More books on Majorca
Listed below are a selection of our favourite
books on Mallorca. Most can be obtained via Amazon.co.uk
- just click on the book title. Their service is excellent and
we recommend them highly.
walking
Walk! Mallorca North and Mountains 3rd edition is now a 168 page full colour guidebook containing 46 fully detailed walking itinerarys, complete with gps waypoints and 1:40,000 colour map sections for every walking route, plus colourful background information; providing everything you need to explore the beautiful landscapes of the Tramuntana mountains and Northern Mallorca. Full colour map sections for each walking route are from the latest 5th edition of Mallorca North & Mountains Tour & Trail Map. All of this brought together in Charles Davis' inimitable inspirational writing style to produce another classic title in DWG's Walk! series of guidebooks. Walking routes range from strolls up to full 5 Walker ratings for fit, adventurous, mountain walkers. Charles has unearthed routes not found in other books, along with the classics of this beautiful region. Mallorca's most popular walking guide book has just got even better.
Buy this book along with its companion map:
Mallorca North & Mountains Tour & Trail Map
Discovery Walking Guides Ltd; 3rd Revised edition edition - 168 pages - (30 Mar 2009)
Recommended - For walkers who also love food. This excellent pocket-sized full-colour guide, illustrated with hundreds of photographs, is designed for short-break holidays. It describe 10 walks and 2 excursions recommending restaurants/hotels en route (with sample menus). All the restaurants and menus feature traditional Mallorquin food. Following each restaurant entry is one or more of their recipes, to be made in self-catering accommodation or at home. Other sections include: planning your trip, logistics on arrival, shopping for self-catering (including health food shops), local markets and specialities, glossary of local food terms, etc.
Sunflower Books
Paperback -2Rev Ed edition (1 Feb 2008)
A pocket guide to the landscape of Mallorca, designed to take visitors away from the tourist centres and out into the countryside, exploring by private or public transport, or on foot. Divided into sections on car tours, picnics and walks, this book also contains timetables for public transport. The walking maps are based on the latest Spanish military maps with a scale of 1;50,000 and illustrate 25 main walks. Includes 10 car tours, 60 long and short walks, 27 picnic suggestions along with Plans of Palma, Soller, Pollensa plus a fold-out touring map.
Sunflower Books
Paperback - 6Rev Ed edition Aug 2006
"Walking in Mallorca" quickly established itself as the most comprehensive guidebook to the island, with particular emphasis on the rugged Serra de Tramuntana. June Parker's routes have been walked afresh, carefully checked and amended where necessary, and are now presented with new mapping and plenty of colour pictures. This book will entice walkers well off the beaten track, enabling them to explore the most diverse terrain around the island. Rugged mountain walks contrast with remote valleys, while waymarked trails give way to long-forgotten mule tracks and hidden mountain passes. Some walks run close to breathtaking cliff coastlines, while others pass through sleepy villages where welcome refreshment can be obtained. Birdwatchers, geologists and historians will find abundant interest throughout Mallorca, and a full introduction explains about facilities around the island. Language notes are given in native Catalan and Castilian Spanish, enabling visitors to pass the time of day with local people and make the most of their visit to the island.
Cicerone Press
Paperback - 4Rev Ed edition (Sep 2006)
This is the full colour "Rockfax" guide to rock climbing in Mallorca. A favourite winter-sun destination, there is an incredible variety in the climbing available and plenty to keep anyone busy - from the huge walls of Sa Gubia to the 30m pumping-tufas of Fraguel; from the barely-tapped splendour of Alaro to the intricate delights of Creveta. It has 1000+ routes in 18 areas with full colour throughout.
Paperback: 200 pages
Rockfax Ltd (1 Nov 2006)
Mallorca ~ Rolf Goetz, M. Kent(Translator)
48 walks mostly in the the muntana mountains above the northwest coast, but also coastal walks in other areas of Mallorca.
Bergverlag Rother
Paperback - 1 June, 2000
This
text should appeal to all those who want to contemplate the undersea beauties of Majorca.
It describes 50 of the best dives around the island, with plans to locate them, charts,
aerial photographs and useful advice such as: level of ability, average and maximum
depth, and recommended seasons.
