Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on
bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
Lonely Planet French Phrasebook
by Marie-Helene Girard, Anny Monet
This handy phrasebook focuses on pronunciation, basic grammar and essential vocabulary for the traveler.
The Basque History of the World
by Mark Kurlansky
Kurlansky's engaging portrait of the seven provinces of Basque lands takes in everything from language to culinary heritage, role in the Spanish Civil War and seafaring traditions.
Death in the Afternoon
by Ernest Hemingway
Hemingway's ode to the sport of bullfighting, considered one of the best on the sport.
Everything We Have; D-Day 6.6."44
by Gordon H Mueller
The Spanish Inquisition
by Cecil Roth
This documents the events leading up to the Inquisition, the torment that spread from Spain to Portugal and the New World -- a fascinating exploration of the roots of the Inquisition and its effects on the country.
Lonely Planet Spanish Phrasebook & Dictionary
by Cristina Hernandez Montero
This handy phrasebook focuses on pronunciation, basic grammar and essential vocabulary for the traveler.
Chocolat
by Joanne Harris
This charming novel set in the Loire Valley pits provincial morals against pleasure. Adapted into a popular movie.
For Whom the Bell Tolls
by Ernest Hemingway
Following an American volunteer assigned to a guerilla unit in the 1930s Spanish Civil War, Hemingway's novel is one of the greats of the era.
Baltasar and Blimunda
by Jose Saramago
This tale of two unlikely lovers in Inquisition-era Portugal is arguably Saramago's masterwork: a philosophically charged, intellectually rigorous historical drama which is also a captivating read.
D-Day Through French Eyes: Normandy 1944
by Mary Louise Roberts
Lisbon, A Cultural and Literary Companion
by Paul Buck
One in the excellent series, both a walking guide and history of the city.
Spain & Portugal Adventure Map
by National Geographic
A double-sided full color map of Spain and Portugal at a scale of 1:1,000,000 with good shaded relief, topographic detail, roads and waterways.
Tasting French Terroir: The History of an Idea
by Thomas Parker
This book explores the origins and significance of the French concept of terroir (the specific taste of a particular place), demonstrating that the way the French eat their food and drink their wine today derives from a cultural mythology that developed between the Renaissance and the Revolution.
Bletchley Park and D-Day: The Untold Story of How the Battle for Normandy Was Won
by David Kenyon
Lonely Planet Portuguese Phrasebook
by Clara De MacEdo Vitorino
A handy pocket phrasebook for Portuguese basics, covering pronunciation, basic grammar and essential vocabulary for the traveler.