Rating: 
Summary: A Must Have
Review: In preparation for my first official pilgrimage to Compostela, I've sought out references from every possible fountain. Davidson and Gitlitz offer the consumate guide to the novice pilgrim, with plenty for the seasoned shell-bearer. This book is thorough in its detail, appealing in its prose and appetizing in its descriptions. Having lived in many of the places along the road, I've been critical of many of the books I've read as too heavy on the "Big C" culture: That which isn't really culture at all...just the obvious stereotype. This book is heavy on the "Little C" culture, as a book which delves into little-known asides which inspire the traveler to seek and find, and create a unique memory for themselves.It offers a variety of insights on history, lore, architecture, terrain, and other "bonuses". It's a quick read, but allows you enough of the whole to enitce you to explore and gain the rest on your own industry. Of all the guidebooks I've purchased, this is the ONLY one that will be travelling in my pack on the Road to Santiago.
Rating: 
Summary: Don't take this to Santiago
Review: This book provides a lot of information about the art and culture to be found along the Camino, but it is a totally unpractical guide for those actually walking the 750km to Santiago. First of all it is simply too heavy and bulky to lug around an entire country. Secondly it provides no information on refuges, routes, places to eat, etc. Thirdly the authors frequently recommend staying multiple days at the larger cities, which can be very hard for credencial-carrying pilgrims since most refuges have a one night maximum stay. If you are rich and can afford to rent a car, stay in hotels, and take a couple of months off from work, this is the guide to carry. If you want a more genuine experience I suggest leaving this book at home and picking up one of the many more useful guides upon arrival in Spain.
Rating:
Summary: THE definitive guide
Review: This is THE guide to the Road to Santiago, written by the foremost American experts, who bring the culture and context of the pilgrimage alive. Here and there they include personal recollections of their own pilgrimages through the years, from the seventies, as some of the first walkers to revive the pilgrimage, to today. On their first journey, for instance, they were almost arrested in one tiny village for wearing shorts and being "half-naked," as the mayor insisted. Today, tourists sunbathe topless in the same village.
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