What a country is Spain for a traveller, remarked Washington Irving, where the most miserable inn is as full of adventure as an enchanted castle. He was not the first to be captivated. A country of immense contrasts, Spain has always inspired writers and travellers, and in this book the reader accompanies them into a history and culture enriched by the influence of other lands and by the wealth of a great empire, though seared as well by frequent...