The way contemporary travel writers reflect on food and food culture to capture the essence of a place, James Michener does the same but with art/architecture and history to present his view of Spain.

This extensive (900-page!) book was released in 1968, and in some aspects, its perspective确实显得过时了。从那时到现在，西班牙经历的文化和经济变革是呈指数级的——尤其是自1）摆脱佛朗哥独裁统治，2）加入欧盟，以及3）世界进入数字信息时代以来。

此外，如今的人们更倾向于将“文化”视为一个国家最知名的事件、博物馆、绘画之外的东西。很明显，作者热爱西班牙，热切地与西班牙人民交流，并公开描述了他在农村地区看到的贫困和匮乏。但是，今天如果有人写一本关于整个国家的这样的书——实际上几乎会被要求更深入地挖掘任何一个地方的历史（以及因此而来的现在和未来）中所蕴含的社会经济和种族复杂性。

这本书以其冗长的方式，确实提供了一个伟大的历史，因此为理解西班牙精神奠定了基础。毕竟，它包含了米切纳在30年期间的访问经历和思考。出于这个原因，对于作为在西班牙居住的美国人的我来说，它仍然是一本非常宝贵的读物。

I read this over 25 years ago before travelling to Spain. At that time, it provided me with a fascinating glimpse into the country. Then, years later, I unexpectedly stumbled on a copy of a 2-volume edition in a second-hand shop. It had been sitting on the shelf for years, perhaps even decades. To my surprise, it holds up extremely well. I have always loved the way Michener describes his surroundings. Even though his descriptions were from another thirty years earlier, they still manage to capture the essence and beauty of the places. In some ways, things have changed enormously in Spain over the years, while in other ways, they remain the same. I guess I now need to read volume 2 to continue exploring this captivating story and to see how the narrative unfolds. I'm looking forward to delving deeper into Michener's world and experiencing more of his vivid descriptions.

This book was written by me and my paperback version was published in 1968.

At that time, it was a popular beach reading book. I noticed this fact, which probably motivated me to pick up this used version when I came across it sometime in the 70's.

Originally, I thought it was another Michener novel that incorporated history and geography. However, I was wrong. This is a non-fiction book with the tagline "Spanish travels and reflections."

Michener had a great love for Spain starting from his childhood and traveled there numerous times during his adulthood.

I really enjoyed learning about the history and geography through the eyes of this talented writer.

The 900+ page book was divided into thirteen chapters. Each chapter covered a separate region of Spain, except for one chapter about bullfighting, which he loved but was my least favorite chapter.

I'm glad I read this book because my knowledge of Spain was limited. Now, I will be recycling this paperback.

You can always sense that there is more depth to the story than what the author reveals. However, out of propriety, it is left as it is.

It is a delightful read that offers a fresh perspective on those things that you might have witnessed yourself.

The section on bullfighting is particularly interesting. It makes you think about the details rather than just looking at the whole picture.

Perhaps it is the way the author describes the movements of the bull and the matador, or the way the crowd reacts.

Whatever it is, it adds an extra layer of interest to the story.

Overall, it is a great read that will keep you engaged from start to finish.

Michener is renowned for writing historical fiction, and his books are typically quite long. If you have a penchant for historical fiction and don't mind delving into lengthy tomes, then you should definitely give his works a try. However, I must admit that I struggle to get through his books. For instance, "Hawaii" managed to hold my attention until the missionaries arrived and seemingly spoiled the paradise. As for other books like "Space" and "The Source," I haven't even bothered to open them. I'm fairly certain I know what I would find within their pages.

"Iberia," on the other hand, is an altogether different story. It focuses on actual people, and each chapter is dedicated to a different place in Spain. This allows you the freedom to read the sections that interest you and skip the ones that don't. The numerous photographs by Robert Vavra are a real highlight. They are of superb quality and add a great deal to the overall experience of the book. In fact, this book is truly superb. The Wall Street Journal has lauded it as Michener's best on any subject, and the Houston Chronicle claims it'll make you fall in love with Spain. I wholeheartedly agree.

Many years ago, I found myself in Pamplona during the Fiesta de San Fermin, the famous running of the bulls. I only stayed for 24 hours, but it was a wild and unrestrained experience. Every city should have such a vibrant and exciting party. Michener devotes separate chapters to Madrid and Toledo. Castile, which was once cold and austere, ruled the world for 100 years. There's also Andalucia, the Spain that most of us think of first, with chapters on Seville, Cordoba, and Granada. Cordoba was once one of the world's largest cities and a great center of culture until the Catholic Kings drove Islam and Judaism from Spain's shores. Now, what you'll find in Cordoba is a huge mosque with a Catholic cathedral in the middle.

