---
product_id: 5384314
title: "The Basque History of the World: The Story of a Nation"
price: "₩32831"
currency: KRW
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 9
url: https://www.desertcart.kr/products/5384314-the-basque-history-of-the-world-the-story-of-nation
store_origin: KR
region: South Korea
---

# The Basque History of the World: The Story of a Nation

**Price:** ₩32831
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** The Basque History of the World: The Story of a Nation
- **How much does it cost?** ₩32831 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.kr](https://www.desertcart.kr/products/5384314-the-basque-history-of-the-world-the-story-of-nation)

## Best For

- Customers looking for quality international products

## Why This Product

- Free international shipping included
- Worldwide delivery with tracking
- 15-day hassle-free returns

## Description

desertcart.com: The Basque History of the World: The Story of a Nation: 9780140298512: Kurlansky, Mark: Books

Review: Engaging and informative - Amazingly thorough, delightfully well written. Being of Basque lineage myself I'm always on the lookout for books and movies on the subject and having had quite a bit of experience with both I can say this book is by far the best at being easily digestible and all encompassing when it comes to everything Basque. Speaking of digestible Kurlansly even throws in Basque recipes which I think is one of the coolest ways to learn about a people by getting to know what they eat, and food seems to be his expertise based on some of his previous works and it shows but the book is complete with history I'm ashamed to say even I didnt know about. How such a broad and intricate subject fits into this little book is a testament to the authors talent and is clearly a love letter from him to everything basque. Wonderful read and I'm not big on leaving reviews but this one I couldn't resist...3 cheers for the author and for Euskal Herria!
Review: The Surf Zone of SW Europe! - Years ago I picked up a dark haired and swarthy faced hitch-hiker (from San Sebastian) in north-eastern Australia. We travelled together for several hundred miles and I have been curious about the Basques ever since! This little book is again, a superb read written by Mark Kurlansky. His love of these people (whose language is unique in the world) shines through every page and his impartial references to this most fascinating part of the world makes for such a detailed journey into the "surf zone" of south western Europe. Everytime an army moved in this part of the world the Basques got rolled again! But complain? No way! They were the first "Democracy" in the world, dating back almost to Tribal days and were involved in several wars. They fought a civil war in the 1930s after being removed from government by the right wing (read Fascist) establishment, attracting help and interest from all over the world! (Ernest Hemingway and many others wrote about this war. Some of these books have become classics). They were also a conduit for refugees and escapees from Nazi Europe during WWII. Shipbuilders and cross ocean fishermen, navigators and travellers for centuries, these forward thinking people brought many things to Europe that we use, even today! I enjoyed this book immensely and learned a few Basque words, to entertain myself with, along the way!!! Great read!

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| ASIN  | 0140298517 |
| Best Sellers Rank | #64,079 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #18 in Human Geography (Books) #36 in French History (Books) #89 in Cultural Anthropology (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars (807) |
| Dimensions  | 7.71 x 5.1 x 0.77 inches |
| Edition  | Reprint |
| Grade level  | 12 and up |
| ISBN-10  | 9780140298512 |
| ISBN-13  | 978-0140298512 |
| Item Weight  | 9.4 ounces |
| Language  | English |
| Print length  | 400 pages |
| Publication date  | February 1, 2001 |
| Publisher  | Penguin Books |
| Reading age  | 18 years and up |

## Images

![The Basque History of the World: The Story of a Nation - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/A1aRSkbLu0L.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Engaging and informative
*by D***S on May 25, 2021*

Amazingly thorough, delightfully well written. Being of Basque lineage myself I'm always on the lookout for books and movies on the subject and having had quite a bit of experience with both I can say this book is by far the best at being easily digestible and all encompassing when it comes to everything Basque. Speaking of digestible Kurlansly even throws in Basque recipes which I think is one of the coolest ways to learn about a people by getting to know what they eat, and food seems to be his expertise based on some of his previous works and it shows but the book is complete with history I'm ashamed to say even I didnt know about. How such a broad and intricate subject fits into this little book is a testament to the authors talent and is clearly a love letter from him to everything basque. Wonderful read and I'm not big on leaving reviews but this one I couldn't resist...3 cheers for the author and for Euskal Herria!

