Spain By The Horns

A trip to the heart of the world's most colourful nation.

'Who is Jesul¡n?' I asked. 'Who is Jesul¡n?' said Julio. 'Just the most successful matador in the history of de bools. Almost everyone you meet in Spain has something to say about Jesulin,' he said. 'Si, si, if you want to write a book about Spain, Jesul¡n is your man.' Tim Elliott had always loved Spain, mainly because it seemed to stand for everything he didn't. With its dramatic history, colourful fiestas, unique cuisine and spectacular bullfights, for Tim, Spain had always been synonymous with flamboyance, passion, spontaneity and adventure. In Spain, he felt, 'people inhabited every inch of their lives. They feasted upon it, up to the elbows. They drank red wine with lunch and smoked full-strength cigarettes.' So when he hears about a handsome and talented young bullfighter who fills the arenas with adoring women and has been dubbed 'the Beckham of bullfighting', Tim goes in search of the man he feels sure will hold the key to the heart of this enigmatic country.

It's a fascinating quest, as he embarks on a journey through current-day Spain to discover its history, culture, people and food, all the while hoping to illuminate the complex world of glamour, corruption, eccentricity and ritual that is bullfighting. Funny, fast-paced and revealing, Spain By the Horns takes you below the surface of the world's most colourful nation, to experience a Spain you'll never forget