"Curiously enough, though Spain is the most popular holiday destination in Europe, its history is probably unfamiliar to the vast majority of its visitors. For the discerning traveller, therefore, this series fills a very important gap. It gives a brief, readable summary of the country"s history, and a gazetteer allows you to fit the sights you can see today into the turbulent and fascinating story of the land" THE GOOD BOOK GUIDE Spain, during its "golden age", was a political giant whose influence spanned the world from Germany to the Western Pacific. A TRAVELLER"S HISTORY OF SPAIN takes the reader on a journey from the earliest settlements on the Iberian Peninsula, through the influences of the Romans, the Goth and the Muslims, the traumas of expansion and the end of Empire, the bitter civil war, the Franco era and ends with an analysis of Spain today and her future in Europe as a leading member of the European Community.