Editorial Moll
Hardcover - March 2000
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fiction
At the peak of her fast-paced career as a news presenter and interviewer Selina Scott bought a house in the Tramuntana hills of Mallorca. It was a ramshackle old farmhouse without even mains electricity, but the beauty and peace of the surroundings promised an idyllic escape from her high-pressure job. After several years of commuting between continents she decided to settle there and spend time renovating the house properly. Along the way a new rhythm and peaceful way of life would surely emerge? It was then that the adventure really began.
In this funny, elegantly written account of her Spanish years Selina tells us about the house that captured her heart, the neighbours that became friends, and those that didn't, the hills and wildlife that enchanted her, the building work that nearly broke her and, crucially, the dog that found her, and changed every single one of her best laid plans! This title presents an uplifting story of escape, change and friendship.
Ebury Press (4 Jun 2009)
Detective-Inspector Raynes is persuaded to take a much-needed holiday and travels to Majorca with his infinitely corruptable friend, Mrs. Debbie May. For rest and refreshment, the Hotel Aphrodite in Puerto de Pollensa seems the ideal place - with the traditional ingredients of sun. sex and sangria being enjoyed to the full. But soon the idyll is shattered by a brutal murder on Seahorse Island, during a cruise on the pirate ship - the Jolly Rioja.
A must-read for all those who travel to Marjorca - although the Spanish farmhouse night is definitely to be avoided! No wonder these stories have been described as 'Agatha Christie with a hefty dose of testosterone!' Well written, carefully constructed and as always with a few subtle digs at other detective writers, the plots have been described as 'the apotheosis of the red herring!' Ideal holiday reading.
Meadowside Publications; 1st Edition edition (Nov 2000)
Life is never simple for PR consultant Anna Nicholas as she attempts to cut loose her ties with London for a more manana existence in rural Mallorca with her family. Despite nearing her dream to open a cattery, she is thrown off course by the abduction of her beloved toad, a scorpion infestation, getting lost in the hills and a growing fixation with ancient goats. Meanwhile in London she's coping with loopy new clients - an amorous rock climber, a Bulgarian transvestite couturier and a couple of warring designers.
Witty, pithy and brimming with memorable characters, "Goats From A Small Island" is Anna's third book about working between two places and a delightful tribute to Mallorca's rich and varied way of life.
Summersdale Publishers (6 Jul 2009)
Having moved with her family to rural Mallorca to escape the stresses of London life, PR consultant Anna Nicholas continues to commute back to her glitzy Mayfair agency to earn a crust. Meanwhile she is harbouring a bizarre dream to open a luxury cattery on the island – unbeknownst to her long suffering Scottish husband, Alan, and son, Oliver.
Life in the mountains is never uneventful as the author gets to grips with phantom sheep, midnight snail hunts, Catalan lessons, ghosts, floods and flighty hens. London also has its challenges, as she juggles eccentric, rich and often neurotic clients between Mayfair and Manhattan and is hotly pursued by lucrative deals. But increasingly Anna finds herself craving the simple life of her Spanish idyll because as she discovers, you can take the girl out of Mallorca, but you can’t take Mallorca out of the girl.
Wickedly irreverent, laugh out loud funny and lovingly observed, Cat on a Hot Tiled Roof celebrates the wonders of Mallorcan rural life.
Summersdale Publishers (4 Aug 2008)
As a five-year-old child, William Graves is taken in 1944 from England to a mountain village in Majorca, where his father, the poet Robert Graves, had returned with his new family to the place where he had lived before the war with Laura Riding. Young William grows up in the writer's shadow, while experiencing the way of life of the Majorcans which have hardly changed for hundreds of years, and participating in the day-to-day activities of the village. William Graves conveys the texture of life in Majorca - the food, the pattern of the seasons, the camaraderie and rivalries within the village, and the growing sense, from the 1960s onwards, that his fragile paradise was under threat. The book is also a portrait of Robert Graves, his "Muses" and his entourage, and a study of how the son of a famous father finds his own identity.
