Part history, part memoir, part travelogue – a fascinating tour of Spain by an author who knows its history and culture inside out

Britons have been drawn to Spain for many centuries. It has played host to bloody wars and legendary love affairs that have shaped the culture, history and psyche of both nations.
Intelligent, humane and idiosyncratic, this vividly charts the tumultuous history of Spain, its people and its British visitors, from Catherine of Lancaster to Laurie Lee. Writing with warmth, colour and an eye for a great anecdote, Courtauld gets to the heart of Spanish life and sheds new light on this eternally fascinating country.

Simon Courtauld is the author of seven previous books including To Convey Intelligence and Border Life. He has been legal correspondent to The Times, deputy editor of The Spectator and a regular contributor to The Telegraph.