1 comments about Global Access Spanish: Deluxe Language Course (Global Access).

1. I am an advanced Spanish student who has a library of books, a Rosetta membership, etc. with regard to learning Spanish. I have also traveled to Central America to practice the language and my husband is fluent.
   
   My biggest problem is that I feel a little intimidated to interact in spanish because my listening skills are not perfect and my brain takes longer than I am comfortable with to come up with the Spanish I would like to speak. I just got this course yesterday and listened to it for an hour in the car. I was pleasantly surprised at the breadth of topics covered. I guess for a traditional spanish student, you tend to learn grammar, vocab, etc. and you don't focus on one-shot spanish courses like "travel spanish."
   
   This course actually starts with travel spanish in mind, and even though I started on the basic lessons it is more advanced than I expected in that many different verb tenses are used right from the get-go. What a great way to hear those tenses used with many things the advanced learner would already be familiar with - so you can really focus on the tenses and at the same time get a great review of words you may not have completely committed to memory. The only parts I have skipped so far were those covering numbers, and skipping is easy to do because each short lesson is a track on your CD.
   
   Also the kit comes with vocab flashcards. They are not as basic as you might expect. Sure, the majority is made up of words like train, tree and yesterday, but also you will find ones for ankle, gloomy, crowd, etc.
   
   Since I just got this yesterday, I will come back and add more if my opinion changes. I am very pleased so far and I look forward to my next 1 hour in the car tonight!

No comments about The Rough Guides' Madrid Directions 2 (Rough Guide Directions).

No comments about Rome InsideOut (Insider Guide Insideout).

5 comments about The Story of Spain.

1. Is there substance? Yes, not a lot, but there is a brief overview of history here.
   
   Is there fluff? Oh hell yes and way too much of it. There are just way too many asides and way too much focus on kings rather than conditions. For example, he explains that Caesar may have had a homosexual escapade in Spain. NOT PERTINENT and a little offensive to boot. Remove such things and you have about 50 pages of worthy reading and I have to question some of his findings in those 50.
   
   He goes to great lengths to brush over Spanish atrocities in the New World and at Home, claiming they are basically English racism towards the Spanish designed as a PR campaign against. I have no doubt that such existed as the two countries have long had problems, but that doesn't mean the Spanish Conquistadors weren't brutal (and downright evil at times). And the Inquisition should never have detractors. The most telling moment of the book happens, after detailing this "racism", he then goes on another aside to tell how the Irish sold out the Spanish for a bottle of whisky. Holy crap is that the pot calling the kettle black and how any editor would let that slip through, calls into question the entire book. So I learned a little from it, but it's not worth your effort. Seek other books.



2. While visiting Spain with my wife we bought this book in Seville. I enjoyed every part of it especially the end of each chapter which holds a list of the monuments relevant to the history of that chapter. I took it on a trip to Spain with my wife and it made the trip magical.
   
   This book reviews the history of Spain from the Romans to nowadays. In his witty account, the author goes on to reveal the love, and bed affairs of kings that you wouldn't see in your censored Spanish history textbook.
   For once I discovered that the world Spain comes from the Phoenician world Hispalis, 'the land of the rabbits' and that the soccer fervor that lives through Spain has its origins in the likes of Franco.
   I am Spanish and learned from this book more than from all my Spanish history classes. I finally got to read about the Spanish Civil war, which was always in the last chapter of the history book and, mysteriously we never had time to cover during class (I went to a catholic school)
   
   Many ides on this book reminded me of the 'Da Vince Code', I wonder if Dan Brown also bought the book in the cathedral of Seville while visiting there?



3. This book is a very interesting general history of Spain and its history. The book traces chronologically the development of Spain from its prehistoric origins to the present day. The most fascinating section is when the author deals with the Recoquista, the 800 year long struggle by Christians to win Spain back from Moorish occupation. In addition, the book deals with the peaceful co-existance of three cultures, Jewish, Moorish and Christian, that existed in Spain for some two hundred years. This culture cooperation was one of the high points of Spanish culture and civilization. With the unity of Catholic Spain, this cultural tolerance disappeared. The author deals with the cruelty of the Spanish Civil War in a very objective and clear fashion. This book is an excellent introduction for any student or tourist who wants to visit this amazingly diverse country.



4. This book is a shocking fabrication of the authors fantasy. Sweeping statements presented as fact. Enourmous errors of history. A very badly written paper, giving no explanation of the sources of information. Huge chunks of fabricated ideas and story, the authors opinion of circumstance is vastly personal and reveals what I can only discribe as an ignorant inward looking racist american, with no true grip on the affairs of spain! How did this book get published? "Golden Era Books" clearly is not a seat of academic acclaim. I am genuinely shocked. This book reads more like a tabloid newspaper scandal than a factual history of Spain. Dont buy this book.



5. I am of Spanish descent and I have read many books on Spain, but none as comprehensive as this one. It is easy to read, easy to follow and concise. I would highly recommend it to those who wish a very good short version of Spain's history. It informs the reader with all he needs to know about the history of this fascinating country and its people.
   Lillian Mejia Martin

4 comments about Buying a Home in Spain, 6th Edition: A Survival Handbook (Buying a Home in Spain).

1. Buying a Home in Spain by David Hampshire not only gives a variety of factual information about Spain, it reads like a novel. The book is up to date and discusses all aspects of day to day life in Spain. No matter if you are interested in the legal system, business, social life or want to know about the different areas, this book has it all. I appreciate the book most because it is written in a way that it will inform you no matter where you currently live. If you want to read just one book about living in Spain; this one excellent.



