Andalucia: A Portrait of Southern Spain

Drawing on eight unforgettable years living with his family in southern Spain, Nicholas Luard offers a vivid portrait of its landscapes, traditions, and tumultuous past. Perfect for readers of Chris Stewart, John Gill, and Drew Johnson.

In this book, writer and naturalist Nicholas Luard entertainingly records both the hardships and delights of the remote region of Spain that he chose as his family's home for eight years in the 1960s and early '70s. The result is a fascinating and often hilarious portrait of daily life, centred around the home they built in the mountains, and documented through the changing seasons, characters, events, celebrations, and journeys experienced with his beloved wife and children.

As an experienced writer, Luard seamlessly weaves into the narrative the history of the region as he visits some of the greatest legacies left behind by previous rulers, such as the Moors at the "red palace" of the Alhambra and the great Muslim mosque at Córdoba. He also explores the darker side of more recent Spanish history under General Franco, the Spanish Civil War, and the ongoing political situation with British ownership of Gibraltar.

From farming to bullfighting, festivals, big cities, whitewashed villages, nobles, and peasant communities, Luard paints a vivid portrait of the Andalucía he fell in love with.

"Fascinating glimpses of Andalucían life ... the chapter on bullfighting is one of the best brief expositions of the subject I have read." - Spectator

"Describes the older, prouder, more enchanting Spain." - Daily Mail