A lively, sometimes painful, but always immensely pleasurable, portrait of Spain in 1949, as Franco's hold on the country was tight, the wounds of the civil war still fresh, and the economy in perilous condition. The book, originally published in 1950, is full of description, incident, and revealing conversation. Brenan is marvelously well versed in Spanish history, politics and literature; he lived in Spain between 1920 and 1936. (and later published South From Granada, Item SPN447, describing those years), This book is the account of his return to Spain with his wife, and describes not only his travels and his reconnection with the town and house outside of Malaga he abandoned as Franco's troops approached, but also contains a trove of keen and generous observations of the Spanish people and culture at that extraordinary time. Brennan searches for Lorca's unmarked grave (and knows not if he has found it), travels to the great mosque in Cordoba, the Synagogue of Toledo and other touchstones of Spain's history.  (SPN17, $18.00)