All-encompassing Camino book

[Dawn Gibson]

Hello from a very cold England.

Does anyone know of any books that include all the Caminos please? This would be a gift for a friend who will never walk a Camino due to illness, but whose interest in them I have sparked. I would very much like to buy him a book which gives him a general sense of all the Camino de Santiago 's. Ideally with lots of photos.

I have lent him my many autobiographies from fellow-pilgrims but these are not the books I want to buy him.

A tall order, I know, but thought if anyone would know it would be here!

Thanks.

 

[mspath]

This is a great resource.

The Pilgrimage Road to Santiago – The Complete Cultural Handbook by Linda Kay Davidson and David M. Gitlitz.

It is neither a day to day guide book nor about all caminos but it is very useful as it provides all encompassing coverage of the Camino Frances for anyone interested in the art, architecture, geology, history, folklore, saint’s lives, flora and fauna of that camino.

It is available on Amazon in both paperback and as an ebook.

 

[Dawn Gibson]

This is a great resource.

The Pilgrimage Road to Santiago – The Complete Cultural Handbook by Linda Kay Davidson and David M. Gitlitz.

It is neither a day to day guide book nor about all caminos but it is very useful as it provides all encompassing coverage of the Camino Frances for anyone interested in the art, architecture, geology, history, folklore, saint’s lives, flora and fauna of that camino.

It is available on Amazon in both paperback and as an ebook.

Just had a quick look, sounds great. Thanks very much

 

[Kathor1]

I have a kind of "coffee table" book which may be the kind of book you are after: Derry Brabbs: The Roads to Santiago: The Medieval Pilgrim Routes Through France And Spain To Santiago De Compostela.

However, two remarks: Despite the title, this book covers the Camino Frances only in Spain as well as a number of routes in France that have well-known labels. This is because for a long time, Camino to Santiago or Going to Saint James in Galicia was more or less synonymous with what we know as Camino Francés. This book has excellent photos and text. Secondly, the book is apparently only available as a "used book". I avoid buying used books but have done so when there was no other way and I really wanted the book. I have been pleasantly surprised when they were in an as excellent state as the seller had described it. See also Brabbs' website for his other books on European pilgrimage - his "pilgrimage trilogy":

The Roads to Santiago: The Medieval Pilgrim Routes Through France And Spain To Santiago De Compostela: Amazon.co.uk: Brabbs, Derry: 9780711234727: Books

Buy The Roads to Santiago: The Medieval Pilgrim Routes Through France And Spain To Santiago De Compostela 1st Edition by Brabbs, Derry (ISBN: 9780711234727) from Amazon's Book Store. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.

www.amazon.co.uk

PS: For used books, obviously, avoid the fantasy prices of some of these sellers.
PPS: There are different editions. Mine is the larger one, 30 cm by by 25 cm.

 

[Dawn Gibson]

I have a kind of "coffee table" book which may be the kind of book you are after: Derry Brabbs: The Roads to Santiago: The Medieval Pilgrim Routes Through France And Spain To Santiago De Compostela.

However, two remarks: Despite the title, this book covers the Camino Frances only in Spain as well as a number of routes in France that have well-known labels. This is because for a long time, Camino to Santiago or Going to Saint James in Galicia was more or less synonymous with what we know as Camino Francés. This book has excellent photos and text. Secondly, the book is apparently only available as a "used book". I avoid buying used books but have done so when there was no other way and I really wanted the book. I have been pleasantly surprised when they were in an as excellent state as the seller had described it. See also Brabbs' website for his other books on European pilgrimage - his "pilgrimage trilogy": View attachment 138109

The Roads to Santiago: The Medieval Pilgrim Routes Through France And Spain To Santiago De Compostela: Amazon.co.uk: Brabbs, Derry: 9780711234727: Books

Buy The Roads to Santiago: The Medieval Pilgrim Routes Through France And Spain To Santiago De Compostela 1st Edition by Brabbs, Derry (ISBN: 9780711234727) from Amazon's Book Store. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.

www.amazon.co.uk

PS: For used books, obviously, avoid the fantasy prices of some of these sellers.
PPS: There are different editions. Mine is the larger one, 30 cm by by 25 cm.

