A Traveller's Companion to Madrid

Madrid was founded by the Moors and only rose to prominence in the 16th century when King Philip II chose to make it Spain's first permanent court and the center from which he would manage his newly emancipated empire. But it was not until two centuries later that Madrid would become the grandly aristocratic city that it is today. Historian Hugh Thomas has researched five centuries of Madrid's history as recorded in diaries, letters, memoirs, and even novels. The result is an outstanding anthology which vividly evokes the drama and personalities of the past with eyewitness accounts and commentaries from both visitors and inhabitants of Spain's premier city. Enthusiastically recommended reading for anyone planning a vacation trip or a business visit to Madrid, A Traveller's Companion To Madrid is informed and informative -- and would well serve as a template for how other historians might create histories of their cities both in Europe and in the United States.