Leftbanker's Reviews > Ghosts of Spain: Travels Through Spain and its Silent Past

I had heard nothing but praise for this book since I arrived in Spain not long after it was published. Since I have so much to learn in Spanish and French I don't read many books in English. I have made exceptions over the years so I didn’t hesitate to pull this off the shelf while I am staying at a friend’s flat in Barcelona. I knew little about the book except that it dealt with the Spanish Civil War to some degree, a subject about which I probably know more about than most Spaniards who have chosen to all but forget about this sad chapter of their history.

Now that I have lived here myself for over six years I recognize his valuable insights into the country and its people. As it turns out the book is much more than another history of the war. He goes on to reveal a lot of inside gossip on the tourist industry, Spanish football, sex, prostitution in Spain, Basque and Catalan separatism,and flamenco among many other subjects.

I found his chapter on flamenco to be especially informative and entertaining. A Spanish friend from Andalucía had initiated me into flamenco years ago. I had been listening to Camarón de la Isla since then but I knew nothing about him. Tremlett’s biography and eulogy of the singer gave me an insider’s view of this great star of Spanish music.

The author’s passion for his adopted country is seemingly limitless and it’s a real privilege to be able to tap into his profound understanding of so many aspects of life in Spain. It’s difficult for an outsider to gain this sort of knowledge, even if you are something of an ardent student yourself. I don’t know what I would have made of this book had I read it in my first few years here. I doubt that I would have been able to appreciate his insights and trenchant observations about Spanish life and her people. I certainly get it now.