Excellent information, thank you so much. I will start looking for it, it sounds great.

 

[david46]

You might be interested in the book my wife and I wrote 'Walking the Caminos: a User's Guide'. (David & Debbie Mercer, Amazon.) It offers and overview of 16 of the main caminos including details of each route with recommended stages, the conditions you might expect at various times of year, how to get to the start of each camino, the main features of each camino and almost 200 photographs to give you an idea of the countryside you'll be walking through. It is available in both electronic and paperback copies.

 

[Antonius Vaessen]

You might be interested in the book my wife and I wrote 'Walking the Caminos: a User's Guide'. (David & Debbie Mercer, Amazon.) It offers and overview of 16 of the main caminos including details of each route with recommended stages, the conditions you might expect at various times of year, how to get to the start of each camino, the main features of each camino and almost 200 photographs to give you an idea of the countryside you'll be walking through. It is available in both electronic and paperback copies. View attachment 138114

This is an "off-topic" reaction but I' LL ask anyway. I believe the picture on the cover is taken on the Camino Salvador. I wonder if I'm right

 

[david46]

This is an "off-topic" reaction but I' LL ask anyway. I believe the picture on the cover is taken on the Camino Salvador. I wonder if I'm right

Yes, you're right. A beautiful day with marvellous views! I've attached some other photos that might bring back memories...

 

[Cayou]

"I'm Off Then" by German comedian Hape Kekkerling. A very fun and moving book that got my wife and I to our first Camino in 2015. A very EZ read.

 

[Dawn Gibson]

"I'm Off Then" by German comedian Hape Kekkerling. A very fun and moving book that got my wife and I to our first Camino in 2015. A very EZ read.

Thanks This was my first Camino book, I loved it. My friend has read it and loved it, too.

 

[Dawn Gibson]

You might be interested in the book my wife and I wrote 'Walking the Caminos: a User's Guide'. (David & Debbie Mercer, Amazon.) It offers and overview of 16 of the main caminos including details of each route with recommended stages, the conditions you might expect at various times of year, how to get to the start of each camino, the main features of each camino and almost 200 photographs to give you an idea of the countryside you'll be walking through. It is available in both electronic and paperback copies. View attachment 138114

Thanks David. I will have a look.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

In addition to the above mentioned books, I have also enjoyed some laughs while reading "Travels with my donkey" by Tim Moore.

 

[RJM]

A book about all the Camino routes is what I believe the OP is asking about, not books solely about the Frances.
I would suggest buying a current copy of all the guidebooks on every route that is available. The silly, almost comedic books written by actors, comedians, professional writers etc are entertaining but are not a real representation of what walking the Camino, any of them is like.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Plans B, C, and D. Map's from Ivar's store.

The Big Map of the Caminos de Santiago in Spain and Portugal

There are close to 50 routes across Spain and Portugal, and 4 that enter the Iberian Peninsula from France. It is printed in Santiago de Compostela on a soft textured and heavy duty (250g) paper stock. It is poster size large and measures 50x70cm, or 19.5x27.5in. Hang it to plan and be...

www.santiagodecompostela.me

The Big Map - XACOBEO 2021 Edition

Updated for the 2021 Holy Year Celebrations, The Big Map is better than ever. This edition has a 3D like (it is not 3D, just printed on paper). There are close to 50 routes across Spain and Portugal, and 4 that enter the Iberian Peninsula from France. It is poster size large and measures...

www.santiagodecompostela.me

Camino de Santiago Map (1:1.250.000)

This map is as large as your kitchen table when you fold it out. It shows the whole of Spain with all the Caminos marked. Probably not ideal to use while walking, but fantastic for sitting at home planning your next walk. Size: 92cm x 123cm (36 inches x 48,4 inches) This is the 5th edition from...

www.santiagodecompostela.me

 

[Dawn Gibson]

Plans B, C, and D. Map's from Ivar's store.

