver
Cuando quiero llorar, no lloro...
y a veces lloro sin querer...

Youth, divine treasure
you have gone, never to return
When I want to cry, I cannot...
and sometimes I cry without wanting to...

Much of his poetry is very personal and moving. I love the pictures he can create with words, like in his poem "Canto de esperanza" Song of hope:
"Un gran vuelo de cuervos macha el azul celeste." A great flight of ravens stains the blue celestial sky. "Verdugos de ideales afligieron la tierra,/en un pozo de sombra la humanidad se encierra" Executioners of ideals afflict the earth/in a well of shadow humanity is encircled.
That is a very small sample of the wonderful poetry in this book.
(reminder, these are my lame translations-- not the ones from the book- the ones in the book are much better.)

This brings me to the book itself. This is *such* a quality edition. Not only does it have the poems in English and Spanish, their original language, but the editors have taken care to make sure they are the correct versions as well. The translators thankfully went for meaning, not rhyming. I detest translations where they try to keep the rhyming scheme. This RARELY works, and usually destroys not only the original author's meaning, but also makes the poem laughable in the target language.
The preface in this edition is wonderful as well- it includes many facts about Darío & his work, life and writings. Included also is a kind of glossary for the reader. Darío often uses references to classical literature and mythology that can leave the average reader scratching their head. Luckily this glossary answers all questions along those lines.

I was introduced to this book by my Spanish Literature professor, Dr. Albert Acereda who translated this collection of poetry along with Will Derusha. That said, mine is not a biased review- if I don't like something, I will not take the time to write a review on it. (unless it's so bad it actually pisses me off!)

You couldn't want for a better edition of this book- the poetry is timeless and the translations are flawless.

in a carefully wrought and politically situated language of poesis that will not go away any day soon. This is a beautiful book carefully edited and annotated, well designed by Duke UP in English/Spanish interface-- a book that shows "nuestra America" is not in the hands of the rough riders and empire makers then or now, must reading for a poetics of poscoloniality situated in Nicaragua, Paris, Rome, and NYC...meaning the worlding world of poesis and vision coming out of the future in the 'afterlife' of real poetry. Abrazos and thanks...

Made me read Boris's Embracing a dictatorship. He uncovers some exciting stuff on US foreign policy.
Good stuff.

This is a must read for the political scientist or history buff of the Twentieth Century. I took it with me on a trip to southern Spain and North Africa in 2003 and it brought alive the people and the lands. The book is a collection of essays by eleven authors, each painting an exciting picture from his area of expertise.
Senator Mike Fair
Oklahoma State Senate

Spain and the Independence of Colombia differentiates the independence of Colombia as a single state versus the numerous volumes that tend to clump all Latin American independence movements as a similar experience. It traces Spain's fatalistic history in Colombia, which leads to the conclusion of independence. While Simon Bolivar and the Andean independence movemnets are mentioned, she does not get carried away and shows the importance of Colombia to the crown in Madrid.

An excellent summary of the events that led to the independence of Colombia. I felt that the author covered an area of Colombian history left as an afterthought of the Spanish liberation in 1830. It was assumed that Bolivar and Santander had little resistance after Spain neglected its colonies. This proves that wrong and reinforces the ideas of War by Sun Tzu. It was the ability of the republican troops to effectively use intelligence to defeat the royalists. In her chapter on Battle of Boyaca, she brings this to light.

Given the amount of aid Germany and Italy gave the Spanish Nationalists in the Spanish Civil War, it is somewhat surprising that Spain didn't enter the war on the Axis side. They didn't, and this book goes a long ways toward explaining why. The Spanish economy was devastated by the Spanish Civil War. It was dependent on the world economy for oil and food. Remnants of the Spanish Empire, such as the Canary Islands and Spanish Sahara were vulnerable to British attacks if Spain sided with Germany and Italy.

At the same time, the Spanish nationalists were tempted by potential spoils such as Gibraltar, and possibly French Morocco. If the Germans had tried hard enough in the immediate aftermath of the fall of France, the Spanish might have considered joining the Axis. The Germans weren't interested in Mediterranean adventures at that time though, and by the time they became interested the Spanish had had time for second thoughts.

This book does a good job of looking at Spanish foreign policy during World War II, but it also looks at the Spanish economy and Spanish society in some depth. A good read.

This book is a fascinating look at Spanish politics and culture during World War II. It covers all aspects of Spanish history, from Franco's meetings with Hitler to bullfighters losing their lives in the arena. I've always found European history interesting, but until a few years ago I had never read anything about Spain, and had no idea what an interesting part it played during this time

1939 was the year that World War II began. But in Spain, this was the year that war ended. The Spanish Civil War devastated the nation from 1936 to 1939, and thus while most of Europe was going to war, Spain was rebuilding from a war.

Wayne Bowen's new book, "Spain During World War II", describes how Spain attempted to rebuild itself under the dictatorship of Francisco Franco. Dissent on the "Left" was forbidden: communist, socialist, and democratic views were suppressed by the Franco regime. But plenty of dissent on the "Right" existed. This book narrates the history of some of the major dissenters and shows that their power was quite significant.

