Whilst in recent years, there have been an increasing number of excellent tourist guide books written about Menorca, Graham Byfield, long-term resident of Es Migjorn in Menorca, offers a remarkable new vision of this Island thanks to his unique powers of observation translated here into an exsquisite publication through his renowned artistic skill, using mainly watercolor and pencil. Once again, his friend Marcus Binney, a very regular visitor to their Island home together with wife, Anne, has contributed a highly informative text to support Graham's work. Menorca is full of hidden secrets, and Graham has chosen to illustrate not only the main buildings and sites of obvious importance, but also many quirky aspects of Menorcan life and its glorious countryside and heritage. It is hoped that the book will surprise and delight both visitors and residents alike. Unlike many of its neighbors, Menorca has been spared much of the recent ravages of development, andnow supports a strong ecological ethic, with safeguards in place to avoid uncontrolled exploitation. A strong volunteering spirit exists, which supports the local authorities to ensure beaches are kept clean, and mny old buildings are saved from collapse and ruin, most notably the Naval Hospital on the Isla del Rey and several old windmills. Menorca is truly a hidden gem and this book scratches the surface to reveal some of these secrets which makes our island so special. We are proud to support the work of the Menorca Preservation Fund through the sales of this book.
About the Author: Graham Byfield is an English watercolor artist who has published several books, postcards and prints of paintings featuring cities and other places of interest around the world. The early years he worked as a creative director in Canada, Australia, London and Singapore at different international advertising agencies. He used this experience as an opportunity to study vernacular architecture, savor the landscape and explore local cultures through his paintings. Now a full-time artist, he has his own gallery in Menorca. He travels extensively to research his books which include ten Sketchbooks of Singapore, Bali, Thai Silk, London, Amsterdam, the Bahamas, Oxford, Cambridge, Barcelona and, now, Menorca. Marcus Binney, CBE is an historian and writer with a passion for European architecture, especially the decades around 1900. He has written many years for both Country Life magazine and The Times. He is the founder and chairman of SAVE Europe's Heritage. His books include London, cambridge and Barcelona Sketchbooks and now Menorca (all with Graham Byfield), Great House of Europe, In Search of the Perfect House, Great Stations of Europe (with Axel Foehl), Airport Builder, Town Houses and The Women who Lived for Danger. He fell in love with both the island and his future wife Anne when he first visited Menorca in 1975 and has been coming to stay every year in the house her family built in S'Algar ever since. Recently he has participated in a 10-part TV series for Sky Arts, The Art of Architecture, on new and revivied landmarks, which is now being followed by a second series for broadcasting in 2020.