The Basque History of the World

Rating:
Summary: The Basque problem
Review: This book is an excellent introduction for someone ignorant in the subject. The Basque problem has always been misunderstood and misread either by the own Basques or by the outsiders. As someone has described it: a labyrinth of 'definitions' and 'codes'.
The author accounts very faithfully to the facts, the origins, misfortunes and historical adventures of the Basque people along the path of the Iberian idiosyncrasy. Very objectively, he stays aside from any political remark, completing the book with a nihilistic thought: 'a quimera'.
A good book, written by a comprenhesive journalist.

Rating:
Summary: More enamored than knowledgeable
Review: While the author gives a semi-useful introduction to the Basques, this very basis of this book is absurd. The Basques, as a people, do not have their own history of the world, nor do most of them perpetrate this kind of thinking. Kurlansky gives a good explanation for the anti-Spanish sentiment prevalent in Basque society, but this is lost in his efforts to justify violence on the part of Basque separatist terrorists. To reprimand one side and glorify the other for the same offense is a good indication of Kurlansky's starry-eyed bias and immaturity as a writer and scholar. The author further beats himself into the ground by treating the Navarrese as Spain-loving, second-rate Basques. The Navarrese are Basque, and anyone who has spent any amount of time with them know that some of them can get downright cranky when that fact is overlooked. If one wants to write a credible book on the Basques, all Basques must be represented. Navarra is the birthplace of the Basque language ,and although it is neither part of "el pais vasco" nor "le pays basque" it is just as Basque as any of the 7 provinces in Euskal Herria. Kurlansky seems to think the only real Basques are beret-wearing Guipuzcoan pig-farmers who offer sidra and charming stories to foreign journalists. Furthermore, some of his facts are just plain wrong. For example, he states that the only Basque word used in English is "honcho" which he claims comes from the Basque jauntxo (jaun=man txo=pejorative suffix). Although a creative guess, it is widely known that honcho is a Japanese word picked up by WW2 soldiers. This is the only author I have ever seen give any other explanation for the word honcho than the Japanese one. It is equally false to state that no other Basque words exist in English. I hesitate to say "don't read this book" because there really is no other basic introduction to the Basques available. My advice, read it if you want, but be wary of taking everything you read too seriously. To be fair, the section dealing with the birth and spread of Basque nationalism is concise and accurate.

Rating:
Summary: Enjoying a Learning Adventure
Review: Knowing virtually nothing about the Basque people, I recently purchased a paperback edition of Mark Kurlansky's engrossing book entitled, "The Basque History of the World." Prior to my reading of this book my only image of them in my mind's eye was that of a rowboat containing 3 or 4 burly men, heads crowned with berets. Having said that, I do have some positive comments and, unfortunately, a negative one.

Beginning with the positive, I must say that Kurlansky is a very gifted writer. As one reads his account of this fascinating people, he feels as if he has been invited into the home of a friend who regales his visitor with wondrous tales of unknown places and people. I do believe that he knows and loves the Basque people.

Now to go to the negative aspect of this book let us turn to page 70 of the paperback edition. He states, in speaking of Ferdinand, "His union with Isabella had given him, in addition to most of Spain, only a daughter, who was known as Juana La Loca-Juana the Mad." This is a glaring error. In truth, Isabella gave Ferdinand ten children, four of whom lived to adulthood. How could anyone forget that their youngest, Katharine, was the unfortunate first wife of Henry VIII of England? Frankly, I cannot imagine how this got past the editors and other readers! Seeing this error, it caused me to wonder about the authenticity of his other historical statements.

Hating to end on the negative, let us go back to positive thoughts about the book. Regardless of errors I do believe this to be a good place to begin a study of the Basque people. Certainly, Kurlansky makes his subject exciting and interesting. Hey, in preparation for your next dinner party, turn to page 105 of the paperback edition and prepare "Espelette Peppers and Duck Hearts." I just bet you will be unique among your friends for preparing the new and the unusual!

Wrapping it all up, I do think the book worth reading. Just keep in mind that errors can be found, but also you will find much of entertainment and interest in its reading.

Rating:
Summary: how romantic, how misleading
Review: as a Baque, I became emotioned through parts of the book. How great to be the oldest culture in Europe, amazing that we fished whales in America.

