Product Description

It was 1934 and a young man walked to London from the security of the Cotswolds to make his fortune. He was to live by playing the violin and by labouring on a London building site. Then, knowing one Spanish phrase, he decided to see Spain. For a year he tramped through a country in which the signs of impending civil war were clearly visible. Thirty years later Laurie Lee captured the atmosphere of the Spain he saw with all the freshness and beauty of a young man's vision, creating a lyrical and lucid picture of the beautiful and violent country that was to involve him inextricably.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8373 in Books
• Published on: 1992-07-02
• Format: Illustrated
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 192 pages

Customer Reviews

Romantic Novel
What a marvellous book.

On the face of it a simple coming of age story, that of a young man leaving home to walk around Spain. A very layman's view of it, as this however is written for the poet inside us. Wonderful language for a long lost age where you really could abandon yourself completely and travel in its purest sense.

Beware though as this book may make you want to give it all up and set off with your knapsack

A beautiful piece of writing
It's not often that a story grabs your attention straight away like this one did with me. On the face of it, a simple story about a young man setting off to find his fortune in a foreign land, the book has so much more. It's about youth and idealism, friendship, life on the road and the desire to just keep moving until you stop. And even though he obviously wrote it many years after making the trip (the emotions running through the tale are those of middle age not late teens), it hardly matters. Quite brilliant. Just like the 'sequel' A Rose for Winter.

If you love travel-logs, you'll love this
I am in comlete agreement with the previous reviews. This may be my favourite book of all time (Homage To Catalonia by George Orwell is also of a similar content and standard.) After reading this book I too was struck by the sheer bravery of a young 19 year-old from the Cotswolds who upped himself and explored a then very foreign land.

It was one of my dreams to have met the great man, however he passed away quietly in Leeds approximately 4 years or so ago.

His legacy will live on in 2 of the most beautiful books that I have ever had the pleasure to read.

Buy It !