There's Salamanca, home to the famous university where, according to an anecdote, a professor who was seized on some charge or other returned years later and started his lecture with, "As I was saying..." Then there's Badajoz, the main city of the impoverished province of Extremadura and the birthplace of many conquistadores. Naturally, there's a chapter on bulls and bullfighting for those who are interested. In the far northwestern province of Galicia, there's Santiago de Compostela, whose cathedral is said to be the burial site of St. James and is the destination of the Pilgrimage. The author himself undertakes a pilgrimage to Teruel in eastern Spain. Perhaps above all, Michener's treatment of Barcelona is truly remarkable. He begins the chapter on Barcelona with, "To travel across Spain and finally to reach Barcelona is like drinking a respectable red wine and finishing up with a bottle of champagne." Barcelona, in every sense but especially as an intellectual center, makes a profound impression on the author. Although it has been overshadowed by Madrid, Barcelona remains a formidable global city, and Michener, I believe, has cast his vote in its favor. Five stars.

Trained Brain Explains Spain without Strain

I had never set foot in Spain before. However, after delving into Michener's extensive work on the country, I deeply regretted not having visited long ago. I have this lurking suspicion that the place has undergone such profound changes that it is almost unrecognizable since he published this 795-page tome in 1968. Perhaps it has become more assimilated into the rest of Europe or even more like the global community compared to the latter part of Franco's long reign. The question remains: is it still "Spanish" in the true sense? Maybe, but not in the same way as before. I'm certain I've missed the old Spain of Franco's era, and perhaps that's not necessarily a bad thing. The role that bullfighting and flamenco play in contemporary Spain is likely a matter of debate. The Catholic church no longer wields the same power it once did. Does it still have influence over the schools? Certainly, censorship has vanished, and we are now exposed to numerous modern films, filled with explicit content, from what was once a "protected" society. Prices have soared, poverty has decreased, the cities have expanded, and the countryside has been depopulated. Spain is now undeniably a destination for immigrants, rather than a source. These are all significant changes that have occurred in the past 40 years. So, you might wonder, why should I bother reading an outdated book like this?

You should read this book if you plan to visit Spain. Granted, it doesn't depict the society you will encounter today, but it provides insights into the recent past. It reveals a thousand things that you could still potentially observe, discover, taste, and experience. If you have already been to Spain in the past 20 years, you might be intrigued to learn what things were like before. You should read it as a detailed portrait - flaws and all - of a particular country that has played a crucial role in world and European history. What you will gain from this excellent book is a flavor, regardless of whether your interests lie in social analysis, history, architecture, bullfighting, people, nature, or simply travel. It is one of the great travel books in the English language, and by the way, it is not one of Michener's ultimately rather formulaic and dull novels. Even though his political predictions and those of the Spaniards he interviewed may seem inaccurate in hindsight, he addresses all the relevant issues - the landowners, the church, the Guardia Civil, the economy, Catalan and Basque separatism, the arts, and the general capacity for governance and being governed. The writing style is highly engaging, the photographs by Robert Vavra are outstanding, and the maps are satisfactory. Read the other reviews of IBERIA. You'll see that I'm not just making unfounded claims here. Viva España!

Travel writing has its own charm and challenges. Just like love poetry, it often seems that each traveler believes their experiences are one-of-a-kind and worthy of being written about. However, in reality, many travel stories and love poems express similar basic sentiments with only slight differences. This makes both genres easy to write but hard to read, which is perhaps why there are so many travel blogs and love poems that are written but not read. Even great writers can sometimes make mistakes.

  In a sense no visitor can ever be adequately prepared to judge a foreign city, let alone an entire nation; the best he can do is to observe with sympathy.

James Michener, although not a brilliant writer, has done a good job in this book. I feel qualified to judge as I have been to about 80% of the major places he visited and have also written about my travels in Spain. Michener's approach to travel writing is similar to Bill Bryson's in some ways, but he is more preoccupied with culture and history. He spends a lot of time describing and appraising Spain's artistic and intellectual life, as well as speculating on why Spain rose and fell as a major power.

Michener spent about thirty years traveling in Spain, on and off, and was able to cover almost every major city in the country. His book is an encyclopedic travel guide that is both informative and readable. However, it is not without its flaws. It is too big and sprawling, lacking a clear organizing principle. At times, the detailed descriptions of buildings and plazas can become tiresome. Additionally, Michener's preoccupation with authenticity can be grating, as the idea of finding the "real" Spain is often elusive and commodified.

