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Much has been written about the Spanish Civil War's effects on Spain and its citizens, but little attention has been paid to the women involved in the conflict.In this beautifully written biographical work, Paul Preston tells the forgotten war stories of four exceptional women of different nationalities, backgrounds, and ideologies whose lives were starkly altered by the war.

The portraits in this provocative, yet objective volume mirror the war itself, with the left pitted against the right.On the left side are Margarita Nelken, the revolutionary feminist, writer, and politician who is juggling anxieties for her son and daughter with her frantic efforts to strengthen the Republican war effort against Franco; and Nan Green, the communist nurse who left her children behind in England to fight against fascism alongside her husband in the International Brigades.On the right side are Mercedes Sanz Bachiller, who, devastated by a miscarriage on hearing of her husband's death in battle, entered politics and became the most powerful woman in the Francoist zone; and Priscilla Scott-Ellis, the wealthy English socialite who traveled to Spain in the naïve hope of marrying the Spanish prince she so unrequitedly loved, and stayed to help the fascist war effort as a nurse on the front lines.

Drawing on documentary material, letters, diaries, and memoirs, Preston follows the four from birth to death to show how, as women, wives, and mothers, they were affected by the political struggles of the 1930s, and how their lives were traumatized and forever changed by the Spanish Civil War and its consequences.Despite their different nationalities, social origins, and beliefs, these remarkable women are linked by their courage, determination, intelligence, compassion, and readiness to make personal sacrifices for others.

These dramatic, poignant, and vivid portraits offer a fresh perspective on the experiences of women in the Spanish Civil War and shed new light on the emotional cost of the conflict that is often viewed as the last war fought for ideals. ... Read more

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A sibling of interwar Europe's other fascist regimes, Franco's Spain survived them all, growing to a feeble old age in an era of liberal democracy. This book looks beyond the mythology surrounding the origins of Franco's dictatorship to provide a critical overview of the regime as a whole. All phases of this history are covered: the dictatorship's emergence out of a bloody uprising against a democratic government; the "high period" of Francoism with all its poverty, hunger, and fear, as followed by a complex time of change and economic growth; and the final demise of Franco's reign amid open opposition and internal defections. Indeed, economic and social issue are as much a part this story as politics, and international relations find their place in Franco's Spain alongside purely domestic issues. The study also peers beyond the grave in its examination of the transition to democracy after Franco's death in 1975. ... Read more

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Modern history

Very concise but complete history of Spain under Franco, written for scholars OR people with more casual interest in the period ... Read more

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In a world torn by religious antagonism, lessons can be learned from medieval Spanish villages where Muslims, Christians, and Jews rubbed shoulders on a daily basis--sharing irrigation canals, bathhouses, municipal ovens, and marketplaces.Medieval Spaniards introduced Europeans to paper manufacture, Hindu-Arabic numerals, philosophical classics, algebra, citrus fruits, cotton, and new medical techniques. Her mystics penned classics of Kabbalah and Sufism.More astonishing than Spain's wide-ranging accomplishments, however, was the simple fact that until the destruction of the last Muslim Kingdom by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella in 1492, Spain's Muslims, Christians, and Jews often managed to bestow tolerance and freedom of worship on the minorities in their midst.
A Vanished World chronicles this panoramic sweep of human history and achievement, encompassing both the agony of Jihad, Crusades, and Inquisition, and the glory of a multi-religious, multi-cultural civilization that forever changed the West.Lowney shows how these three controversial religious groups once lived and worked together in Spain, creating commerce, culture, art, and architecture.He reveals how these three faith groups eventually veered into a thicket of resentment and violence, and shows how our current policies and approaches might lead us down the same path.
Rising above politics, propaganda, and name-calling, A Vanished World provides a hopeful meditation on how relations among thesethree faith groups have gone wrong and some ideas on how to make their interactions right.
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Customer Reviews (15)

Thought-provoking, well-written, and remarkably balanced
I read this book not as a scholar of Andalusia nor one of the history of monotheistic religions.I read this book becuase I was curious to learn more about about both the dynamic between Christians, Muslims and Jews in Spain during Moorish rule and how that might relate to how we can better understand the impact that fundamentalism in religion is having on our present-day inter-connected world.

We all read books through the lens of our own life experiences, so I find it interesting to read the points of view expressed in other reivews.I found this book to a much more balanced take on what happened (and the context in which it happened) than the other books that I have read on this subject.He is neither an aplogist for the Muslims nor does he carry the torch of martydom for the Jews.He helps to put into context what is not so easy to do. He explores subjects in a way that both informs the reader but does not over-romanticize the subject matter.Yet, to me, it was a fascinating read.He succeeded in striking a balance between retelling the countless and at times mind-numbing military scirmishes that often define our sense of what history is and discussing how religious thought was influenced by such events.More importantly, he showed me the link between how such great minds as Maimonedes, Moses de Leon, Averroes, and El Cid hailed from the same soil and how each had such a profound influence on reason, religion and its practice and the relationship between the two.