The Big Map of the Caminos de Santiago in Spain and Portugal

There are close to 50 routes across Spain and Portugal, and 4 that enter the Iberian Peninsula from France. It is printed in Santiago de Compostela on a soft textured and heavy duty (250g) paper stock. It is poster size large and measures 50x70cm, or 19.5x27.5in. Hang it to plan and be...

www.santiagodecompostela.me

The Big Map - XACOBEO 2021 Edition

Updated for the 2021 Holy Year Celebrations, The Big Map is better than ever. This edition has a 3D like (it is not 3D, just printed on paper). There are close to 50 routes across Spain and Portugal, and 4 that enter the Iberian Peninsula from France. It is poster size large and measures...

www.santiagodecompostela.me

Camino de Santiago Map (1:1.250.000)

This map is as large as your kitchen table when you fold it out. It shows the whole of Spain with all the Caminos marked. Probably not ideal to use while walking, but fantastic for sitting at home planning your next walk. Size: 92cm x 123cm (36 inches x 48,4 inches) This is the 5th edition from...

www.santiagodecompostela.me

Thank you.

 

[Dawn Gibson]

A book about all the Camino routes is what I believe the OP is asking about, not books solely about the Frances.
I would suggest buying a current copy of all the guidebooks on every route that is available. The silly, almost comedic books written by actors, comedians, professional writers etc are entertaining but are not a real representation of what walking the Camino, any of them is like.

Thank you

 

[Antonius Vaessen]

Yes, you're right. A beautiful day with marvellous views! I've attached some other photos that might bring back memories...

Thanks, the pictures bring back old memories

 

[David Tallan]

This is a great resource.

The Pilgrimage Road to Santiago – The Complete Cultural Handbook by Linda Kay Davidson and David M. Gitlitz.

It is neither a day to day guide book nor about all caminos but it is very useful as it provides all encompassing coverage of the Camino Frances for anyone interested in the art, architecture, geology, history, folklore, saint’s lives, flora and fauna of that camino.

It is available on Amazon in both paperback and as an ebook.

This is a great book. I recommend it all the time. (See my most recent comment on another thread in this forum.) But it is by no means all-encompassing of all Caminos. It really only covers the Camino Frances (or what was described as the Camino Frances, more or less, last century, including the Camino Aragones). It doesn't cover any of the Caminos outside of Spain (Portugal, France, or farther away in Europe), nor does it cover the vast majority of Caminos in Spain (the Camino del Norte, the Camino Primitivo, the Camino Ingles, the Camino Sanabres, the Via de la Plata, the Camino Mozarabe, the Camino de Levant, the Ruta de la Lana, the Camino del Sureste, and so on and so on and so on are all not covered. I dearly wish there were a similar resource for these other Camino routes.

It is great as an in-depth look at the Camino Frances. It is terrible as a broad overview of the range of Camino routes available.

 

[Dawn Gibson]

In addition to the above mentioned books, I have also enjoyed some laughs while reading "Travels with my donkey" by Tim Moore.

Thank you

This is a great book. I recommend it all the time. (See my most recent comment on another thread in this forum.) But it is by no means all-encompassing of all Caminos. It really only covers the Camino Frances (or what was described as the Camino Frances, more or less, last century, including the Camino Aragones). It doesn't cover any of the Caminos outside of Spain (Portugal, France, or farther away in Europe), nor does it cover the vast majority of Caminos in Spain (the Camino del Norte, the Camino Primitivo, the Camino Ingles, the Camino Sanabres, the Via de la Plata, the Camino Mozarabe, the Camino de Levant, the Ruta de la Lana, the Camino del Sureste, and so on and so on and so on are all not covered. I dearly wish there were a similar resource for these other Camino routes.

It is great as an in-depth look at the Camino Frances. It is terrible as a broad overview of the range of Camino routes available.

Great info, thank you

 

[David Tallan]

I'll attempt to be a bit more constructive than my last post on this thread. It's tough, though. There just aren't that many books that aren't focused on particular routes (that I've come across). I'm not aware of any that cover them all. But a couple of candidate gifts might be:

It's About Time: A call to the Camino de Santiago by Johnnie Walker (with a forward by Joyce Rupp and a conclusion by Martin Sheen). In this slim volute with lots of photos, Johnnie Walker shares stories from a wide variety of pilgrims, along with advice and encouragement for those considering walking a Camino.

