Spain is a land of infinite contrasts. Within the peninsula the mountain ranges create and enclose a vast range of different landscapes and different cultures. It is a deeply maritime country, yet over half its land mass has a continental climate. The wildest European country outside the Arctic Circle, it is home to an ancient civilization. In this book Eduardo Mencos brings together photographs that show the length and breadth of Spain, transporting us from Asturias, softly misty as Ireland, to the bareness of Andalusia, where heat mirages mirror those of Africa. His text describes how Spain's landscapes have been seen by successive waves of visitors and settlers, from the Romans to the Romantics.