Pimlico; New edition edition (2 Aug 2001)
Bob Burns is an old-fashioned kind of Scottish sleuth, more interested in catching villains than brown-nosing to get promotion. So, when his enquiries into a brutal and bizarre murder are blocked by his bosses, should he risk losing his career by carrying on his investigations? Encouraged by an attractive-though-maverick forensic scientist and assisted by a keener-than-bright young constable, Bob does it his way. The trail leads the trio from Scotland to Mallorca, where intrigue and mayhem mingle with the crowds at a fishermen's fiesta. A rare combination of suspense and comedy, with a real twist in the tail.
Accent Press Ltd (7 Aug 2006)
Coarse bread rubbed with tomato or garlic and then bathed in olive oil, is common to all the Mediterranean cultures. On the island of Majorca, it is known as pa amb oli, bread and oil. Tomas Graves takes this healthy peasant staple as a starting point to explore not only Mediterranean cooking, agriculture, and traditions but also the historical events that have rescued this simple dish from disappearing along with a way of life that had remained essentially unchanged since Roman times. In "Bread & Oil Tomas" Graves celebrates the Majorcan character as reflected in its eating habits. He makes the sights, sounds, scents and people of the Spanish island spring to life so brilliantly in this creative triumph.
About the Author
Tomas Graves, son of celebrated British poet Robert Graves, was born and raised in Majorca, where he still lives. He is a master craftsman of typographic design and letterpress printing and he also plays in a rock band.
Grub Street; illustrated edition edition (30 Jun 2006)
Anna had never liked the idea of Mallorca, thinking it was for the disco and beerswilling fraternity. That was until her sister hired an au pair from a rural part of the island who said it was the most beautiful place on earth.
On a visit, Anna impulsively decided to buy a ruined farmhouse. Despite her fear of flying, she kept a foot in both camps and commuted to Central London to manage her PR company. But she found herself drawn away from the bustle, stress and the superficial media world towards the tranquil life. She soon realised that her new existence was more enriching and fulfilling. She was learning to live life for its moments rather than race through it in the fast lane.
"A Lizard in My Luggage" explores Mallorca's fiestas and traditions, as well as the ups and downs of living in a rural retreat. It is about learning to appreciate the simple things and take risks in pursuit of real happiness. Most importantly, it shows that life can be lived between two places.
Summersdale Publishers (5 Mar 2007)
A collection of short stories featuring some of Agatha Christie's best-loved detectives - Hercule Poirot, Parker Pyne, Mr Satterthwaite and Harley Quin...All great crime writers have their favourite creations. Similarly, every great sleuth has his, or her, own preferred method of deduction. Take the charming Parker Pyne, who relies upon an intuitive knowledge of human nature to solve the Problem at Pollensa Bay. Or Mr Satterthwaite, who seeks inspiration through his collaboration with the enigmatic Mr Quin in The Harlequin Tea Set mystery. Then, of course, there's Poirot, whose measured analysis of motive and opportunity is tested to the full in Yellow Iris, when he receives an anonymous call about a matter of life and death.
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd; Masterpiece ed edition (7 Jul 2003)
The Kerr family say goodbye to their orange farm in Mallorca, and put it up for sale after three years of hard work. The Mallorcan experience comes to an end with a farewell fiesta for neighbours and friends, full of comic shenanigans but tinged with sadness. But now begins the return-to-Scotland adventure, and what a cultural shock is in store. Welcomed back by family, the Kerrs make plans to start a deer farm on a remote hillside, the beginning of a period of challenges and change, of buying and restoring houses in the lovely Scottish countryside. Meanwhile, Peter explores Scotland with fresh eyes, visiting such places as the 'Biarritz of the North' where Robert Louis Stevenson used to holiday, and giving us an insider's view of the world-famous Edinburgh Military Tattoo. There's never a dull moment in the Kerr household.
Summersdale Publishers (1 May 2006)
A loving portrait of the other Majorca, and of a life there revolving around music and manana, that is as paradaisical as could be -- a book to savour, perfect for escaping those crowded beaches. 'I've used what's left of my eardrums to describe the culture I was born into, and to contrast it with the British culture I was educated in.'
