The four roads to heaven France and the Santiago pilgrimage

We often refer to the journey to the tomb of the apostle St. James at Santiago de Compostela in northwest Spain as if it involved just one long road, but in reality, according to Mullins, there were four roads originating in France that eventually merged. Either way, it took tremendous effort to get there, but despite the demands, countless pilgrims have trekked there over the centuries and continue to do so, and it is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There are other important pilgrimages in the world to Jerusalem, Rome, and Mecca, for example but the pilgrimage to Santiago has captured the imagination of Christian Europe since St. James, the patron saint of Spain, became a symbol of fidelity. As Mullins traces the history of the odyssey to the apostle's shrine, he notes that singing was a popular component of the pilgrimage and special songs were written as poet-minstrels entertained the pilgrims. In other words, a pilgrimage could be fun. Part medieval history and part modern-day travel guide, Mullins' in-depth volume, including color photographs, brings St. James' story to life.--Sawyers, June Copyright 2018 Booklist

Writer/journalist/filmmaker Mullins (The Pilgrimage to Santiago) offers a detailed, enjoyable examination of "the social phenomenon which has been the Santiago pilgrimage," the ancient walk to the tomb of Saint James in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. The author structures his work according to the French roads medieval pilgrims used to reach their goal, also describing entries from the period Pilgrims Guide. He emphasizes the outsize role the journey had in the medieval mind and life. The pilgrims' practices and needs caused a dedicated world to grow around the route, which Mullins shows was a series of visits to relic-owning churches. The pilgrimage also assumed a political role, with powerful religious figures encouraging and protecting the faithful who were assisting the Christian reconquest of Muslim Spain, and the faithful in turn enriching the church with donations and endorsements of even the most outlandish religious claims (e.g., churches claiming to have body parts of various biblical figures). Numerous photographs show some of the statues and carvings described in the book. VERDICT Essential for potential pilgrims and an excellent European history for others.-Henrietta Verma, National Information Standards Organization, Baltimore © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.