Pilgrim Stories: on and off the road to Santiago by Nancy Louise Frey is an anthropologist's look at the Camino. It also includes photos and provides a great description and account of the pilgrim experience not particular to any one Camino route (if I remember correctly), although it was written at the end of the 90s when there were fewer routes being walked (she shows the Frances, Aragones, Norte, Portugues, and Via de la Plata, as well as the four principal routes in France in her map of Caminos).

 

[BombayBill]

This is an "off-topic" reaction but I' LL ask anyway. I believe the picture on the cover is taken on the Camino Salvador. I wonder if I'm right

Yes I recognize this pass , it’s the point where the flies finally relented and I was able to collapse to drink and eat. Etched firmly in my memory.

 

[Dawn Gibson]

I'll attempt to be a bit more constructive than my last post on this thread. It's tough, though. There just aren't that many books that aren't focused on particular routes (that I've come across). I'm not aware of any that cover them all. But a couple of candidate gifts might be:

It's About Time: A call to the Camino de Santiago by Johnnie Walker (with a forward by Joyce Rupp and a conclusion by Martin Sheen). In this slim volute with lots of photos, Johnnie Walker shares stories from a wide variety of pilgrims, along with advice and encouragement for those considering walking a Camino.

Pilgrim Stories: on and off the road to Santiago by Nancy Louise Frey is an anthropologist's look at the Camino. It also includes photos and provides a great description and account of the pilgrim experience not particular to any one Camino route (if I remember correctly), although it was written at the end of the 90s when there were fewer routes being walked (she shows the Frances, Aragones, Norte, Portugues, and Via de la Plata, as well as the four principal routes in France in her map of Caminos).

Thanks This is good info I have read the first one and agree. The second one sounds good also, I will look at that, too. Thank you for taking the time to tell me about them.

 

[Canche]

You might be interested in the book my wife and I wrote 'Walking the Caminos: a User's Guide'. (David & Debbie Mercer, Amazon.) It offers and overview of 16 of the main caminos including details of each route with recommended stages, the conditions you might expect at various times of year, how to get to the start of each camino, the main features of each camino and almost 200 photographs to give you an idea of the countryside you'll be walking through. It is available in both electronic and paperback copies. View attachment 138114

Which Caminos does your book cover?

 

[david46]

Which Caminos does your book cover?

Hi Canche. Frances; del Norte, Olvidado, Ingles, Primitivo, San Salvador, Ruta Vadiniense, Portugues, de Madrid, de la Plata, del Sur, de Sant Jaume, de Levante, de la Luna, Mozarabe, Finisterre & Muxia. Have a look at some of the photos we took when on the Vadiniense....
View attachment Camino Vadiniense.mp4

 

[Keith H]

Hi Canche. Frances; del Norte, Olvidado, Ingles, Primitivo, San Salvador, Ruta Vadiniense, Portugues, de Madrid, de la Plata, del Sur, de Sant Jaume, de Levante, de la Luna, Mozarabe, Finisterre & Muxia. Have a look at some of the photos we took when on the Vadiniense....
View attachment 138254

Wow! That’s quite a lot!

 

[Former member 101807]

Hello from a very cold England.

Does anyone know of any books that include all the Caminos please? This would be a gift for a friend who will never walk a Camino due to illness, but whose interest in them I have sparked. I would very much like to buy him a book which gives him a general sense of all the Camino de Santiago 's. Ideally with lots of photos.

I have lent him my many autobiographies from fellow-pilgrims but these are not the books I want to buy him.

A tall order, I know, but thought if anyone would know it would be here!

Thanks.

He might enjoy our website - we haven't yet made it to Comopstela but we've walked most routes in Switzerland (Covid time), down through France and have started on the Norte (up to Santander). It has lots of photos and many, many, sites to 'clic' on for information.

CAMINO Angus&Sue JAKOBSWEG

www.carrick.ch

 

[Phoebe]

This is a great resource.

The Pilgrimage Road to Santiago – The Complete Cultural Handbook by Linda Kay Davidson and David M. Gitlitz.

It is neither a day to day guide book nor about all caminos but it is very useful as it provides all encompassing coverage of the Camino Frances for anyone interested in the art, architecture, geology, history, folklore, saint’s lives, flora and fauna of that camino.

It is available on Amazon in both paperback and as an ebook.

Definitely the best history book.