One example of successful dissent came from Cardinal Segura and Cardinal Goma, leaders of the Catholic Church in Spain. They supported Franco but condemned Nazi Germany - because, while they didn't mind dictatorship, the pagan elements in Nazism filled them with horror. These church leaders managed to prevent a "cultural exchange" accord that would have exposed Spanish youth to Nazi culture.

At the other extreme was Pilar Primo de Rivera. She was the leader of the Women's Section of the Falange, and was enthusiastically pro-Nazi. In May 1941, concerned that Franco was appointing too many monarchists and too few Falangists to his cabinet, she led a protest against Franco's policies. Her popularity was too great for Franco to eliminate her, and he backed down and appointed more Falangists to his cabinet. Pilar Primo de Rivera continued to lobby for Spain to enter the war on Hitler's side, and to promote the Nazi cause within Spain.

Meanwhile, the majority of Spaniards during this time were not concerned with politics: they were concerned with jobs, the economy, and sports. Soccer ("football" in Europe) and bullfighting - the two great Spanish sports - were promoted by the Franco regime as a safe alternative to politics. But even here, the regime found that the Spanish people could not be controlled, as regional rivalries led to violence between the fans at football matches.

This book is a fascinating look at how Spain managed to rebuild from its war - at the same time that the rest of Europe was being devasted by the greatest war in history.

One of my main historical interests is the Spanish Civil War and the role played in it by the International Brigades to combat Franco's Nationalist forces. I read "Spain's Cause Was Mine" a couple of years ago, but I recently revisited it and was once again struck by the humanity, nobility and idealism of Hank Rubin. Any historian of the International Brigades will tell you, that a good number of volunteers were college students. Rubin begins his account by retelling how, while sitting on the steps of the UCLA library, someone approached him and asked him if he would like to fight in Spain. He replied 'yes.' So begins his journey from college student to volunteer, to medic, to casualty, and cecoming ultimately, survivor. Rubin provides a simple yet poignant narrative of what went through his mind and what all the volunteers had to face in combat. While initally, disappointed that he was not assigned to front-line duty, he came to appreciate his role behind the scenes. This actually, allowed him to absorb it all and put down his thoughts in writing.

Rubin writes about some of the brutal campaigns from Brunete to Teruel and Grañen. He also places the Spanish Civil War in an international context, noting Germany and Italy's aid to Franco's troops and the US position of maintaining an embargo against the Spanish Second Republic. To anyone knowledgeable about the Spanish Civil War, this isn't anything new. However, coming from an actual participant, who was fully aware of his own government's indirect complicity in causing the demise of the Spanish Second Republic, it is worth reading.

I was touched by a poem written by Rubin following the death of a comrade at arms, who he was unable to save in the medic tent. It captures fear, hesitation and pain that too often accompanies any soldier who goes off to war. I quote it here: "From far away, from Everett on the Puget Sound with the peace of its water the serenty of its green hlls you came from so far to a dusty plain, to mountains without peace. You expected to fly to strike the enemy boldly from the sky, guns roaring your strong hands guiding your plane, triggering your guns. Instead you had to fight on foot, did you ever expect to die? To have a bullet in your head? To suffer your guts torn apart? And was it worth it? Was the pain too much? Was there even pain for you? Was the cost of death too high?

This is an excellent memoir from someone who participated in an event that far too many Americans are unaware of. I recommend this to anyone interested in learning more about the Spanish Civil War. Other recommended books along this vein: Peter Carroll's "The Odyssey of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade," and "American Commander in Spain," by Marion Merriman and Warren Lerude.

"Spain's Cause Was Mine: A Memoir of an American Medic in the Spanish Civil War," by Hank Rubin, is a well-written and enlightening narrative. A large chunk of the book details the long odyssey that took him from Los Angeles and through France enroute to service in Spain--a quest taken in defiance of an international non-intervention pact. This section of the book is a real adventure story with an almost dystopian flavor.

Equally fascinating is the portion of the book detailing his actual time with the Spanish army, during which he served in a machine gun squad and as a medical laboratory technician. Rubin explores the unique challenges in putting together a multinational, multiethnic, and multilingual fighting force. He details the illness, discomfort, and deprivations that the troops endured in order to uphold their ideals.

In addition to covering such down-to-earth issues as mail call and footgear, Rubin also offers some potent reflections on wartime morality and medical ethics. Particularly interesting are his thoughts on the impact of his Jewish identity on his decision to enlist. His writing style is largely straightforward, but graced with occasional passages of great beauty and power.

Rubin's narrative really educated me about the unique place of Spanish Civil War veterans in the United States. This book is a valuable and enjoyable addition to the canon of American military memoirs.

I have been studying this theatre of war for many years and hope to for many years to come, and yet i have never discovered another book with such magnificent insight as this book written by Andy Forrest. The sheer knowledge and understanding he obviously has on this subject just leaves me in awe, and so i am deeply indebted to you, andy forrest, for creating this masterpiece and sharing it with us.

Andrew Forrests' book covers all aspects of the spanish civil war, it ratify's important features of the war, especially that of foreign intervention, the use of the Condor Legion by the Nationalists and the International Brigades By Republicans. It is a must for all college AS or A2 students. The book consists of questions and pre-written answer to show what a student would be expected to put in an answer. This is a magnificent book, by an author who is able to portray a vivid image of the Spanish Civil War.