Barcelona

This book was in excellent condition and arrived on time as expected, or unexpected as it was intended as a gift for a friend who was unaware I'd ordered it. I have my own copy and was telling him about it after he arrived home from the city. I told him it was too good to lend out but he must read it nonetheless, and hence I made this purchase. It duly arrived at his place of work and brought a smile to his face, and through time will bring the full knowledge of this city, the people and events which have shaped it, the artists and artisans, the parks, places and politics. This is an exhaustive history of the city written in the run up to the XXV Olympiad of 1992. Get yourself a copy.

Everything you could know about the history of Barcelona to 1930 or so and excellent descriptions of its architecture. Could be helped by a map for people unfamiliar with the geography. 20/21st century somewhat lacking (it was written in 1990s)

The book is an essential guide to the history and culture of Barcelona for those interested in the architecture and art of the city, as well as its place in the Spanish economy.It is a little dense at first - and the names are hard to remember - but for an overview of Barcelona's significance you can't get better than Robert Hughes' direct and straight-forward prose style. You can hear the Aussie accent as you read - and it's all the better for that.Worth every penny.

I've only just begun to read it, but if it's good enough for Colm Toibin, it's good enough for me!

Arrived promptly & well packaged; reasonable price. Had been looking for this book as fond of Hughes style - disappointed by publishing format of book. No issue with it being paperback but quality of paper not great & type font size miniscule. Mixed feelings on purchase.

Sublime. Always a treat to delve into

Great

Going Native in Catalonia [Catalunya ]There is no way I can possibly be objective about this book - in many ways, it was the inspiration for a ten-year journey that led to the publication of my own 'Going Native in Catalonia' and Robert Hughes' anarchic telling of the story of Barcelona and the Catalans still makes me chuckle with pleasure every time I pick it up again.The book opens with Barcelona 1992, the Olympic City - Paradise Regained? But even in that first chapter Hughes shows his love and knowledge of The Great Enchantress and is already poking holes in the image of perfection that Barcelona loves to portray (and its eager visitors love to lap up).He then takes us from the Romans through the dynasty of the Counts of Barcelona, the loss of autonomy to Castile, the rise of Catalan culture from the ashes and right up to the present day. He leads us on wild excursions, historical rambles and architectural visits always with that 'been there, done that' voice that makes him stand out as a true communicator not just 'another' travel writer. This book is absolutely bloomin' brilliant!However, I have to admit that it's not for everyone. It's long and turgid at times and Robert Hughes tells the story that HE wants to tell. So if you're coming to Barcelona for a weekend break, I suggest you read something a little lighter and more superficial but if you want to understand why Barcelona is the most important city in Europe that's not a capital city, buy this book and spend a good two weeks reading before your visit. The time will be well-invested.To finish this exuberant review, I'd like to send a personal message to the author - 'Thank you, Robert - if you ever fancy a beer and some tapas in one of the bars down Carrer de la Ciutat, search for me on the Internet and we've got a date.'