The opening of the Guggenheim Museum put the industrial city of Bilbao on the tourist map, but the surrounding Basque lands remain overlooked. Publicity tends to focus on the terrorist activities of Eta. Which is a shame because as this book - the first English guide to the region - shows, nationalism has many faces, including the revival of Basque culture, festivals, music, cuisine and sports. The photo essay on the opening pages whets the appetite with shots of Belle Epoque seaside resorts, mountain villages and cosmopolitan cities. The chapters on the history, language and identity of the bull-running, red hot pepper-eating, poetry spouting, graffiti-scrawling, yodelling Basque people make excellent armchair reading, and the nuts and bolts travel tips will prove invaluable on the road. You won't find a better guide to the region.