Rating: 
Summary: Strong on Culture & History, Weak on Politics
Review: By the end of this generalist history of the Basque people I was of two minds. On the one hand, Kurlansky has written a warm compendium of things and people Basque, filled with interesting little tidbits to store away (eg. the Jesuits were founded by two Basques), enlivened with traditional recipes. On the other hand, in trying to also deliver a readable account of Basque political history, he overextends his abilities, resulting in an unabashedly sympathetic portrayal of Basque nationalism, particularly the ETA terrorist group. And while most of the book focuses on Basque culture (especially language), it all leads up to a dissapointing treatment of their place in the new millenium. The detailing of mistreatment throughout Spanish national history- epecially under Franco-is extremely vivid and provides plenty of justification for sympathy and certainly legitimates the Basque desire to "let us be what we are." What it does not do it allow anyone to gloss over the uglier side of that desire, as perpetrated by a small minority of extremists who terrorize even thir fellow Basques. Kurlansky certainly deserves kudos for bringing the culture of this somewhat obscure nation to broader attention, but one wishes he'd left the modern political history to a more astute analsyst. This weakness is further undermined by the lack of footnotes or citations of any kind that might allow interested readers to dig a little further.
Rating:
Summary: Broad look at Basque culture
Review: A generally interesting overview of most things Basque; literature, history, food, politics, art. Would have liked to see more emphasis on the source questions; where did the Basque come from? It's touched on, but it seems likely that DNA study (especially mitochondrial DNA) would give us some fairly good ideas. Recipes are an interesting touch to the book. I think the author has a fairly sympathetic view of ETA, more than is justified by their actions over the past few years. Still, a good introduction to the subject.
Rating: 
Summary: Intro to Basque History & Culture for the World
Review: This book brought back many of the sites and sounds, smells and especially the tastes (the gastronome will be interested to find several recipes within)of the Zazpiak Bat (the Seven Provinces of Basqueland)which I experienced ten years ago. I could almost taste the delicious gateau basque avec cerises of Bayonne, the breads, chocolates and all the other assorted goodies as well as the beauty of the green landscape the red tile roofs of the homes and the friendliness of the people. If you cannot tour the Basque country, please read this book and it will certainly provide you with a glimpse of a place and a people not many are familiar with, though will be surprised to find that many of history's explorers and prominent religious figures were Basques. Perhaps the idea of Europe existed before the EU thanks to the ancient ideas of the citizens of EUskadi.
Rating:
Summary: Basque-ing with pride
Review: The approximately 2.5 million basques that live in the western Pyrenees spread across a few Spanish and French provinces (the vast majority in Spain), do indeed have a lot to be proud of. As a start, being different is something that people are always happy to claim about themselves. This is most definitely true about the basques. THE BASQUE HISTORY OF THE WORLD is quick to tell us that it is their history that basques are most proud of. An ancient people, their arrival in Iberia may not be from paleolithic times as descendants of Cro-Magnon man as their myths say, but they certainly arrived long before the French and Spanish did; and although their lands have been invaded and ruled by many, starting with the Romans, the basques have always managed to maintain a fair degree of autonomy. Once the discussion switches to politics, the potential for Mr Kurlansky to slip is great. One of the dangers for writers who become enamoured with the people they research and the places they visit, is that they can end up glamorizing the culture. The finest travel writers such as Theroux, Matthiessen, Naipaul, and Bryson are all aware of this and maintain balance - admiration but also admonishment where appropriate. The danger for Mr Kurlansky is that in talking about basque nationalism and the origins of ETA, the book has the potential for being seen as an apology for the basque terrorist group. Only potential though as Mr Kurlansky explains the political motivations for ETA but is far more interested in highlighting the many reasons why basque is so much more than a word hyphenated as - seperatist. Mr Kurlansky tells us about basque cuisine. Basques are great fishermen and excellent cooks and there are recipes here to prove it. Other interesting aspects of basque culture discussed are the Atlantic whaling and cod fish industry, why there are a preponderance of Jesuit basques, and the origins of the beret and jai-alai. This rich culture and proud people have an admirer in Mark Kurlansky and he pays them a fitting tribute with this book.
Rating: 
Summary: More to the Basque than the ETA.
