José Antonio Azpiazu

Born in Legazpi (1944), he holds a BA in Philosophy and Arts by the COmplutense University of Madrid. He completed his PhD at the UPV under the direction of Caro Baroja, with the paper Sociedad y vida social vasca en el siglo XVI. Mercaderes guipuzcoanos (Basque society and social life in the 16th century. Gipuzkoan merchants), published in 1990. He has been the director of Jakintza ikastola in Antiguo, San Sebastian, professor at the University of Mondragon during twelve years and has worked as the head of publications for twenty years at the International Institute for the Sociology of Law at the University of Oñati.

His research follows an unusual line and questions several myths about the Basque Country He has written more than twenty books on history and anthropology, such as for example: Mujeres vascas, sumisión y poder (Basque women, submission and power); Historia de un rapto (Story of a kidnapping); La historia desconocida del lino vasco (The unknown history of Basque linen); Esclavos y traficantes (Slaves and traffickers); Historias de corsarios vascos (A history of Basque corsairs); La empresa vasca de Terranova (Basque business in Terranova), Picas vascas en Flandes. Historias de armas de Euskal Herria (Basque spades in Flanders. A history of weapons in the Basque Country; Y los vascos se echaron al mar (And the Basques took to the sea); Hielos y océanos. Vascos por el mundo (Ice and oceans. Basques around the world). He has also published some papers for the ITSAS-MEMORIA journal of the Naval Museum and in the International Journal of Basque Studies of Eusko Ikaskuntza, and has published articles in many other journals.