2. It was a very helpful book, but I found it a bit too Anglophilic.
   As an American the book is lacking.



3. This book is very outdated. The housing market had drastically changed in Spain since this book was written. Even the amounts in the book are in pesetas and not in Euros.
   I can not agree with the description of the Spaniards in the book, either. I have traveled to Spain many times and I think people and the whole country is much different than it is described in the book. There is too much negativity in this book. This book is written mainly for Brits. Once you finish the book you may want to say Long Live the Queen!



4. Great book. Everything you need toknow regarding moving to spain. This book is a must for anyone moving or buying a home.

No comments about Insight Guide Portugal.

2 comments about Wallpaper City Guide Valencia (Wallpaper City Guides) (Wallpaper City Guides (Phaidon Press)).

1. very small travel guide for an overview of the city. great large pictures with limited text. great for a quick summary but not in depth.



2. I used this book quite a bit, finding the right hotel, restaurants, and must see destinations durning my trip to Valencia. I used this book in conjunction with the Footprint Pocket Guide and they worked really great together, Wallpaper is the cooler book while there is a bit more information in the Footprint guide.
   
   Amazing city to visit and these books both really help.Valencia, 2nd (Footprint - Pocket Guides)

3 comments about Insight Pocket Guide Costa Blanca (Insight Pocket Guides Costa Blanca).

1. For the compact size it has good info...mostly on attractions, but no advice on resturants and hotels...



2. Living in Alicante now, I bought this guide before we moved here. It is really great. Compact and with lots of useful information. I recommend it even on my alicante-spain web site.



3. I got this little book a few weeks ago and it seems pretty helpful. There's a lot of information about the each specific area in costa blanca (especially the main ones, of course), which is good because in general Spain travel books, it's hard to find a lot. I think it will be useful, but I haven't taken the trip yet!

1 comments about The Best of Costa del Sol.

1. This book is an excellent companion to "Top 10 Andalucia and Costa Del Sol". I have actually used this book in restaurants to order food and every time I got what I wanted and people appreciated my effort. This book will give you short overview of each city of Andalucia worth seeing. But if you want more history I suggest you join a group tour for a day. Most tour guides speak English, German, French and Italian. Always negotiate taxi rides - prices are excruciatingly high. I have used public transportation and found it reliable, clean and fun. Great color pictures in this little book. Worth taking on the trip!

3 comments about Buen Camino Hiking the Camino de Santiago.

1. I got started on this book and couldn't put it down, so read it cover to cover the day I got it. This day by day journal of the authors' hike across Spain's Camino de Santiago pilgrimage trail is a treat for armchair travelers and a resource for those about to take the same journey. For those of us who have walked this trail, this book will bring back a lot of familiar memories.
   
   The book makes a good start with a readable Camino map. The trail goes mainly from east to west. In contrast to most maps, they have placed west at the top, making all the placenames easy to read.
   
   The authors are hikers and this shows in their short but excellent forward on training and equipment. Low pack weight, quick drying, washable clothing and foot care are some of the highlights.
   
   In the body of the book, each chapter covers a day on the trail. They soon get into the simplified priorities of the Camino: Food, shelter, companions. Just some phrases from some of the chapters: "body sprawled across the trail", "a little scary at first, but no problem", "tired, wet, muddy", "bread, chorizo, cheese, Ruffles potato chips", "greatest shower in the world", "ankle deep mud, soaking wet", "a couple of beers", "tomorrow is a shorter day", "we met up again in a bar", "today was one of those days", "Santiago", "in the pouring rain", "hugging each other and crying".
   
   This is one of the few Camino journals where the authors stay mostly in small hotels, rather than the overcrowded refugios. There are some tips for this mode of travel, such as call ahead if you want to be sure of a place to stay.
   
   For me, the photos are the strong point of this book. They tell the story well, and the composition is excellent. In the first printing of this book, which is the one I have, the photo print quality was poor. In the current printing, it has improved.
   
   I recommend this book to anyone with a taste for adventure, but particularly for those thinking of going, or who have gone on the same pilgrimage.



2. Jim and Eleanor Clem's "Buen Camino" is an engaging first-hand account of their walk along the Spanish pilgrimage route the Camino. The book's journal style details the day-to-day experiences of the couple as they hike the 500 mile path across northern Spain. From their starting point at St. Jean de Pont to the final destination of Santiago reached 38 days later, each chapter describes individual stages of the route. Picturesque photos accompany the text and visually depict their observations about the landscape, towns, and buildings seen, which gives the reader a clear idea of what to expect when walking the Camino. A map showing the Clem's course, pictures of their Compostelas, or certificates of completion, and a list of recommended guidebooks also are included.
   
   They share practical advice and information about essential hiking gear, developing a walking routine, and arranging accommodations. Valuable tips such as stuffing newspapers in wet boots to dry them out from rain provide insight into the challenges faced while being a pilgrim. Interesting notes about Spanish customs (in Spain bells ring at least once every hour) and food found in towns on the route (common restaurant fare includes meat, French fries, and ice cream) are sprinkled throughout the book.
   
   Jim and Eleanor also express the significance of the Camino to them -- that undertaking the walk brings "simple but rewarding successes" and that "the Camino is a break from the complications of modern-day life". Focus on the moment and let the journey unfold. The down-to-earth recording of their story would be a helpful reference for anyone planning to trek the Camino. So walk along with the Clems as they follow the yellow arrow markers and discover why the Camino is a "great adventure and the trip of a lifetime"!



3. A dull recitation of daily meals, hotels etc., this book reduces the Camino to middle America suburban mediocrity.