Michael Jacobs (15 October 1952 – 11 January 2014) was a writer of Irish and Italian ancestry, born in Genoa, with particular interest in travel, the history of art,

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

Latin America Latin America is the cultural region of the Americas where Romance languages are predominantly spoken, primarily Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese. Latin America is defined according to cultural identity, not geogr ...

and

gastronomy Gastronomy is the study of the relationship between Human food, food and culture, the art of preparing and serving rich or delicate and appetizing food, the cooking styles of particular regions, and the science of good eating. One who is well ver ...

. His most successful popular work in both English and Spanish has been ''The Factory of Light: Tales from my Andalucian Village'' (2004), a true story but with a flavour of the

magical realism Magical realism, magic realism, or marvelous realism is a style or genre of fiction and art that presents a realistic view of the world while incorporating magical elements, often blurring the lines between speculation and reality. ''Magical rea ...

Gabriel García Márquez Gabriel José García Márquez (; 6 March 1927 – 17 April 2014) was a Colombian writer and journalist, known affectionately as Gabo () or Gabito () throughout Latin America. Considered one of the most significant authors of the 20th centur ...

Writing

Jacobs' writing initially specialised in introducing Fine Art to the general reader. He continued with these works but latterly produced books which capture the day-to-day life especially of Latin countries and relate that to an historical and political context. He wrote ''The Factory of Light'' which is close to the popular current genre of the English emigre setting up home in Southern Europe. His other books such as ''Between Hopes and Memories'' provide a snapshot of Spain in the post-transition economic boom of the 1990s. His classic travel writing include the semi-autobiographical ''Ghost Train Through the Andes'' and ''The Andes''.

Publications

*''Mythological Painting'' (1979) *''Nude Painting in the History of Art'' (1979) *''Guide to European Painting'' (1980) *''Companion to Art and Artists in the British Isles'' (1980) *''The Knopf Traveler's Guides to Art: France'' (1984) *''Traveller's Guide to Art: Great Britain and Ireland'' Mitchell Beazley Traveller's Guides to Art (1984) *''Good and Simple Life: Artist Colonies in Europe and America'' (1985) *''A Guide to Provence'' (1988) *''A Guide to Andalucia'' (1990) *''The Road to Santiago de Compostela'' Architectural Guides for Travellers (1991) *''Barcelona'' Blue Guide (1992) *''Czechoslovakia'' Blue Guide (1992) *''The Most Beautiful Villages of Provence'' (1994) *''Madrid: Architecture, History, Art'' (Philip's City Guide (1992) *''Between Hopes and Memories: Spanish Journey'' (1994) *''The Painted Voyage: Art, Travel and Exploration, 1564-1875'' (1995) *''Andalucia'' Pallas Guide (2003) *''In The Glow Of The Phantom Palace'' (2003) *''Madrid for Pleasure'' (2003) *''The Factory of Light: Tales From My Andalucian Village'' (2004) *''Alhambra'' (2005) *''Ghost Train Through the Andes: On My Grandfather's Trail in Chile and Bolivia'' (2006) *''The Andes'' (2010) *''The Robber of Memories: A River Journey Through Colombia'' (2012) *''Everything is Happening: Journey Into a Painting'' (posthumously, with an introduction and code by Ed Vulliamy) (2015)

Translations

*''The Jewess of Toledo (La judía de Toledo)'', Lope de Vega (2001) *''The Innocent Child of La Guardia (El niño inocente de La Guardia'', Lope de Vega (2001) *''The Labyrinth of Desire'' (La prueba de los ingenios), Lope de Vega (2001)

References

External links

Homage to Michael Jacobs, 1952-2014Michael Jacobs obituaryMichael Jacobs, 1952-2014
* The Independent , The Independentbr>The Times
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jacobs, Michael 1952 births 2014 deaths