Tomas Graves was born in and belongs to Mallorca (even if he did go to boarding school in England as a teenager). His father, the great love poet Robert Graves, famously ended up in the beautiful Mediterranean island pretty much by accident, but it is the happiest accident of Tomas' life. His love and respect for the special beauties of Mallorcan culture shine on every page of this infectiously happy book.
Hardcover 208 pages (November 1, 2004)
"Winter
spring" finds Peter, under the sharp eye of his long-suffering wife Ellie, struggling
to shake off the relaxed Spanish tranquiloness that he has now mastered all too well.
Old friendships have been established and new ones are found as the Kerrs are introduced
to Mallorca's champagne-swilling filthy rich set and their eyes are opened by just how
the other half lives. Mosquito-repellant vinegar baths, delicious Mallorcan food and
with background support from dogs, donkeys, geckos, parrots and canaries, this is an
autumn such as they've never known.
Summersdale Publishers Paperback - (April 22, 2004)
A drinking binge aboard a boat on Mallorca has sinister consequences as Sheard, a young
British tourist, finds out when he wakes up with a hangover to discover only his friend
Lewis's clothes. Inspector Alvarez eventually (and reluctantly) becomes involved in
the investigation.
Allison & Busby
Paperback - 31 May, 1999
Having battled and succumbed to the ma ana pace of rural Mallorca, spring sees Peter
Kerr and family relaxing into a supposedly simpler way of life, growing oranges on their
little valley farm, Ca's Mayoral. However, even after the trials, tribulations and triumphs
of their initiation, Spain has not yet finished with them. Embarrassing subtleties of
the language, brushes with the local police, the unfortunate outcome of a drinking session
. . . surprises are aplenty to test the resolve, stamina and, perhaps more importantly,
the sense of humour of this venturesome (some would say foolhardy) !"migr!" family. Their
eccentric and colourful new friends are always on hand to help out - for better or worse
- and add spice to this engaging account of tranquilo life from the author of Snowball
Oranges. All the charm of Mallorca: where you seldom do today what can be more judiciously
put off till ma ana!
Summersdale Publishers
Paperback - 5 July, 2001
It's the stuff of dreams. A Scottish family give up relative sanity and security to
go and grow oranges for a living in a secluded valley in the mountains of Mallorca.
But dreams, as everyone knows, have a nasty habit of not turning out quite as intended.
Being greeted by a freak snowstorm is only the first of many surprises and "experiences",
and it isn't long before they realise that they have been sold a bit of a lemon of an
orange farm by the wily previous owners. However, laughter is the best medicine and
a colourful set of Mallorcan neighbours (including an eccentric old goat-herd who eats
worm-ridden oranges to improve his sex life) restore the family's faith in human nature
and help them adapt to a new and unexpectedly testing life in this deceptively simple
idyll of rural Spain. This book is hilarious - read it!
Summersdale Publishers
Paperback - 31 May, 2000
Moving to Majorca is the true, humorous story of an American couple who motor scooter
700 miles across Europe one winter in search of the sun. Their quest takes them to the
island of Majorca. Moving into a coastal villa with no running water but loads of helpful
friends. This book is great fun.
Writers Club Press.
Paperback - May 2000
This text contains 50 folk tales from "L'Aplec de Rondaise Mallorquines" which was produced
to preserve the rapidly disappearing country tales and seafaring legends of Mallorca.
Editorial Moll
Paperback - March 2000
Lucia
Graves, daughter of the poet Robert Graves and his wife Beryl, grew up in the beautiful
village of Deia on the island of Majorca. Neither Spanish nor Catholic by birth, she
nevertheless absorbed the different traditions of Spain and felt the full impact of
Franco's dictatorship through the experience of her education. Lucia found herself continually
bridging the gaps between Catalan, Spanish and English, as she picked up the patterns
and nuances that contain the essence of each culture. Portraying her life as a child
watching the hills lit up by bonfires on Good Friday, or, years later, walking through
the haunting backstreets of the Jewish quarter of Girona, this is a personal memoir
which provides a first-hand account of Catalonia, where Lucia lived and raised a family.
It is also a perceptive appraisal of a country burdened by tradition yet coming to terms
with political change as the decades moved on.
Virago Press
Paperback - 6 April, 2000
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