How to Watch a Bullfight

A bullfight is a dramatic spectacle in which a lone man before a crowd faces potential death and the bull a certain death. This step-by-step illustrated guide explains exactly what is happening, and why, at each stage and with each move, in that 15 minute encounter in the arena.

This is the golden age of bullfighting. In the last 60 years, the number of bullfights (corridas) held in Spain has increased almost ninefold, peaking in 2007. Great bullfighting names have the status of football stars, with heroes including Cayetano, José Tomás, Enrique Ponce and Morante de la Puebla, their styles ranging from the flamboyant and breath-takingly reckless to calm domination and technical mastery. Many English-speaking tourists on holiday witness this most ancient and colourful of spectacles, but few understand what is really going on. This illustrated guide acknowledges that attending a bullfight is controversial and will not appeal to everyone. It throws light on the bullfighter’s art and outlines the structure of the corrida, the key players and the various moves and stages. A fascinating and complex event is defined step-by-step in layman's terms. The music, the excitement and reactions of the crowd and the drama are all put into context and one of the most ancient and unusual of modern spectacles becomes clear. This book is designed to give readers of whatever persuasion an understanding of bullfighting, so that they can either increase their pleasure in watching a corrida in Spain, France or South America, or simply learn what is involved in this most complex, moving and controversial of spectacles.