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Colin Duncan Taylor @colinduncantaylor.com · 26/09/2026

Thank you, Ines Souifi and Voix du Midi, for this lovely article in French about my Pyrenees book and my writing journey. @yalebooks.bsky.social

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Colin Duncan Taylor @colinduncantaylor.com · 23/09/2026

THIS IS THE FRONTIER BETWEEN FRANCE AND SPAIN / In Roman times, this was the border between Gaul and Hispania. Travellers from Italy could follow the Via Domitia all the way to the Pyrenees and then continue along the Via Augusta as far as Cadiz. #lovepyrenees #pyrenees #FRHistory

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Colin Duncan Taylor @colinduncantaylor.com · 22/09/2026

Is this the strangest Devil's Bridge story? It fooled the French Ministry of Culture! And it's in a heavenly part the Pyrenees. www.colinduncantaylor.com/blog/why-did... @yalebooks.bsky.social #lovepyrenees #pyrenees

Pont du Diable, or Devil's Bridge, spans the Ariège between Foix and Tarascon in the French Pyrenees.

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Colin Duncan Taylor @colinduncantaylor.com · 18/09/2026

After 25 minutes discussing my book on live radio, I need some refreshments before this afternoon’s interview in French. Oh, and if you want to listen to my interview with Giles Brown on Talk Radio Europe, you'll find it on this page: www.colinduncantaylor.com/books/the-py... @yalebooks.bsky.social

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Colin Duncan Taylor @colinduncantaylor.com · 17/09/2026

THE PYRENEES ON THE RADIO! I will be discussing my new book with Giles Brown on Talk Radio Europe at 10.30 CET on Friday 18 September. If you don't live in Spain, you can listen to Spain’s leading English-language radio station online: www.talkradioeurope.com/listen-live @yalebooks.bsky.social

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Colin Duncan Taylor @colinduncantaylor.com · 15/09/2026

My new book is on the shelves in what claims to be the UK's oldest bookshop, Hatchards on Piccadilly, founded in 1797, acquired by Waterstones in 1998. You will also find a copy in many other branches of the Waterstones empire. Thank you, Emma, for the photo. #bookshop #lovepyrenees

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Colin Duncan Taylor @colinduncantaylor.com · 11/09/2026

MEGALITHS OF THE PYRENEES Enjoy these pictures of some of the finest menhirs and dolmens in the Pyrenees. If you want to know their names and locations, message me. Find out more about their story in THE PYRENEES A HUMAN HISTORY just published by @yalebooks.bsky.social #lovepyrenees #megaliths

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Colin Duncan Taylor @colinduncantaylor.com · 10/09/2026

This lovely little slide show was put together by my marketing friends @yalebooks.bsky.social using some of my photos. I hope it piques your interest and encourages you to find out more about my book, or even to buy it! #lovepyrenees #pyrenees #newbook

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Colin Duncan Taylor @colinduncantaylor.com · 09/09/2026

I spotted this fine collection of old tractors along the road from Pamplona to Roncesvalles in the Spanish Pyrenees. The three red ones in the foreground were made by Barreiros in the 1960s, a Spanish company which also manufactured automobiles and commercial vehicles. #lovepyrenees #tractors

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Colin Duncan Taylor @colinduncantaylor.com · 08/09/2026

PUBLISHED TODAY IN THE USA! When I was in Pamplona last week, I showed Ernest Hemingway my new book about the Pyrenees. His statue props up the bar inside the Cafe Iruña. I’m sure he’ll buy a copy, either here in Europe, or when he returns to his homeland. @yalebooks.bsky.social

Inside Pamplona's Cafe Iruna, author Colin Duncan Taylor shows his book about the Pyrenees to the statue of Ernest Hemingway.

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Colin Duncan Taylor @colinduncantaylor.com · 04/09/2026

SATURDAY 5 SEPTEMBER – SUMMER FETE – CHALABRE 11230 For those of you who are lucky enough to be located in south-west France, why not join me at the summer fête being held TOMORROW by the Twilight retirement home for dogs? Clothes, jewellery, cakes, books and much more. Hope to see you there!

