Reading List

Ghosts of Spain by Giles Tremlett: “[A] provocative and vividly written book that is part history, part political and social commentary, and part love letter….This book should be in all public and academic library collections on Spanish history and culture.” - Library Journal

The Story of Spain by Mark R. Williams: “By far the best introduction for students in English to Spain's history and culture...” - Paul Smith, Professor Emeritus, Department of Spanish, U.C.L.A.

The New Spaniards by John Hooper: “Hooper . . . not only knows where Spain has been in recent decades and centuries, but he also has an impressively authoritative view of where exactly it is today and where it is headed.” - The Washington Post

Iberia by James A. Michener: “Massive, beautiful...Unquestionably some of the best writing on Spain...The best that Mr. Michener has ever done on any subject...Stunning...Memorable.” - THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

Michelin: North West Spain: An excellent map of the area where we will be walking on the Camino de Santiago.

The Pilgrimage Road to Santiago: The Complete Cultural Handbook by David M. Gitlitz and Linda Kay Davidson: “A fascinating step-by-step guide to the cultural history of the Road for pilgrims, hikers, and armchair travelers alike.” - Amazon.com

To the Field of Stars: A Pilgrim's Journey to Santiago De Compostela by Kevin A. Codd: “In this wonderful book Father Codd brilliantly captures for us the essence of pilgrimage. He is a candid and engaging guide to the physical realities involved. More than that, though, he reveals the interior journey, equally difficult and equally rewarding.” - Martin Sheen

The Pilgrimage by Paulo Coelho: “Part adventure story, part guide to self-mastery, this compelling tale delivers a powerful brew of magic and insight.” - Amazon.com

Travels with My Donkey: One Man and His Ass on a Pilgrimage to Santiago by Tim Moore: “If you enjoyed Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods, this feels like the natural sequel---a well-told comic misadventure with a history lesson woven in for good measure.” - Doug Lansky

I'm Off Then: Losing and Finding Myself on the Camino de Santiago by Hape Kerkeling: “Overweight, overworked, and disenchanted, Kerkeling was an unlikely candidate to make the arduous pilgrimage across the Pyrenees to the Spanish shrine of St. James, a 1,200-year-old journey undertaken by nearly 100,000 people every year. But he decided to get off the couch and do it anyway.” - Amazon.com

The Camino : A Journey of the Spirit by Shirley MacLaine: “Typical of MacLaine, this is a personal story with enormous adventure, a smattering of flashbacks, and a hefty serving of cosmic revelations.” - Gail Hudson

Selected Poems by Rosalia de Castro: A Fresco Tours pick for one of the great Galician writers! Rosalia de Castro was a remarkable woman, who’s poetry immediately seized the hearts of the Gallegos and continues to influence writers today with its combination of sadness- saudade- anger and outrage.

Michelin Map: The Basque Country: Map of the area where we will be touring in the Basque Country.

The Basque History of the World by Mark Kurlansky: “A lively, anecdotal, all-encompassing history of Basque ingenuity and achievement. ” - Atlantic Monthly

The Basque Country: A Cultural History by Paddy Woodworth: “A terrific modern introduction to the Basque Country...succeeds in showing us the complexities of the Basque struggle for identity.” - The Irish Times

Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway: “First appeared in 1926, and yet it's as fresh and clean and fine as it ever was, maybe finer.” - Amazon.com

Cadogan Guide, Northern Spain: Great guide book and resource for traveling in Northern Spain

Michelin Map : Southern Spain’s Andalucia: This a the map for Spain’s South, Andalucia.

Tales of the Alhambra by Washington Irving: “Tales of the Alhambra, which is Washington Irving's dreamlike description of Spain's Granada and the beautiful Moorish castle, remains one of the most entertaining travelogues ever written.” - Amazon.com

The Selected Poems of Federico Garcia Lorca: “What a poet! I have never seen grace and genius...come together in anyone else as they did in him” - Pablo Neruda

Driving Over Lemons by Chris Stewart: “His memoir about southern Spain would set a standard for literary travel writing.” - Amazon.com

For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway: “This is the best book Ernest Hemingway has written, the fullest, the deepest, the truest. It will, I think, be one of the major novels in American literature.” - The New York Times Book Review

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon: “Anyone who enjoys novels that are scary, erotic, touching, tragic and thrilling should rush right out to the nearest bookstore and pick up The Shadow of the Wind.” - The Washington Post

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett: “Follett has written a novel that entertains, instructs and satisfies on a grand scale.” - Publishers Weekly

Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell: “Homage to Catalonia is a triumph.” - AudioFile

Tapas: The Little Dishes of Spain by Penelope Casas: “Cooks at all skill levels will find dozens of these tasty little morsels to make and enjoy.” - Boehm