Product Description

Hughes distills his encyclopaedic knowledge of Barcelona into a work with all the essential information. The text describes the city's remarkable culture and history.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #492480 in Books
• Published on: 2004-06-01
• Released on: 2004-06-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 176 pages

From Publishers Weekly
In this pared-down version of his acclaimed Barcelona (1992), art critic Hughes traces Barcelona’s progress from a burgeoning port city to the booming Catalan capital that roughly 1.5 million people call home today. Hughes’s portrait chronologically flutters from one century to another, shedding light on the city’s cryptic history in a way very few non-Catalans can. Hughes treats the city as if it’s his own, and his critiques are justified and insightful, drawing on personal anecdotes, excerpts of Catalan manuscripts and anti-Castilian decrees. It’s not the details of cataclysmic events like the plague of 1348 or the bitter suffocation forced upon Cataluña by Franco that make Hughes’s book worthwhile, but rather the accounts of small events that transformed "one enormous ashtray, covered in a mantle of grime and grit" into what is now an affable, colorful, modern hub. The author poetically weaves politics, food, architecture, sport, myths and music into a striking depiction of the great Catalan seaport. 8 b&w photos, 1 map.
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Review
"Time magazine art critic Hughes writes a passionate love song to his chosen place; this book provides an eloquent introduction to Catalan culture and cuisine while whetting the traveler's appetite for the glories of a great world city." —Star Tribune (Minneapolis)

"By turns funny cutting and magisterial." —Boston Globe

About the Author
Robert Hughes was the long time critic for Time Magazine. He is the author of many books, including the best-selling Fatal Shore and his recent, critically acclaimed memoir Things I Didn't Know, as well as the originator and narrator of the highly acclaimed PBS television series Shock of the New and American Visions. A frequent contributor to The New York Review of Books, Hughes lives in New York City.

Customer Reviews

Got it right this time
Essentially condensing, rewriting and updating his earlier work the 574 page Barcelona, this new 168 page version uses the examination of Catalan architecture to tell how the strong independent nature of it's citizens has created one of the most architecturally interesting cities in the world. The book begins with the Australian author's third and most recent wedding in the 700 year old town hall by the mayor of the city he has loved for 30 some years. A thorough knowledge of the history, culture, art, and politics of Barcelona presented with wit, keen observation, and an open fondness. Excellent book to read before going or if you have been, or for armchair travelers. Read this before the larger book, which you could read after this to obtain much more detail on the all aspects.

A Quick Must Read
Hughes makes the buildings, history and pride of the Catalan people come alive. His use of Architecture tells a quick story of a strong and independant people, with Barcelona at it's center. His love of the city and people is evident in his story of his most recent wedding in Barcelona. The great thing about the book is that you want more, I'm happy he has a larger volume that covers the city and its eccletic history.

The heart of Catalonia.
A brief sample history of Barcelona and its effect on art, architecture, and the people. Hughes fell in love with this city and became a frequent visitor to the second largest city in Spain. Barcelona is indeed a famous city and one of the holdouts to the Franco regime in the Spanish CIvil War. Perhaps Hughes through his wording tried to convey his love of the city in his writings. However this book came across as a sketchy summary history of this great city.

This is an OK read on this great city. If you want more history, check out Hughes earlier book on this city.