Boundaries, The Making of France and Spain in the Pyrenees  •  Peter Sahlins HISTORY •  1991 •  PAPER  • 351 PAGES A learned, provocative study of the frontier of France and Spain -- and the struggles between national and cultural identities in the Pyrennes. It's a scholarly work focused on Cerdanya, but also an authoritative and informative overview of what happened when Catalon was arbitrarily split between France and Spain in 1659. (SPN154, $26.95)
Cadogan Guide Northern Spain  •  Dana Farcos GUIDEBOOK •  2008 •  PAPER  • 352 PAGES • COMING IN MARCH A compact guide to northern Spain, including Santiago de Campostela, Bilbao and Barcelona, in the popular British series. With details on attractions along with a good overview of culture and history. (SPN113, $21.95)
The Camino, A Journey of the Spirit  •  Shirley MacLaine RELIGION •  2001 •  PAPER  • 320 PAGES A book for anyone who enjoyed reading MacLaine's "Out on a Limb" while seated among the Inca ruins at Machu Picchu. In this newest journey, the much-reincarnated, ever-brave entertainer treks 500-miles across France and Northern Spain to Santiago de Compostela on the centuries-old Way of St. James. In her hallmark style, MacLaine interweaves travelogue, commentary, past lives and journeys both actual and interior in this personal journal. She's a tough woman, spending 30 days on the road, sleeping in hostels en route. (SPN127, $14.95)
Little Saint  •  Hannah Green RELIGION •  2001 •  PAPER  • 300 PAGES A moving, reverential account of the traditions and lore of the village of Conques in South-central France, noted for its magnificent gold reliquary, a stop on the Way of St. James. Green interweaves stories about the poor child (beheaded by her father in the fourth century for being a Christian), historical documents and tales of Green's own encounters with modern villagers. The author, who died while preparing the manuscript for this unclassifiable tribute, became deeply drawn to St. Foy and the cult which grew up around her. (FRN420, $19.00)
Pilgrim Stories, On and Off the Road to Santiago  •  Nancy Louise Frey TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  1998 •  PAPER  • 313 PAGES An anthropologist and writer living in Galicia, Nancy Frey reveals the meaning of modern journeys along the Way of St. James in this fascinating, scholarly book. It's a vivid account of the significance of the journey as told through interviews with modern participants. (SPN46, $22.95)
The Pilgrim's Guide to Santiago De Compostela  •  William Melczer GUIDEBOOK •  1993 •  PAPER  • 350 PAGES The original text itself fills only 48 pages, whereas Melczer's introduction fills 70; but together the two are an extremely informative (SPN42, $25.00)
The Pilgrimage Road to Santiago, The Complete Cultural Handbook  •  David Gitlitz  •  Linda Kay Davidson GUIDEBOOK •  2000 •  PAPER  • 440 PAGES A kilometer-by-kilometer guide to the way of St. James. Organized geographically, this comprehensive guide is a survey of the pilgrimage route across northern Spain. It covers the geography, attractions and history of the region in detail. (SPN137, $24.95)
Pilgrimage to the End of the World, The Road to Santiago de Campostela  •  Conrad Rudolph TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  2004 •  PAPER  • 144 PAGES This engaging, literary chronicle interweaves wonderful descriptive passages with art, history, literature and practical advice. Conrad, an art history professor, treks from Le Puy in South-Central France to Santiago de Campostela, a two-and-a-half month trip of 1,000 miles. (SPN220, $15.00)
The Pilgrimage, A Contemporary Quest for Ancient Wisdom  •  Paulo Coelho TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  1995 •  PAPER  • 272 PAGES An international bestseller by Portuguese writer Paulo Coelho, this book recounts the author's experiences along the historic Road to Santiago, much of it revolving around a sacred sword. It mixes travelogue, history and a modern quest for spirituality. Frankly, this book is a little weird -- but it's quite enjoyable. (SPN47, $13.95)
Road of Stars to Santiago  •  Edward Stanton TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  1994 •  HARD COVER  • 197 PAGES An account of the author's 500-mile journey across northern Spain on the medieval pilgrimage from the Pyrenees to Santiago de Campostela. Stanton, a professor of Spanish at the University of Kentucky, was in a time of personal crisis when he undertook the pilgrimage -- which he traversed wholly on foot, in company with other seekers. (SPN51, $30.00)
The Road to Santiago  •  Kathryn Harrison TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  2003 •  HARD COVER  • 176 PAGES The novelist's meditative, personal account of journeys along the route of St. James from St.-Jean-Pied-de-Port in France to Santiago de Compostela. A volume in the National Geographic Directions series. (SPN209, $20.00)
Road to Santiago  •  Michael Jacobs GUIDEBOOK •  2000 •  PAPER  • 210 PAGES A compact, illustrated guide to the Medieval pilgrimage route across the Pyrenees and Northern Spain to Santiago de Compostela. Jacobs is a lively, literate guide to the culture, history, art and architecture encountered along the route. (SPN139, $27.50)
Roads to Santiago, A Modern-Day Pilgrimage Through Spain  •  Cees Nooteboom TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  2000 •  PAPER  • 352 PAGES An exhilarating but erudite portrait of modern and historic Spain by a renowned Dutch author. Nooteboom writes quite brilliantly of Spanish art, philosophy, history, architecture and culture, as well as of the people he encountered during his Iberian peregrinations . (SPN50, $16.00)
Travels with My Donkey  •  Tim Moore TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  2006 •  PAPER  • 328 PAGES Moore (the marvelous comic author of French Revolutions and Frost on My Moustache) telegraphs the message (and fun) of his Spanish book with a revealing subtitle: One Man and His Ass on a Pilgrimage to Santiago. And so it is! He's as entertaining as ever (and reflective too). Moore salts his anecdotes of fellow travelers and grand adventures with an informative account of the history and culture of the medieval Way of St. James. Moore's French-speaking donkey Shinto is the perfect foil. (SPN242, $13.95)
Via De La Plata, The Way of St James: Seville to Santiago  •  Alison Raju GUIDEBOOK •  2003 •  PAPER  • 260 PAGES A detailed, practical guide guide to the southern route of the Pilgrim's Road from Seville. (SPN203, $16.95)
Way Of St James: Le Puy To The Pyrenees  •  Alison Raju GUIDEBOOK •  2003 •  PAPER  • 187 PAGES A revised, expanded guide to the French section of the Way of St. James from Le Puy to Roncevalles across the border in the Pyrenees of Spain. With a 30-page overview of the route, its, history and preparation, local maps, photographs, and a kilometer-by-kilometer guide. The route follows GR65, the Long Distance path from Le Puy. A companion guide follows covers the Spanish section. (FRN409, $14.95)
Way of St James: Pyrenees, Santiago, Finisterre  •  Alison Raju GUIDEBOOK •  2003 •  PAPER  • 160 PAGES A revised, expanded guide to the Pilgrim's Road. This volume covers in detail the Spanish half of the route, from the Pyrennes to Finisterre on the Galician coast. (SPN202, $19.95)