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Surf Zone of SW Europe!
*by G***R on September 26, 2013*

Years ago I picked up a dark haired and swarthy faced hitch-hiker (from San Sebastian) in north-eastern Australia. We travelled together for several hundred miles and I have been curious about the Basques ever since! This little book is again, a superb read written by Mark Kurlansky. His love of these people (whose language is unique in the world) shines through every page and his impartial references to this most fascinating part of the world makes for such a detailed journey into the "surf zone" of south western Europe. Everytime an army moved in this part of the world the Basques got rolled again! But complain? No way! They were the first "Democracy" in the world, dating back almost to Tribal days and were involved in several wars. They fought a civil war in the 1930s after being removed from government by the right wing (read Fascist) establishment, attracting help and interest from all over the world! (Ernest Hemingway and many others wrote about this war. Some of these books have become classics). They were also a conduit for refugees and escapees from Nazi Europe during WWII. Shipbuilders and cross ocean fishermen, navigators and travellers for centuries, these forward thinking people brought many things to Europe that we use, even today! I enjoyed this book immensely and learned a few Basque words, to entertain myself with, along the way!!! Great read!

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Why did the Basques survive?
*by G***H on September 30, 2015*

Why did the Basques, a tiny group of fewer than three million people, survive as a culture? This is implicitly the main question asked by Kurlansky's history of the Basques. (Incidentally, this is not really a Basque history of the world as much as it is a history of the Basque world -- though since the Basques got around a lot as sailors and whalers, its a good-sized world). Here's what I take to be the author's answers to that question: 1) Because they were relatively geographically isolated in an infertile part of the world with rugged landscapes that isolated them from surrounding peoples and even from one another -- small as the Basque region is, there are still seven different Basque dialects from different areas. A single written language did not emerge until the 20th century. 2) Because in the era of urbanization in Spain, mainly the late 19th and the 20th century, Basqueland became prosperous from industrialization and so the Basques did not have to migrate to the cities of other countries or other parts of Spain where they would have been assimilated. 3) Because they were persecuted by Franco and other Spanish rulers, which strengthened their tribal solidarity. 4) Because they were clannish and family-centered, due to a weak state apparatus that forced them to rely on one another and their community. 5) Because a common Catholic faith and a strong network of Basque-speaking parish priests held them together. But the argument can be made that the Basque culture has not really survived, if language is taken as the key defining element of a culture. The vast majority of Basques don't know how to speak Basque fluently and certainly don't speak it at home. When I traveled to that region this year, I sure didn't hear a lot of Basque spoken on the streets of San Sebastian or Pamplona or other Basque cities. In a century, will it still exist? I hope so, but I think it's a long shot that a language that has declined this far can be brought back to the mainstream -- no matter how much effort Basque authorities put into teaching it in schools and ensuring a steady stream of Basque language publications. We live in an age of the languages of small groups, especially those that don't have their own country, dying out at a brisk clip. Most of the languages spoken in the world today are not expected to exist by the end of this century. The book is a fascinating read, from the earliest historical times during the Roman era up to the present. The reach of the Basque people extended far, wherever their fishing boats and whaling ships and emigrants reached, and contributed very heavily to the exploration efforts of the Spanish during the age of the Spanish global empire. The author does a particularly good job, I thought, of explaining Basque nationalism, both its narrow-minded, nativist aspects and its rich cultural elements. The competing desires of different Basque groups drove them into taking sides during Spain's various civil wars of the 19th and 20th centuries that pitted them against both other parts of Spain and even against one another. Highly conservative, religious monarchists fighting on the side of the Carlist pretender to the throne during the civil wars of the 19th century clashed violently with more progressive Basques seeking greater autonomy for their homeland under a less centralized monarchy. Similarly, during the Civil War of the 1930s, some Basques such as those of Navarre allied with Franco because of his supposed devotion to the Church and to the monarchy, in opposition to the Spanish Republican government and to most of the rest of their fellow Basques, who were slaughtered by both Franco's well-armed troops and those of Mussolini and Hitler. Kurlansky tells a complicated story very well -- while not leaving out his favorite Basque recipes.

---

## Why Shop on Desertcart?

- 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016
- 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories
- 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price
- 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members)
- 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection
- ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews

**Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.kr/products/5384314-the-basque-history-of-the-world-the-story-of-nation](https://www.desertcart.kr/products/5384314-the-basque-history-of-the-world-the-story-of-nation)

---

*Product available on Desertcart South Korea*
*Store origin: KR*
*Last updated: 2026-01-31*