By
Matthew Hancock
The Portuguese temperament is forever cooled by the Atlantic whose surf pounds its western and southern shores.
Reviews
‘Loved this book! It captures the national identity with humour that is at once astute and sympathetic. The writer clearly knows Portugal inside out and for anyone who wants to get under the skin of the country’s people rather than just touching the surface via the usual guidebooks this is a must read’ Reviewed by Pebbles‘
‘So, so true. I’ve just moved to Portugal and this guide explains so much about the Portuguese that I had needed to know. In just an hour I found out what I thought would take me a lifetime to understand. Excelente!’ Reviewer from Lisbon
‘Hilarious and Accurate. We read this before going to Portugal for 6 weeks – all I can say is that it is!’ Reviewed by Yr HFL
‘Matthew Hancock has written, with great affection, an amusing booklet that succinctly sums up the Portuguese. So much of what he says accurately reflects the people I remember from Moçambique.’ Reviewed by Joe K
‘A must-have companion to my Xenophobe’s Guide to the Spanish which I’ve cherished for years and given as gifts to friends. An entertaining and insightful guide to the charms of the Portuguese.’ Reviewer from Edinburgh
If you would like to comment or submit a review on the Xenophobe’s Guide to the Portuguese please do so in the box to the right.
___________
About the author
Born in London and now resident in Dorset, Matthew Hancock is a freelance journalist and editor. He graduated in English literature before teaching English in Athens, London and Lisbon. He felt he really got to know the Portuguese after walking the entire 775-mile length of the Portuguese-Spanish border, a three-month experience that made him realise you are rarely more than 10 miles from a decent café anywhere in the country. He has since visited virtually every Portuguese town of any note while researching the Rough Guides to Portugal, Lisbon, Madeira and The Algarve.
As a devotee of Portuguese literature he prefers reading Saramago to Dickens. But when he doesn’t mind if Portugal’s national team beats England at football, he worries that his fondness for all things Portuguese may have gone too far.
