A Concise History of Spain

by William D. Phillips Jr., Carla Rahn Phillips Narrated by Luis Soto

Overview

This audiobook traces Spain's development from prehistoric times to the present, focusing particularly on culture, society, politics and personalities. It introduces listeners to key themes that have shaped Spain's history and culture, including its varied landscapes and climates; the impact of waves of diverse human migrations; the importance of its location as a bridge between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean and Europe and Africa; and religion, particularly militant Catholic Christianity and its centuries of conflict with Islam and Protestantism, as well as debates over the place of the Church in modern Spain.

Editorial Reviews

DECEMBER 2019 - AudioFile

Narrator Luis Soto recounts the history of Spain in a strong British-accented voice, his manner bright, brisk, and congenial. His Spanish is of native-speaker quality, although his accurate Castilian pronunciation, in which “s” sounds like “th,” may give some listeners difficulty in recognizing people and place names. Soto, though intelligent and always correct in intonation and emphasis, never seems fully comfortable or relaxed, like a storyteller. Instead, he sounds somewhat stiff and self-conscious. Spain’s complex past—it was almost always a conglomeration of autonomous regions with their own rulers—and a lack of maps make the history, at times, hard to follow or retain. Despite these flaws, some unavoidable, this is a professional performance and, overall, an interesting and informative history. W.M. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine

DECEMBER 2019 - AudioFile

Narrator Luis Soto recounts the history of Spain in a strong British-accented voice, his manner bright, brisk, and congenial. His Spanish is of native-speaker quality, although his accurate Castilian pronunciation, in which “s” sounds like “th,” may give some listeners difficulty in recognizing people and place names. Soto, though intelligent and always correct in intonation and emphasis, never seems fully comfortable or relaxed, like a storyteller. Instead, he sounds somewhat stiff and self-conscious. Spain’s complex past—it was almost always a conglomeration of autonomous regions with their own rulers—and a lack of maps make the history, at times, hard to follow or retain. Despite these flaws, some unavoidable, this is a professional performance and, overall, an interesting and informative history. W.M. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940169728224
Publisher:	Naxos Audiobooks
Publication date:	01/01/2019
Edition description:	Unabridged

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