Lawrence Mackin reviews Andalucía: A Cultural History ,John Gill Signal, £12 and Barcelona 2009Time Out Shortlist, £6.99.
Andalucía: A Cultural History, John Gill,Signal ,£12
This guide to the ancient land of Andalusia is built on historical analysis and cutting-edge information. John Gill's visceral and unapologetic exploration of the real and the mythical territory makes for fascinating and colourful reading in a book that is by turns scholarly, authoritative and studded with razor-sharp wit.
A tongue-in-cheek chapter on Ali ibn Nafi, whom Gill generously claims invented rock'n'roll, table manners and pinstripes in the ninth century, leads into an analysis of the truth behind the historical veneer of the Convivencia.
Modern literary treatments of the region, largely nostalgic and romantic, are given short shrift, and there is a fascinating chapter on postmodernism in Andalusian art and the modern-day mosh pits of Granada. A cultured and riveting read, with a simmering sense of adventure.
Barcelona 2009, Time Out Shortlist ,£6.99
The devil is in the detail with this guidebook. It has plenty of pop-culture sound bites and snippets to raise expectations for the most unashamedly stylish of Spain's cities. For the weekender it probably has enough nuggets of information to nibble on, but some of the information is plain inaccurate.
It has the wrong opening hours for some major shops, a map at the back claims the Telefèric de Montjuïc cable car is closed for renovation and many of the maps and descriptions of sights and attractions lack detail and historical significance.
That said, the restaurant guide is colourful and varied. Although this guide is designed as a shortlist, it seems a touch too thin to sate the avid tourist.