But the political tone of the book is profoundly misleading. The Basque Country is now one of the areas with more autonomy in Europe (own tax, police, education systems), while hundreds of Basque non-nationalist politicians, businessman and journalists need the constant protection of bodyguards because dozens of them have been killed in the last years. And this, while the nationalists in power -who live confortably secure-, enjoy the cod, the alubias and probably Mr. Kurlansky's book.

how romantic (if you don't happen to live there), how misleading

Rating:
Summary: "Enjoyable Grab-bag of History, Recipes, and Trivia"
Review: In my search for a better understanding of the Basques, their place in European history and the reasons for the continuing conflict in their region today, I picked up Mark Kurlansky's book. THE BASQUE HISTORY OF THE WORLD is extremely well-written in modern journalistic style. That is, nothing is pursued to the bitter end, certainly, nor, sometimes, is it pursued to a logical conclusion. Subjects are touched upon, suddenly turned into something else, or dropped. Objectivity is not a high priority, but love of subject finds a secure place. These qualities may not be praiseworthy, academically, but do make for enjoyment. Any historical event can be the trigger for a recipe, an odd but pleasant characteristic of the book, which is thus full of interesting recipes, from 'hare with walnut and chocolate', to 'Salmí de paloma' (a pigeon dish), to 'alubias de Tolosa' (beans). I found loads of fascinating interludes, for example, the description of Basque whaling and fishing expeditions and techniques; the discussion of the intellectual roots of Basque nationalism; how to make pelota balls; and the course of the Spanish Civil War in the Basque country. Kurlansky has the ability to discuss issues without getting bogged down. I have seldom met clearer (but perhaps they were incomplete) passages on the Carlist Wars that ravaged Spain for much of the 19th century. Rather than be an organized history in the usual sense, THE BASQUE HISTORY....... is a kind of "Whole Earth Catalogue" of Basqueness, of Euskal Herria. I liked it. It is not a work for serious scholars, but it certainly can be a jumping off place. It would be an overly serious person indeed who did not find Kurlansky's work charming. I can easily recommend this book to anyone who would like to read about a seldom-discussed people; a distinct European ethnic group with a unique language who have occupied the same lands for thousands of years.

Sometimes I felt that the author threw in "facts" without checking. For example, on page 138 he talks about the Basque word "jauntxo" and says it has come into English as "honcho". This word entered American English after WW II because it was the Japanese word for "superior officer" and was used to ask prisoners who commanded them. Similarly on page 293, Kurlansky claims that "cipayo", used as an epithet to describe local Basque police, was borrowed from a pejorative word used by Indian nationalists to describe Indian police who worked for the British. The word "sipahi" is certainly Hindi/Urdu, but it merely means 'soldier' or 'constable' and doesn't have any pejorative meaning.

A large section of the book discusses the Basques during Franco's long, oppressive regime, and during its aftermath with the entrance of Spain into Europe, and the rise of Basque terrorism in the struggle to maintain identity and/or become independent. While I found some of this rather diffuse, THE BASQUE HISTORY OF THE WORLD is the only book I know which can give the reader, unfamiliar with the events of 1970-2000, a background to the mayhem from a Basque (nationalist)point of view. For the most part, the author has done his homework, interviewed many interesting people, and compiled his information in a pleasing way.

Rating:
Summary: GORA EUZKADI AZKATUTA!
Review: Like Northern Ireland, the subject of the Basques becomes a division into 2 camps: those who think that the Basques do not deserve independence, and those who think that they do. I was part of the second group before I read this book, and I still am. Kurlansky's account of the origins of Basque nationalism, beginning with Sabino Arana, is very well documented and researched, albeit very biased. But like Northern Ireland, there is no way that one can avoid developing one's own position on this issue, unless one just does not care. I do have a problem with how he sees the modern day ETA in very much the same light as ETA during Franco's time. In my view, the ETA of Franco's time and the ETA of today are two different groups that share the same name. That said, this is one of my favorite books, has a permanent place on my shelf, and I find myself taking it down and reading it over and over. Mr. Kurlansky has shown us why a minority of Basques turned to violence to get their independence, but also the beauty and splendor of a people who are as old as Europe itself.

Rating:
Summary: Leaves You Hungry for More
Review: I found this book to be delicious fun to read. Anyone who has read much in Spanish history is left with an awareness of this enigmatic people who have left such a strong mark on Hispanic culture in so many ways. And yet, until now there has not been a popular history of the Basques to refer to.

Unfortunately, I think that the definitive book on Basque culture is yet to be written. While I learned a great deal about the Basques' own folklore about themselves, a little about Basque cuisine, and a great deal more than I want to know about the separatist movement and the modern demographic shifts in the Basque area, I felt that I still didn't get a substantial picture of the Basques as people from this book. Perhaps Mr. Kurlansky wanted to write more (he obviously has warm feelings for his subject), but he felt that nobody would be willing to read a longer book on the subject. If so, I hope he will reconsider and give us more.

