I didn't actually read this book, but I listened to it on audio. I got it out of the library. I happened to be in the audio/visual section and saw it out of the corner of my eye. I read another book by Mark Kurlansky earlier this year which I enjoyed immensely. I knew he had written this book on the Basque and since I'm into all things Spanish right now, I was eager to read it. Kurlansky did not disappoint! This book is fascinating. I am somewhat of a history buff and know probably more than your average joe a bit about European history but I learned many completely new things while listening to this book.
The Basque are probably the most ancient ethnic group in all of Europe. Their language Euskara is not related to any of the other Indo-European languages (I think there are two other European languages that also aren't Indo-European.) Some people believe that those 'caveman' cave paintings in the Pyrenees were done by Basque ancestors. The Basques have always been an ethnic group but they have never had their own country. Geographically their land is along the Northern coast of Spain and in the Pyrenees mountains and crosses the border into France. The land does not lend itself to much farming, though the Basques traditionally raise some crops, like apples and beans, but because it is largely coastal or hilly, they did not develop into big landowners with slaves or serfs to work the land. Instead their culture develop the 'fueros' which are traditional, oral (until they eventually got written down) laws that everybody abided by. These laws dealt pretty equitably with how land was distributed (matrilineal) and how everyone was supposed to conduct themselves. Basques love their language and love their fueros.
Because the Basques weren't big landowners they became the first entrepreneurs of Europe. They were fishermen who because the first whalers of Europe. They also fished cod up in the North Atlantic and probably, very possibly, discovered the Canadian part of North America right along with the Vikings. Many Basques were part of the crew of Columbus's second and further voyages and they actively took part in the Age of Discovery. They were in fact the first to embrace many foods from the New World. Foods that are considered traditional now in Basque Land, can be traced directly back to Aztec foods! For some reason potatoes were not included in this until much later, but many peppers were. The Basques were the first in Spain to get in on the Industrial Revolution. The Basque land had a lot of iron deposits and exploiting this made the Basques one of the richest areas and ethnic groups in Spain.
The Basques' political history is very complex. They learned to get along with the Romans. When Charlemagne came along they were one of the only people to be able to defeat him. They were among the last of the Europeans to accept Catholicism, but once they did, they did so wholeheartedly and, in fact, they are, in this very secular age, one of the most devout groups still in all of Europe.
It was only when nation-state building started to happen around the turn of the last century and during all the terrible civil wars (there were four of them, the last one being actually called the Spanish Civil War) that the Basque began to resort to political parties to try to protect their nationality. Basques, being Catholics and savvy business entrepreneurs, were typically what we would call 'conservative.' However, they became radicalized because of the terrible, brutal persecution they suffered under Franco who just hated the Basques. This eventually led to a very small minority of Basques becoming terrorists.
The Basque people also live in France, though more of them live in Spain. The French aren't radicalized. Because of the French Revolution which centralized everything, the Basques were discriminated against in subtler, economic ways. The Spanish were much more brutal about it. As a result though the Basque culture in Spain is much more vibrant.
Kurlansky has a lot of affection for the Basque. One of the wonderful perks of this recorded book is that on the last disc, they had an interview with the author. Very delightful!
One downside of listening to this book, instead of reading it, is that there are many, many foreign words and names throughout the book. In fact, in almost every line. This made it very hard to keep names straight. The reader of the book does an absolutely amazing job in pronouncing words that seems almost unpronounceable. He had to smoothly and fluently move from Euskaran, to Spanish to French, sometimes in the same sentence. He did an outstanding job! I do wish they had included a glossary of words and also maps along with the discs. I really felt I needed those two things to really appreciate the subject matter. When Kurlansky is being interviewed at the end, he mentioned some of the photos in the book, which made me wish I had read the actual book instead of just listening to it. In truth, sometimes I felt lost listening to it, especially as I was driving around transporting kids or running errands. My attention would get distracted for second or two, the reader would read some complex and unfamiliar words, and I wouldn't be able to really catch what was said. Kurlansky though is an amazingly clear writer. He manages to take something very alien and complex and really make it accessible.
I really enjoyed learning about the Basque people and their history. I think Kurlansky is a terrific historian and writer. Two hearty thumbs up!
For more reviews, go to 52 Books in 52 Weeks.
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