Ghosts of Spain

Travels Through Spain and Its Silent Past

By: Giles Tremlett

Narrated by: James Cameron Stewart

The appearance, more than 60 years after the Spanish Civil War ended, of mass graves containing victims of Francisco Franco's death squads finally broke what Spaniards call "the pact of forgetting" - the unwritten understanding that their recent, painful past was best left unexplored. At this charged moment, Giles Tremlett embarked on a journey around the country and through its history to discover why some of Europe's most voluble people have kept silent so long.

In elegant and passionate prose, Tremlett unveils the tinderbox of disagreements that mark the country today. Ghosts of Spain is a revelatory book about one of Europe's most exciting countries.

©2006 Giles Tremlett (P)2020 Tantor

Fantastic historical, political, and cultural literature about Spain.

I have traveled to Spain on two occasions, in 2005 and in 2012, as an English-speaking American tourist. Ghosts of Spain has given my short and touristy experiences new context and dimension. I first picked up this book in the public library and have now listened to it on audible twice. This is by far the best cultural book I have ever read/ listened to. Giles is a gifted author and knows how to use imagery to explain complex topics to the average person. He delves into some of the illicit and hidden, even shameful, cultural aspects that make Spain unique, such as prostitution and the cocaine trade. He also describes the religious and conservative history of the country and the hearts of its people. In particular, the descriptions of the matriarchal and family-oriented pueblos that fill the countryside of Spain show the goodness, vitality, and work ethic if its people. Finally, he wraps together many complex societal and political issues, such as the reign of Franco, into a summary of Spain's people's reactions to the Atocha train station bombing. when I visited Spain in 2012, I traveled through the Atocha train station, and the police presence and the tense atmosphere was palpable. The labor force of the transportation industries were on strike, and people were demonstrating in the streets. The country was clearly still on edge from the bombings that occurred several years before. Giles wraps it all together referring to conspiracy theories about ETA and how the new Spain has re-emerged as a country that has changed for the better after the bombings. This is a must read for anyone who's ever been to Spain or has an interest in its history.

Excellent book about Spain!

Loved it! Very informative and interesting read! Well read! The Spanish pronunciation could have been better, but overall excellent!

An overview to modern Spain

a great primer to modern Spain. good to read before you travel the country.

Bad title this was better than expected

I wish they used a different title this book was so much better than expected.

Hidden Corners of Spain

A little uneven but still good. I enjoyed the discussion of the search for Franco's victims as well as the prosecution trade, but and the roots of flamenco. I did find the author a bit ambivalent towards the basques and rural people.
Well read by the narrator. Give it a read.

Spain at 2005

Good overview of Spain in 2005, with reflections on the Civil War, ETA, and the Madrid train station bombings. Hops around a bit, but that is necessary when trying to fit a century of history into a book.

Very informative.

Overall good but it tends to drag on.
Well researched and informative, meant to be a modern view but it is now mostly history as it was written 16 years ago.

Smug Sensibilities

This book took me longer than a year to listen to. Obviously it couldn't keep my attention. I found the narration tedious, dreary and lifeless. Spain is a country that is bound with energy and life, nowhere in this authors writings did he convey it with any sort of enthusiasm or verve. Maybe it's the narrators stiff upper lip that failed to express any sort of spirit. The story was dull and stale. I've lived in this country in the past for years and the experience I had was very different. You can't expect a Brit to have an unbiased view because when they're there, they can't even venture out of their own dominions or regencies never the less learn the language or come together with Spaniards.