Aficionado: Discovering Spain through the Art of Bullfighting

Bullfighting is often described as the soul of Spain. Others call it a national disgrace. Determined to understand the truth for himself, Jack Rogers spent months following Spain's feria season from one end of the country to the other. He attended bullfights in legendary arenas, wandered through centuries-old festivals, explored the stories of patron saints and local traditions, and immersed himself in a culture that remains fiercely proud, deeply divided, and endlessly fascinating.

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His is a vivid journey through modern Spain told from inside the crowds, streets, and bullrings where its most important cultural debates continue to unfold. Part travel memoir, part cultural exploration, and part meditation on life, death, and tradition, Aficionado examines bullfighting not as an isolated spectacle, but as a window into Spain itself. Through encounters with saints, separatists, pilgrims, and ordinary Spaniards, Jack explores why the corrida de toros continues to inspire devotion, outrage, and fascination in Spanish culture.

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Whether you support bullfighting, oppose it, or know nothing about it, Aficionado offers a rare glimpse into a world few outsiders ever truly experience.