ANATOMY OF A BULLFIGHT

A manual for the better understanding and comprehension of bullfighting takes in all areas of the spectacle, from descriptions of the Plaza, its sol and sombra (sun and shade) seating and the layout of the ring, to the definitions of the finer points of style. It contrasts the four types of corridas (the corrida de toros, the novilladas, the festival and the corrida bufa); it presents the people concerned with the fight from the president of the corrida to the cuadrilla of the matador; it gives details of the traditional clothing worn by the men in the ring and takes notice of the animals that appear there -- bulls, horses, mules and oxen. The order of the fight is next explained and is followed by the principal passes with cape and muleta, while a chapter on the controversial adornos, another on rejoneo (killing bulls from horseback), and one on applause fill in the total picture. This overall coverage should be a helpful companion for reading about bullfighting or viewing it.