Product Description

Written in the same tradition as John Julius Norwich's engrossing accounts of Venice and Byzantium, Richard Fletcher's Moorish Spain entertains even as it enlightens. He tells the story of a vital period in Spanish history which transformed the culture and society, not only of Spain, but of the rest of Europe as well. Moorish influence transformed the architecture, art, literature and learning and Fletcher combines this analysis with a crisp account of the wars, politics and sociological changes of the time. 'Richard Fletcher makes a winding and wonderfully evocative journey through Spanish history...His mastery of his sources is hardly less remarkable than his vivid, almost physical grasp of the Spain he describes' The Economist

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #86649 in Books
• Published on: 2001-11-15
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 208 pages

About the Author
Richard Fletcher is a specialist in medieval history and teaches at the University of York. He is a fellow fo the Royal Historical Society.

Customer Reviews

Lucidly informative account
Dealing with the 700 years of Muslim civilisation in Iberia, this is a gem of popular history, entertaining without sacrificing scholarly attention to detail. The prose is sharp, evocative, and eminently easy to read; the pages are filled with ancedotes and stories that bring this lost world to life. A taster rather than comprehensive, this is an essential companion to travels in Spain, or an ideal way to begin learning more about this oft-overlooked period.

A fascinating guide to a colourful period in Spain's history
I bought this book because I was going on holiday to Andalucia and wanted some background reading on the area's history. It far exceeded my expectations and was a most enjoyable read in its own right. Richard Fletcher successfully explodes the myth that Moorish Spain was a pinnacle of civilisation bolted onto the barbarian European Christian kingdoms of the time. He dispels the image of a seamless period of rule and describes instead the rise and fall of various dynasties, often warring as much amongst themselves as with their Christian neighbours. He doesn't neglect the amazing achievements of the scholars, artists and craftsmen of the period, whose legacy lingers in the great monuments that draw hordes of visitors today but puts them into the context of mediaeval Europe as well as the wider Islamic world. My only gripe is that the book is fairly slim and in many places I would have liked to have found out more, particularly about the more mundane social history of such a multicultural society. But I firmly recommend it as a general introduction to the period - you certainly don't have to be a history student to enjoy and learn from this informative work.

Concise and scholarly introductory insight into the Muslim presence in Spain
Having read this book previously, and having had it's sadly-departed author enthusiastically endorsed by a respected Crusades lecturer, I already possessed a natural disposition to purchase this book.

'Moorish Spain' follows an enjoyable narrative style which doesn't overly entrench itself in weighty debate, and yet still manages to convey a measure of authority and knowledge, supported by credible primary sources, whilst, thankfully, avoiding the 'sensationalism' and 'supposition' that has blighted the efforts of some other authors.

Specific areas and topics are clearly demarcated and explored, whetting the appetite to read further works relating to this fascinating area of history, and the illustrations and maps are insightful as a welcome addition to the text.

Although not Runciman - who is!? - 'Moorish Spain' follows in the manner of easily accessible scholarly texts of the highest order.

You will not be disappointed.