A History of Spain and Portugal (Pelican)

by William C. Atkinson

Book Overview

Paperback Pelican reprint of William C. Atkinson's "A History of Spain and Portugal" This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0140204644
• ISBN13: 9780140204643
• Release Date: January 1970
• Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Comprehensive overview of Spanish history

I'd first read this book about 45 years ago and found it invaluable to a summer spent studying in Valencia and touring Spain and Portugal. Elegantly written, Atkinson reads like a wonderful university lecturer speaking to you, the kind of professor who gets a standing ovation at the end of the semester. Erudite and informative, with a certain charm, this history now seems a bit dated and, of course, is missing the last sixty years of Spanish history, from the end of the Franco dictatorship to the vibrant, democratic country that Spain is today. Lack of color photos and larger, more detailed maps is the only other negative. This is more textbook than pictorial. You'll want to have a map handy for reference or do some Google-Earthing as you read along, to fill in the visuals. If you are an aficionado of Spain, this is one book you'll want to own. Suggestion: read this book before you travel so as not to miss one minute of just being there.