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Colin Duncan Taylor @colinduncantaylor.com · 28/08/2026

SATURDAY 5 SEPTEMBER – SUMMER FETE – CHALABRE 11230 If you live in south-west France, why not join us at the summer fête being held by Twilight retirement home for dogs on 5 September? I shall be showcasing my latest book, ‘The Pyrenees: A Human History’, just published by @yalebooks.bsky.social

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Colin Duncan Taylor @colinduncantaylor.com · 27/08/2026

In 1086, King Sancho Ramirez began building the Castillo de Montearagón because he needed a base from which he would be able to direct the siege of Huesca, 5 km to the west. Eight years later, the king died within the walls of his castle from a wound suffered during the fighting. #lovepyrenees

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Colin Duncan Taylor @colinduncantaylor.com · 25/08/2026

Producing an elevator pitch is a challenge for authors and many other professionals. At the request of my publisher, @yalebooks.bsky.social I produced this 30-second video for my new book. I found it much easier to do than writing a couple of sentences on a computer screen. #newbook #pyrenees

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Colin Duncan Taylor @colinduncantaylor.com · 21/08/2026

Now in its 19th year, the Grand Raid des Pyrénées attracts 8,500 runners to its 8 trail running races. I took these photos yesterday during the 53 km Tour de Bastan. Perhaps they will encourage you to join the party next year, or maybe you’ll decide to stay well away! #pyrenees

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Colin Duncan Taylor @colinduncantaylor.com · 19/08/2026

There must be easier ways to promote my book! The Tour de Bastan starts tomorrow morning at 07.00, 53 km and 3,000 meters of climbing in rugged mountain terrain. I hope I finish, preferably in less than 12 hours! @yalebooks.bsky.social

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Colin Duncan Taylor @colinduncantaylor.com · 18/08/2026

One week today, my Pyrenees book will be published! Also, @yalebooks.bsky.social has just added a ‘See inside' button on its website so you can read a few chapters for free. The Kindle version is now on sale too. yalebooks.co.uk/book/9780300... #newbook #lovepyrenees #FrHistory

Author Colin Duncan Taylor holding his book 'The Pyrenees A Human History'.

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Colin Duncan Taylor @colinduncantaylor.com · 16/08/2026

A BOOK FOR THOSE INTERESTED IN SOCIAL HISTORY OR THE GEORGIAN PERIOD. ‘Masquerade’ traces the history of this elitist entertainment over a period of a century from 1713, with the help of the impresarios who staged these costly events, and the guests who attended them. @yalebooks.bsky.social

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Colin Duncan Taylor @colinduncantaylor.com · 15/08/2026

When the Franks were fighting the Moors in 778, Roland was pursued to the top of the left-hand rock. To escape, he spurred his steed into taking an enormous leap from one pillar to the next, a distance of 700 metres above a chasm 300 metres deep. Hence the name: Roland's Leap. #lovepyrenees

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Colin Duncan Taylor @colinduncantaylor.com · 14/08/2026

“Although older than the Alps, the Pyrenees remain far less well known . . . Taylor's account is an absorbing romp through this human story.”—Ettie Neil-Gallacher, ‘The Field’, August 2026. What nice words from the first press review of my new book! #bookreview @yalebooks.bsky.social

View looking out of a cave at a mountainside with a silhouette of a man in the entrance.

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Colin Duncan Taylor @colinduncantaylor.com · 13/08/2026

WHAT IS A SPEAR-THROWER? Well, it’s not this lady throwing a spear, and the video reveals the answer. You can discover much more about Pyrenean prehistoric life in my new book, THE PYRENEES: A HUMAN HISTORY, published by the fantastec @yalebooks.bsky.social #lovepyrenees #pyrenees #FrHistory

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Colin Duncan Taylor @colinduncantaylor.com · 11/08/2026

THE ROCKY ROAD TO SUCCESS: this path led me to a mountain pass which was at the heart of a trade deal signed in 1347. Every step was worthwhile because in exactly two weeks' time, ‘The Pyrenees: A Human History’ will be released by @yalebooks.bsky.social and my publishing dream will come true.

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Colin Duncan Taylor @colinduncantaylor.com · 10/08/2026

Yesterday, we held a garden party to launch my new book, ‘THE PYRENEES: A HUMAN HISTORY’ published by @yalebooks.bsky.social . Thank you to everyone who came and bought a copy, and thank you Donna for baking, cooking, being in charge of the sales desk and wearing the tee-shirt. #booklaunch #pyrenees

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Colin Duncan Taylor @colinduncantaylor.com · 05/08/2026

This 3-m high statue of a cyclist at the Col du Tourmalet in the Pyrenees was created by Jean-Bernard Métais in 1995. In winter it is transferred to the village of Gerde on the outskirts of Bagnères-de-Bigorre. #lovepyrenees #pyrenees

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Colin Duncan Taylor @colinduncantaylor.com · 05/08/2026

The monastery of Santa María de Alaón nestles inside a bend of the Noguera Ribagorçana river in the Spanish Pyrenees. Founded under Visigoth rule, the original buildings were destroyed when the Moors took control of the Iberian Peninsula. What we see today dates from the 12th century. #pyrenees