Rating:
Summary: Kurlansky tells the story of the Basques
Review: This book is written in a style that is a pleasure to read. It includes some items that are not necessarily complementary to the Basques, so I don't think it idealizes them. Mark reveals some things about Franco and life under the Franco regime that the pro-Franco US press didn't tell us about. He also reveals acts of repression that continued during Spain's post-Franco democratic era. Contrary to what many other reviewers have said, Kurlansky does NOT portray ETA in a good light. On the contrary, he describes their actions as destructive and unpopular with the Basques. He even implies that they are helping the Spanish government of the Partido Popular. He stresses that ETA is only a small group of people. This is an inspiring description of a small peoples survival and their interactions with other peoples, including indigenous Americans, from whom they borrowed some crops and foods, and with whom they had contact by ship before Columbus landed in the Americas.

Rating:
Summary: Basques leap tall buildings with a single bound
Review: I began reading Kurlansky's book about Basque history with some reservations. His engaging story about Cod, "...the fish that changed the world", was filled with speculation disguised as fact and half truths supporting some very dubious conclusions. Yet it was a wonderful yarn, well written, cleverly marketed as a "biography", and a joy to read. Given my deep admiration for the Basque people, I was hoping he would produce a better effort this time around.

Unfortunately, Mr. Kurlansky has reverted to his old habits of exageration, bias and a highly selective use of fragmented and questionable historical evidence ranging from the supposed medieval design of steam engines to the existence of multiple north and south American whaling colonies in the fourteenth century, all the product of Basque genius and daring. The reader is treated to an almost laughable interpretation of European history; to wit: the Basques invented nearly everything, they discovered the entire world, were the bravest soldiers, the best seafarers, most intrepid businessmen and greatest thinkers of the Iberian Peninsula. Oh, by the way, no footnotes.

To say that many of Kurlansky's claims are suspect or subject to interpretation, or possibly just a teeny bit overblown, would be charitable. Some are just wrong and others are impossible to verify. It is at least arguable the Basques are not the most Catholic people in Europe. Elcano was not the first man to circumnavigate the globe as Kurlansky suggests. Magellan had reached the Philippines sailing east before undertaking the westerly journey to the same area where he lost his life in a skirmish.

It's one thing to say the Basques were great fishermen which is true. It's something else to claim, as does Kurlansky without doubt or reservation, that they were the first to fish cod and whales off north America. That is a proposition which has sharply divided historians for years. To assert that the Basques developed the first commercial law of the sea is to ignor the Rhodian Code, Amalfi "Tablets", Rules of Oleron, parts of Justinian's Digests and the Llibre del Consolat de Mar of Barcelona.

The point of all this is that Kurlansky's book about Basque history is biased, misleading and distorted. His fondness and respect for the people of Basqland apparently has clouded his judgement to the point that credibility becomes an issue in the second or third chapter. I had trouble finishing the book. He is an author desperately in need of an editor, fact checker and some balance in his approach to European history.

Rating:
Summary: A book for historical survival
Review: Mark Kurlansky, author of 'The Basque History of the World' (Jonathan Cape; 1999) presents one of the most accomplished books on Basque history ever written in English. Kurlansky blends human stories with cultural, political and culinary history. He, like many other authors is attracted by the challenge of the survival of this small country throughout thousands of years.
Kurlansky reveals a different point of view on the Basque people, far from the stereotypes imposed by many modern journalists. The author, as a journalist himself, highlights the Basque's outstanding impact on Europe's historical evolution. "No word less describes Basques than the term separatist...Considering how small a group the Basques are, they have made remarkable contributions to world history", Kurlansky adds.
The modern Basque Country represents a human group constituted by hardly three million people lost in the swarms of the great human
crowds.
A significant fact of the Basque Country is the tenacity for the historical survival, its touch of distinction for the cultural creation, and its collective memory for the development of a social identity. While the world has entered into the Third Millennium, over 650,000 people are speaking a language, Euskera, whose roots can be found in the Stone Age (6,000BC). The Basque sociologist Ruiz de Olabuenaga argues that "something that had defined and is still defining men and women of the Basque society is the conviction that we ourselves must create our own future and that the excellence of the history of this country can be lost. We are a small country but solid, intense, passionate between the unconditional fidelity to our tradition and the
maximum compromise to the ambiguity of the future".
Kurlansky summarizes the aspiration of the Basque people for such historical survival in the final sentence of his book: 'Garean gareana legez' - 'Let us be what we are' - (from Esteban de Garibay, Basque Historian, XVIthC).
P. J. Oiarzabal, Historian
Reno, Nevada, September 2001