Despite these flaws, this book is a well-done piece of work that offers a fascinating tour of Spain. It has kept its relevance despite being published in 1968, and Michener's clear writing and knowledgeable guidance make it a worthwhile read for anyone interested in Spain. For those planning a trip, it can be profitably skimmed for ideas and inspiration. Overall, this book is a testament to the power of travel writing to transport us to new places and expand our understanding of the world.

I am an absolute die-hard Michener fan. I have devoured numerous of his truly incredible sagas. In fact, I re-read Hawaii approximately once a year, as it holds a special place among my top ten favorite books of all time. Given that I currently reside in Spain, I had high expectations that this particular book would offer more of the same captivating Michener style that I adore.

However, to my disappointment, it is not. Instead, it is a non-fiction memoir chronicling his travels in Spain during the 1960s. Unfortunately, due to the passage of time, much of the content no longer seems relevant. It simply fails to stand the test of time.

As a result, I had to slog my way through this book, reading a chapter here and there.

Nevertheless, I do appreciate the fact that he truly loved and had a deep appreciation for the Spain he experienced. I am glad that we share this commonality.

Overall, while this book may not have lived up to my initial expectations, it still provides some insights into Michener's perspective on Spain during that era.

The Wall Street Journal described this book as massive and beautiful, and indeed it is both. However, it is also somewhat dated as it was written during the time when Francisco Franco was still the dictator in Spain. Michener reports conversations with a diverse range of Spaniards regarding their expectations for what will occur when Franco passes away. They still had a few more years to wait.

I believe that if I hadn't traveled in Spain and taught Spanish for many years, I would have found this book extremely difficult. I wish I had read it while I was still teaching advanced classes because Michener provides such great insights into numerous aspects of the culture of Spain. It would have been great fun to discuss these with my students. While I have read and thoroughly enjoyed several of Michener's novels, I had no inkling of how profound his knowledge was in music, art, architecture, religion, and other fields.

It took me a few weeks to finish this book, but every single minute brought me joy and new perspectives. I am truly grateful to have had the opportunity to read this remarkable work.

Quintessential Book on Spain

This remarkable book is truly the quintessential work on Spain. It combines elements of a travel guide, a history book, social commentary, and literature- and art-critique, making this hefty volume incredibly comprehensive. However, in my humble opinion, it has its drawbacks. It is overly long and rather rambling, with a somewhat loose organization by place. One aspect that bothers me is the frequent lack of years or dates for the things Michener did. As a result, it's difficult for me to get a clear handle on the timeline. I suspect that he might not have originally intended to publish it as one single book. Perhaps this could account for these issues. There is no question that Michener was a phenomenal writer. His talent is evident throughout the text. Nevertheless, I firmly believe that this book could have benefited from further editing. With some refinement, it could have been an even more outstanding and accessible work.

I initially had the impression that this book would bear a resemblance to Centennial or The Source. However, to my pleasant surprise, it is quite distinct and captivatingly so.

It encompasses Michener's reminiscences of his travels throughout Spain over different decades. While it does contain a significant amount of history, it is truly wonderful to listen to his personal experiences.

I am a resident of Spain and have visited many of the places he mentions, such as Barcelona, Toledo, Cordova, and Santiago. I reside in Madrid. Some may argue that the book is outdated as it was written in the 1960s, but that is precisely what I adored. It was like embarking on a journey back in time and gaining an understanding of what the country was like approximately two decades before my birth. (Note: I also lived in Israel for five years, precisely in the area where The Source takes place, and in Colorado too. Hmmm...)

I discovered new aspects about Spain, specifically zarzuela, and now one can watch or listen to some of these productions on YouTube. James would be delighted to learn that new productions of zarzuela are presented annually here in Madrid. I have never attended a bullfight in Spain (although I have in Mexico), but I am inspired and will attempt to do so when possible.

The book is not antiquated. It is beautiful, well-balanced, and transports you back to a Spain that, in some respects, still exists but, in many others, is disappearing.

A book that consists of 791 pages and was penned sixty years ago, detailing an individual's tour around Spain, might make you hesitate if you're seeking a tour guide.

Nevertheless, I am attracted to "Iberia" precisely because it is written by James Michener, the renowned author of fictionalized histories of Hawaii, Japan, and Chesapeake. I also have a penchant for his Quaker education and his passion for learning, which is truly contagious.

Consequently, I read a significant portion of "Iberia" and gained insights into Spanish history, as well as how Michener wandered and encountered fascinating individuals from diverse walks of life 60 years ago. It seems that Michener has an uncanny ability to discover experts wherever he goes.

Regrettably, the book has a slight drawback in its excessive enthusiasm for bull-fighting and bulls in general. However, aside from this, it serves as a good introduction to Spain.