The Basque History of the World

I knew nothing of the Basques except that they spoke a language isolate predating the invasion of Indo-europeans. Turns out they played pivotal roles in European history, introduced commercial whaling, figured heavily in the profitable cod fishing industry, were notable explorers and seamen, and early mercantile and industrial promoters (at one time they were the predominant producers of ironware, and had much to do with the spread of the new world crops of beans, corn and peppers.) Fiercely committed to their sense of identity in spite of never having a nation of their own, they resisted invasion from their first appearance in world records in Roman times and always managed to negotiate commercial and legal independence, self-rule by the Fueros, administered under the ancient Oaks… lost at the dawn of the 20th century, viciously suppresed by Franco. They are still here.