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Colin Duncan Taylor @colinduncantaylor.com · 31/07/2026

Experience the world’s only prehistoric drive-through at Mas d’Azil in this short video. This cave has a main road running through it, offering travellers a unique drive-through experience, even by bike. youtu.be/eLQDRHwgMuk #pyrenees #prehistoricjourney #caves #lovepyrenees #FrHistory

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Colin Duncan Taylor @colinduncantaylor.com · 28/07/2026

I recently captured this view of the Châteaux de Foix. In 1930, a certain Monsieur Champseix must have stood on the same spot to find inspiration for the railway company publicity poster that features on the cover of my new book about the Pyrenees. @yalebooks.bsky.social #pyrenees #lovepyrenees

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Colin Duncan Taylor @colinduncantaylor.com · 25/07/2026

The clocktower and covered market of Revel, resplendent after two years of painstaking restoration. This royal bastide was founded in 1342, and the clocktower has at various times housed the town’s council chamber, prison, museum, tourist office, and the town crier and his family. #FrHistory

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Colin Duncan Taylor @colinduncantaylor.com · 23/07/2026

The Tribute of the Three Cows claims to be the oldest treaty still in force in Europe today, and it takes place on 13 July every year. I attended the 650th edition last week and made this short video: www.colinduncantaylor.com/videos/v/tri... @yalebooks.bsky.social #pyrenees #lovepyrenees

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Colin Duncan Taylor @colinduncantaylor.com · 21/07/2026

For UK readers who would like to pre-order my new book, Waterstones is offering 25% off the cover price for all online orders placed by close of play on 24 July. To get the discount, follow the link and use the promotional code SUMMER26: www.waterstones.com/book/the-pyr... @yalebooks.bsky.social

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Colin Duncan Taylor @colinduncantaylor.com · 16/07/2026

These are bikes are bigger than you might guess from the first photo! One bike for each of the leader’s jerseys in the Tour de France. The race has climbed the Col d’Aubisque in the French Pyrenees 74 times between 1910 and 2022, but not this year. #lovepyrenees #pyrenees

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Colin Duncan Taylor @colinduncantaylor.com · 14/07/2026

In this video, I explain the inspiration behind 'The Pyrenees: A Human History'. It will be published by Yale University Press on 25 August and is available for pre-order now. This is a book for history lovers and those who are fascinated by mountains. @yalebooks.bsky.social #pyrenees #lovepyrenees

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Colin Duncan Taylor @colinduncantaylor.com · 07/07/2026

Both Franco and Hitler built defensive lines in the Pyrenees towards the end of the Second World War. This German bunker is located on the Franco-Spanish border at the eastern end of the Pyrenees. It incorporated the turret of an obsolete tank, the Czech-built Panzer 38. #lpyrenees #pyreneeshistory

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Colin Duncan Taylor @colinduncantaylor.com · 03/07/2026

Summer reading from @yalebooks.bsky.social. In ‘Walking Europe’s Last Wilderness’, take an evocative voyage through the Carpathian Mountains. Explore the fascination of night music in ‘Nocturnes’. Go to a masked ball in ‘The Masquerade’. Immerse yourself in the history of the Pyrenees.

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Colin Duncan Taylor @colinduncantaylor.com · 30/06/2026

See the ancient practice of transhumance in action as thousands of sheep bring traffic to a standstill on the main road between France and Spain in the Pyrenees. Read more about it in 'The Pyrenees A Human History' shortly to be published by @yalebooks.bsky.social #pyrenees #lovepyrenees

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Colin Duncan Taylor @colinduncantaylor.com · 25/06/2026

Is Querol Castle (or Carol Castle) French or Spanish? A document from 1243 says it belonged to James I, King of Aragon. In 1462, a treaty transferred ownership to France. In 1493, another treaty handed it back to Aragon. Under the Treaty of the Pyrenees in 1659, the French reclaimed it. #pyrenees

The Castle of Carol or Querol in the French Pyrenees.

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Colin Duncan Taylor @colinduncantaylor.com · 22/06/2026

The Dolmen de l’Oliva, one of seven prehistoric tombs in the Cabó valley, Catalonia. You can see why the council has erected a warning sign: UNSTABLE DOLMEN: FOR YOUR OWN SAFETY PLEASE DON’T GO NEAR IT! #lovepyrenees #pyrenees

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Colin Duncan Taylor @colinduncantaylor.com · 21/06/2026

Authors often film themselves opening the package containing the first copies of their new book. Few of them do so by a gorgeous lake 2,000 metres up a mountain. @yalebooks.bsky.social #pyrenees #pyreneeshistory

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Colin Duncan Taylor @colinduncantaylor.com · 17/06/2026

The Cabó valley’s seven prehistoric tombs inspired an imaginative academic to call it Catalonia’s answer to Egypt’s Valley of the Kings. This is the Dolmen Moli de Favà. #lovepyrenees #pyrenees #pyreneeshistory

The prehistoric tomb called the Dolmen Moli de Fava in the Cabo valley, Spanish Pyrenees.

