The Basque History of the World Audiobook

" Kurlansky does for Basque culture what he did for Cod. Very food-centered as you would expect from Kurlansky. Interesting perspective on ETA. The best line "The best times in life are the first year of marriage and the week you kill the pig." "

" This is a good book. There are not that many books in English about the Basque country but I feel Paddy Woodworths book is much more nuanced and modern. The University of Nevada, Reno also has a good selection of titles in English "

" this book would certainly have been more enjoyable had i read it with my eyes rather than my ears. the reader was just fine; the text just a little too dense in places for spoken-word interpretation. but it was interesting enough that i may pick it up in print at some point. "

" The Basque people are fascinating and Mark Kurlansky makes the history of this enigmatic "nation" even more fascinating. "

" This book was so interesting. I had no idea the Basque were behind so much of history and economics. There are many Basque that live here in Idaho and so I was interested in learning more about them. This was just the right book for that! Was written in an interesting way and left me very impressed with this people. "

" Disjointed but fascinating. "

" this was a disappointment for me. i thought it was going to be full of revelations about the basque popping up to influence events at pivotal moments in history, or perhaps the book would be a catalog of the basque political or industrial contributions to the world. instead, it was just a list of events that you'd expect to find in any book about anyone. like most of mark kurlansky's books, and many potboiler 'histories' of the recent past, however, it needed a sensational, gimmicky title. if it just was titled, a history of the basque, it would have been closer to ideal. "

" Fascinating history - so much I didn't know "

" Excellent book. Great mix of history and story. If all you've ever heard about the Basque people concerns terrorism, this is a book you should read. GIves an immense context for a people without a nation. "

" And now i know something about the Basques. Mark Kurlansky is very biased in his appreciation of the people-they can do no wrong. At the book's best it is informational, but the reader must weed through the author's opinions. "

" Incredibly interesting view of the history of the Basques. This should be read as an opinion piece though and not as a textbook containing pure unbiased facts. I also love how Kurlansky has included recipes of traditional Basque dishes in there as well. "

" Fascinating history of a group I knew little about. The Basques gave us whaling, cod fishing and the Jesuits! "

" I picked up this book randomly, and since it is also written by the author who wrote "Salt", I figured it would be a good narrative read. I was a little disappointed that more of the Basque culture was not written up and that many of the chapters were heavy on the Basque political scene. It would have been nice to read more about their cuisine, customs, folklore/beliefs, and general differences from the Spanish and French. However, I can understand why about a third of the book was about politics. The chapters on the early and medieval history of the Basque were quite interesting. "

" I love Kurlansky's writing and this was very interesting. However, I definitely connected more with the food parts of the book, rather than the history bits. It is very rapid-fire as far as facts and names, etc. Good introduction to this long-suffering region. "

" I read the chapters and sections that interested me (food, jai alai, cod, etc.) and skimmed the rest. A great overview. "

" i never finished this because i had to give it back to the guy at the pub who lent it to me. the first half was pretty good but not good enough for me to go and buy my own copy and finish it. "

" A very interesting account of the Basque people although it is strictly limited to the Basque country in France or Spain. A chapter on Basque emigration to the United States and other parts of the world would have been interesting. "

" This is a great little book from the author of "Cod" and "Salt" that focuses on a people, rather than a commodity. "

" An interesting book, and Kurlasky is a great non-fiction writer, but this wasn't as captivating to me as his other books (Salt, Oysters). "

" Super interesting and had me thinking a lot about issues of nationalism, culture, and history. It also seemed to lay bare one perspective of the damaged psyche of Spain, which is an interesting context to think about the ways that we glorify its past in Southern California. "

" Another Kurlansky book...I got through this one, although I gave up on "Cod". Now I definitely want to visit Basqueland! "

" Not a bad book but "facts" are presented with a bias. I got halfway through it, and another book on Basque history, before visiting the region. It was a great trip and it is definitely worthwhile to learn about the Basque. I may yet finish the other book, which is more objective that this one. "

" I'd secretly hoped he'd dig a little deeper into the language and the sociology, but I imagine it would've crawled even then. "

" Fantastic read. A trove of information, with an accessible narrative. My curiosity about the Basque people has been ignited. "

" Did you know that Euskera isn't related to any other language in the world? Strongly recommend this to anyone interested in learning about a truly unique people... "

" Super-interesting, especially if you've got a bit of Basque in you and have always wondered... I read it a tad too quickly last summer, therefore retaining little actual knowledge, so I'm popping it right back onto my to-read list. "

" Loved this book. It made the Basque region of Northern Spain/Southern France #1 on my list of places I want to visit. "

" Not my favorite of his but still enlightening and entertaining. "

" How can you make the Basques boring? Despite keen interst, I couldn't finish this book. "

" I'm Basque...so I loved it. "

" Well written and interesting book about the Basques of Spain and France. There was also quite a bit of general Spanish history, which I enjoyed. I found this easy to read and the flow was good (unlike other books on Spain that I've tried to read). "

" Reading Kurlansky's work is great. It stays on track and gives you the meat near the bone. Included with the main story are numerous morsels that help drag the reader through the inescapable dry parts. Should be required high school reading. "

" A strong entry from Kurlansky, who uses an obscure subject and an unconventional structure to create a book that is satisfyingly focused while still communicating a vast amount of information, from cod fishing to the Spanish Civil War. "

" Marianne gave 5 stars; Osho/Shoshanna gave 4 "

" Great book, the author follows the history of the Basques, providing fascinating color of their culture and identity "

" Excellent book. Great mix of history and story. If all you've ever heard about the Basque people concerns terrorism, this is a book you should read. GIves an immense context for a people without a nation. "

" Loved this book. It made the Basque region of Northern Spain/Southern France #1 on my list of places I want to visit. "

" Fascinating read, and, albeit jumpy in places, one of the most interesting history books I've ever read. Now I just have to learn Euskera! "

" Kurlansky summarizes Basque history for those unfamiliar with this mysterious group of Iberian peninsula residents. "

" i'd had two false starts with kurlansky in the past, so after finishing this book, i've come to the conclusion that he's just a sh*tty writer. he can't stay on point. he takes on amazing subjects and executes them poorly. "

" Another Kurlansky book...I got through this one, although I gave up on "Cod". Now I definitely want to visit Basqueland! "

" The most political/historical of Kurlansky's books so far. Not quite as fun & fast as 'salt, 'cod','oysters'. "

" audio I am learning about a people who have no homeland quite interesting "

" An interesting history of the Basques, peppered with recipes which make it a bit quirky. "