Review: I thought this book was very interesting. The Basque contribution to the world is more profound than you would think. Especially since the ETA bombings are all that make the news in America.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent, entertaining read
Review: The Basque History of the World is a fascinating piece that describes from many angles the life and character of the Basque people. Readers like myself may be surprised to find out that Europe as a whole is a continent of conquered peoples, and that a few groups like the Basques have managed to survive and perpetuate their beautiful culture into the present. An interesting historical narrative is offset nicely by recipes, poetry, etc. I was even inspired by this book to order alubias de tolosa and guindilla peppers from Spain to cook some of the recipes. On the whole, I would say this book is a valuable contribution to making sure people know who the Basques are, and why they are who they are today. It is also an excellent history of a fascinating people from every angle of their lifestyle. I highly recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: Finally! A useful book on the Basque People.
Review: Instead of boring you by reiterating the entire contents of the book, let me just say this: This is a good read. It gives a very useful history of the Basque people, their culture, language, and even a few recipes. The recipes are important, as they say a lot about how the Basques have blended into their geography. Read it with an open mind, as most have already made up their minds and labeled the Basques as terrorists. Remember, we had to fight to be what we are today, as well. Only, the Basques deserve their autonomy more-so as they have inhabited their land for a very long time. I don't condone the violence of the ETA, but do understand that desperate situations can often lead to desperate measures.
Rating:
Summary: educational but random
Review: I think Kurlansky here is suffering from the success of his book Cod, which would have been a hard act for anyone to follow. Basque History of the World seems like an essentially random series of historical facts. Sometimes they are really interesting facts, such as Franco's anxiousness to get into World War II on the German side and Hitler refusing to admit him to the Axis ("the Germans reasoned that if Spain were an ally, Germany would have to feed its people, arm them, train them, and even, as the Germans had done in the Civil War, fight for them"). It took me three long airplane flights to finish this short book.
Rating:
Summary: Good book, politics unavoidable
Review: This is a good introduction to the Basques, a nation split between Spain and France. The book goes into many aspects of Basque life, from cooking to economics, but what appears to have engaged the attention of most people is its approach to politics. It's unavoidable, when writing about the Basques, to write about politics. Both Spain and France want to maintain control over their various parts of the Basque country in various ways. France does it in its own style, by suppressing the Basque language and the economy of the area and hoping the Basques will fade away. Spain tried hamfisted control under the fascism of Franco, but Basque nationalists continued to resist his government and assassinated his chosen successor, leading to the current democratic state in Spain. The Basque region was granted autonomy, though Navarre became its own autonomous region, apart from the other three Spanish provinces. The Francoists and their heirs (like Aznar and the PP) have been trying to keep the Basque country "in line" ever since. Kurlansky discusses how and why the Basque terrorists (ETA) and the government have been fighting ever since. A lot of the political turmoil and assassinations (by both the Basque nationalists - ETA and the Spanish government - GAL) can be understood as a political "hangover" from Francoism. No one was ever tried for crimes under the dictatorship. All the members of the army who kidnapped, tortured, and murdered Spaniards are still around, slipping gently into retirement. Many of the political players in Franco's reign or their descendants rule Spain through the Popular Party. Judge Garzon is eager to try the crimes of Pinochet, but refuses to bring charges against torturers and murderers in Spain. Until the truth comes out and justice is done, the killing will continue on all sides. Remember this: Spain is the only country in Europe to proudly display the swastika (Valley of the Fallen outside Madrid), and the only country in Europe that did not have trials over the events in World War II.
Rating: 
Summary: Nice literature, poor history.
Review: Mr Kurlanski makes a terrible mistake: as a historian, he is not only supposed to write well, but also to be accurate. His book is a beautiful piece of writing, no wonder, but it is also an unfair, one-sided report on what is happening in Spain with the Basque problem. In a chapter called 'Checks and Balances' Mr. Kurlanski exposes the tortures that the ETA (terrorist band) prisoners were suffering in the Spanish jails, but he forgets to talk about the people killed by those prisoners and the huge ammount of families that have been destroyed by them. Saying that the Spanish Government has not overcome the loss of Cuba (1898!) is something that can't work as an excuse to explain the negative of this government to dialogue with the terrorists. He also forgets to report the absolute craziness of the terrorist band, who in their effort to force the government to a dialogue about their prisoners, has killed some of their own followers, some of their own Basque "nation" fellows. And up we go, with more than a thousand innocent people (policemen, militars, politicians, and recently, butchers, cooks who worked for their own allied institutions) killed by this terrorist band whose members are being tortured in a jail. And I am skipping the kidnapped guys, literally buried in life in rooms where a single coach wouldn't fit. The Basque problem is an actual open wound in the Spanish society, and lots of Basque fellows want to stay as part of the Spanish society, feeling Basque, but still in the Spanish country. I am not trying to put the book sales down, but if you buy it, make sure you know that what you are reading is a beautiful piece of literature with some sentences falling close to the surrealism.
|