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Colin Duncan Taylor @colinduncantaylor.com · 02/06/2026

You need patience if you try collecting water from the sacred spring in Lourdes. Discovered by Saint Bernadette in 1858, some of the water is pumped into a cistern and drips out of sensor taps at 18 filling stations a little further along the cliff. #pyrenees #lourdes

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Colin Duncan Taylor @colinduncantaylor.com · 28/05/2026

As well as being the only surviving star fort in Spain, Jaca’s fortress is home to various museum galleries covering topics such as military medicine, military paintings and mountain regiments. It also hosts a garrison of 32,000 lead soldiers. www.colinduncantaylor.com/blog/jaca-th... #pyrenees

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Colin Duncan Taylor @colinduncantaylor.com · 25/05/2026

Notre-Dame-du-Bouchet is all that remains of a medieval commandery run by the Knights Hospitaller near the French Pyrenean village of Guchen. Other buildings were destroyed during the French Revolution, and this pretty chapel was rebuilt on the initiative of local priests between 1944 and 1946.

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Colin Duncan Taylor @colinduncantaylor.com · 24/05/2026

WHY IS NOBODY HOME? In the 1960s, the Spanish village of Otín in the Sierra de Guara was home to 29 people living in 13 houses. Then a new generation decided life would be easier in the cities. #lovepyrenees #pyrenees #pyreneeshistory

Farmhouse in the abandoned village of Otin in the Sierra de Guara, Spain.

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Colin Duncan Taylor @colinduncantaylor.com · 19/05/2026

WHY IS THIS GERMAN TANK TURRET IN THE PYRENEES? In 1943, the Germans began building their Speerlinie Pyrenäen, or Fortified Front Line of the Pyrenees. Many of the bunkers incorporated a turret and gun from an obsolete tank such as the Panzer I and Panzer II. #lovepyrenees #pyrenees #pyreneeshistory

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Colin Duncan Taylor @colinduncantaylor.com · 16/05/2026

Where did Britain and France fight their last battle on French soil? Find out more about the Battle of Toulouse 1814, and admire the 80-metre-long mural that commemorates a pointless and bloody fight between two old enemies. #Frhistory #Toulouse

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Colin Duncan Taylor @colinduncantaylor.com · 14/05/2026

GRAZING AT DAWN IN THE SPANISH PYRENEES / These horses will spend the summer near the Col de la Creueta before returning to their lowland pastures for winter. Nearby, the permanent residents are more nervous. #pyrenees

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Colin Duncan Taylor @colinduncantaylor.com · 08/05/2026

WHERE IN FRANCE IS THE MIDI? The Midi is the southern part of France. As with most north-south divides, where it starts and where it ends is debatable. Whatever its boundaries, the Midi claims to have distinctive cultural, gastronomic and linguistic roots. www.colinduncantaylor.com/blog/where-i...

The Pic du Midi de Bigorre viewed from the Col d'Aspin.

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Colin Duncan Taylor @colinduncantaylor.com · 06/05/2026

WHO WAS THE FIRST PERSON IN THE WORLD TO FLY INTO AND OUT OF A CAVE? In 1972 at the Grotte de Bédailhac in the French Pyrenees, a test pilot called Georges Bonnet achieved this unusual ‘first in the world’ using a SOCATA Rallye 125 aircraft. #Frhistory

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Colin Duncan Taylor @colinduncantaylor.com · 28/04/2026

WHERE IS THIS FAIRYTALE TOWN? The very name of this quaint little town sounds Moorish, and indeed, Alquézar is thought to derive from the Arabic word for fortress. You will find it in the Spanish Pyrenees, north of Barbastro. Read more here: www.colinduncantaylor.com/blog/the-fai...

Alquézar by night: the fortress/church glows on its mount, while the medieval town slumbers at its feet.

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Colin Duncan Taylor @colinduncantaylor.com · 21/04/2026

IS THIS THE WORK OF A GIANT? According to legend, this precariously balanced rock was moved here by Samson before his haircut. More probably, it was left behind by a melting glacier. At its peak 80,000 years ago, the ice in the Vicdessos valley in the French Pyrenees was 500 metres thick. #FrHistory

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