More than half a million pilgrims walked Spain's Caminos de Santiago in 2024, many of them following the Camino Francés from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Santiago de Compostela. And yet, the deeper history of this long-traveled path remains out of reach to most walkers. Over the course of 32 deeply-researched short essays, one for each stage of the pilgrimage, The Camino Compendium sheds light upon a wealth of different topics, some overlooked, others misunderstood, but all consequential and enriching to the experience of today's pilgrims.

Those topics include important literature from the way, including Ernest Hemingway, Emilia Pardo Bazán, and Concha Espina, along with the two great epic heroes, Roland and El Cid. Significant architectural works feature prominently as well, like León's Basilica of San Isidoro, Frómista's Iglesia de San Martín, and Torres del Río's Iglesia del Santo Sepulcro, along with the distinctive Galician hórreo. Miracle stories are highlighted, from Santo Domingo de la Calzada, O Cebreiro, and Santiago de Compostela, as are military encounters ranging from the Templars to Napoleon to Franco. Most important to many readers, perhaps, are the stories related to food and drink, including bread, wine, and chocolate. And lest they be overlooked, it also spotlights stories involving an exploding monastery, dumpster-diving storks, an underwater ghost town, and prehistoric cannibals.