Spain

Enchantment of the World

by Barbara A. Somervill

Explores Spain, including the geography, people, education, rural and urban life, housing, food, work, and amusements, and provides other information about the country.

Genres: Travel

144 pages, Library Binding

First published September 1, 2012

About the author

Barbara Somervill is a professional writer who has been a magazine editor, journalist, and advertising copywriter for more than twenty years. Somervill is a member of the National Association of Female Executives, the Association of Women in Communications, and the International Documentary Association.

Reviews

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

An updated addition to this series, copyright 2013. I was able to compare it to the 2001 edition, which my library owns. This is completely re-written by a different author. Statistics are current, as well as photos and cultural references (politics, sports and music figures). There are plenty of full-color photos with captions, and frequent sidebars which go into a little more detail about a specific subject. There is a timeline going back to prehistoric times comparing Spanish history with world history, a four page “Fast Facts” section, bibliography (“To Find Out More”), table of contents, and a very detailed index.

Problems: I noticed a couple of errors in the first two chapters (wrong homonym used, extra comma). The cover, depicting a bloody bull during a bullfight, might put off some readers.

[Dad · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has a lot of good coverage of Spain yet it is brief enough to it doesn't take too long to read. I sure learned a lot. It was interesting that King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella not only helped to get the Moors out of Spain but they had a Spanish Inquisition to rid their country mainly of Jews. The Basques are a separate people and their are various regions in Spain including Catalonia of which Barcelona is the capital.. The regions can have separate holidays and foods and languages. Spain has some famous musicians and artists. The most famous play is "Don Quixote," by Miquel de Cervantes. Football or soccer is the most famous sport. Spain is now in the European Union. It has a lot of tourism. Their beautiful beaches attract many visitors.

[Marg · Rating 5 out of 5]

7

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like other “Enchantment of the World” series titles, this one about Spain does not disappoint. It is packed with breathtaking photographs, maps and informative fact boxes. All the basic topics for research are covered: history, flora and fauna, culture, government and the economy. Back matter includes a timeline, “Fast Facts” pages, bibliography and index. The “Fast Facts” are similar to encyclopedic entries. However, the text is engaging and straightforward. If you need an updated version, this one is ideal. It encourages browsing for even reluctant readers.

[Morgan Duplechin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is filled with plenty of information about Spain and would be perfect for research papers.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

As far as these books go, Spain was written without obvious bias or agenda.