The Pyrenees: A Human History
by Colin Duncan Taylor
Explore the rich human history of the Pyrenees with Colin Duncan Taylor, from prehistoric communities and Roman colonists to mining, mountain life and modern tourism.
Synopsis
The Pyrenees dominate the landscape between France and Spain, stretching from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean. Long thought of as an impassable, unspoiled wilderness, the mountains are often seen as both a physical and cultural barrier between western Europe and the Iberian Peninsula. Yet this treacherous terrain has been inhabited and shaped by human hands for thousands of years.
Colin Duncan Taylor collects stories from both sides of the mountains as he leads us through the human history of the Pyrenees. The people who have left their mark on this spectacular landscape include early hunter-gatherers and the first farmers; Greek and Roman colonists; Visigoths and Moors; soldiers, sailors and miners; and the railway tycoonswho brought mass tourism to the Pyrenees in the 19th century.
About the author
Author Colin Duncan Taylor has been living in the south of France for 25 years, and through his writing he shares his passion for the history, landscapes and gastronomy of the south of France, the Pyrenees and northern Spain. This is his third book.
Reader reviews
‘Immaculately researched, humorous, and beautifully written. The focus is precise—the impact of human hands on the mountain landscape. A book for mountain lovers everywhere.
Nick Thorpe, author of Walking Europe’s Last Wilderness
‘A genuine delight: this human history of the Pyrenees is original, hugely informative and beautifully written. Ranging from cave art to modern tourism, Taylor brings alive one of Europe’s most spectacular yet unknown landscapes.’
Luke Stegemann, author of Madrid.
‘A great read. Full of interesting and entertaining anecdotes culled from an amazing variety of sources. Much of the time you feel you are there with the author, being directed round this corner or down that valley. The book covers every chronological period and organises itself thematically around the great human themes – work, religion, political communities.
Tom Adair on Amazon.fr
Short snippets/quotes from the book
- Compared with other great mountain ranges around the world, the Pyrenees are unexceptional in terms of their flora and fauna, climate or physical size. What marks them out from most other mountain environments is their long and complex human history.
- The last three decades have seen an unprecedented surge in the level of Pyrenean activity by archaeologists, historians, ecologists and environmentalists. This has resulted in a steady stream of new discoveries and new initiatives.
- There is no right way for the mountains to look. This is, and always has been, a dynamic environment, with or without the presence of people.
Where to buy
‘The Pyrenees: A Human History’ is published by Yale University Press in hardback (ISBN 9780300287196) and eBook format (ISBN 9780300305302). It is stocked by major bookshops in the UK, and most local bookshops in France can order it. Otherwise, it is available from a variety of online retailers (Blackwells is currently offering the best deal if you live in France – €30.14 including delivery and all import duties). Find out more on the author’s WEBSITE
