MADRID FOR PLEASURE Michael Jacobs 1 873429 24 X £14.99 286pp 32pp colour 50 b/w illustrations 7 maps full indexes 187 x 127mm landscape The George Borrow of the High Speed Train Era ABC Madrid Jacobs is an engaging, wonderfully informative and ever-surprising companion. His eye is clear, except on mornings after, his style is sceptical and one feels throughout that he writes is true Jan Morris One of the best current foreign writers on Spain Time Out Without peer The Bookseller He has a gift for finding exotic corners in a familiar city and of resuscitating the forgotten with colourful intensity Paul Preston in TLS 'Those who come to Madrid with an open mind will encounter one of Europe's most exhilarating capitals and a wealth of cultural attractions which might surprise those who think of Madrid essentially in terms of the Museo del Prado,' writes Michael Jacobs in his Introduction. Jacobs takes the reader through the history of this enigmatic and vivid city in seven witty and off-beat walks stopping not only at the great palaces and museums, parks, paintings, posetry, novels and patisserie-making convents that make up the vibrant life of this great capital. The text - original and engaging - is complemented by old engravings, historic photographs and glorious early maps, as well as a full index and practical information. Michael Jacobs is widely regarded as the leading Hispanist of his generation, and his books have been acclaimed both here and in Spain. He is as well known for his knowledge of the art and architecture of Spain as for his appreciation of the bars and restaurants of one of the great unknown cuisines of the West. His enthusiasm is always infectious, be it for tapas, poetry or nineteenth-century novels. He is currently fellow in the Hispanic Studies at the University of Glasgow.