I recommend this book to anyone who has an intellectual curiosity to learn about religion, culture and history in Moorish Spain. I think we all would benefit from reading such books, particlularly ones that are so well written, organized and presented.

History
This book of course is a text book for a History and or even Humanities classes.I have only read the first two chapters because I'm not a fan of reading text books, however, based on what I have read.I have learnt a lot especially in the area where all three warring religions Muslims, Jews, and Christians used to exist in peace at some point in time.In a few countries today that's still the norm where all three religions get along in harmony.I had no problems with my order arriving on time, the price for small items however, could have been a little lower.

Narrow Focus, Excellent Results
This book is an excellent entry into the study of Medieval Spain and highlights key interactions between the Muslim, Christian, and Jewish factions within Feudal and Medieval Spain.This book avoided getting mired in the minutiae of Spanish history not relevant to the title subject.Modern historical comparisons are logically inserted.A respectable bibliography/Suggested Reading list is included. The book is very readable and enjoyable.

An approachable good read
Menocal's "The Ornament of the World" is a romanticized account of the Moors eight-hundred year presence in Spain. Lowney's "A Vanished World" is a bit more realistic. Where Menocal sees her subject with the gloss of nostalgia, idealizing the realm of her historical figures with commemorative essays, Lownney places the subject back into the world, revealing a world with ambiguity, passion and chaos. Menocal likes to hide some of the darker human elements of Moorish Spain; Lowney is a bit more straight-forward, not letting his historical text get too cramped with ideals.

The two books might complement each other although neither might be a seminal work.

I still prefer Menocal's work because it was sheer pleasure to read her text. Lowney is a solid writer but he lacks Menocal's enthusiasm, melancholy and sympathy. But Lowney offers a bit larger picture, looking at Christian, Jewish and Moorish lives and cultures within Spain of the Medieval Era. His chapters are brief, he engages and moves on. Menocal focussed mainly on the Moorish and Jewish characters, and paid due attention to the Christian historical figures only when discussing the Reconquest. Lowney is great in that he gives due attention to all the main historical figures and events: i.e. Isisdore of Seville, Santiago, al-Tariq, Pope Sylvester, Abd Al-Rahman, Almansor, Ferdinand III, Moses Maimonides, Averroes, Ibn 'Arabi, etc...

My one gripe: I wish he had spent more time discussing and elaborating on the importance of the philosophers and mystics of Spain. His discussions were far too brief and I'm still hungry to learn more. In this, Lowney doesn't satisfy, offering bread crumbs instead of a good intellectual sandwich.

All in all, a satisfying introduction. It is very approachable as a history book, surely one, like Menocal's, to inspire further reading.

A Vanished world
A vanished world tells the true story of the medival times where Muslims, Jews and Christians lived together in peace and harmony. This was a time of religeous tolerance. ... Read more

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Early Modern Spain: A social History explores the solidarities which held the Spanish nation together at this time of conflict and change. The book studies the pattern of fellowship and patronage at the local level which contributed to the notable absence of popular revolts characteristic of other European countries at this time. It also analyses the Counter-Reformation, which transformed religious attitudes, and which had a huge impact on family life, social control and popular culture.
Focusing on the main themes of the development of capitalism, the growth of the state and religious upheaval, this comprehensive social history sheds light on changes throughout Europe in the critical early modern period. ... Read more

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Prior to 1492, Jews had flourished on the Iberian Peninsula for hundreds of years. Marked by alternating cooperative coexistence and selective persecution alongside Christians and Muslims, this remarkable period was a golden age for Iberian Jews, with significant and culturally diverse advances in sciences, arts and government. This work traces the history of the Sephardic Jews from their golden age to their post-Columbian diaspora. It highlights achievements in science, medicine, philosophy, arts, economy and government, alongside a few less noble accomplishments, in both the land they left behind and in the lands they settled later. Several significant Sephardic Jews are profiled in detail, and later chapters explore the increasing restrictions on Jews prior to expulsion, the divergent fates of two diaspora communities (in Brazil and the Ottoman Empire), and the enduring legacy of Sephardic history. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Telling the story of Sephardic Portuguese and Spanish Jews
This is a good reference book to read if you want to know the history of the Sephardic people of the Iberia Peninsula. It tells the story in a confortable way. A story told like a conversation between the generations and lifetime. Its an excellent read for people either studying the period, their joys and trauma, the consequences, the diaspora. I like the process- the explanations, the translations, the maps. It helps the reader having the visual to follow the complexities of life during that era. The account of the most famous people of that period, with information I had never read before. She also explains the daily life, even the games children played. The history and life of the Portuguese and Spanish Jews. The great troubles of the inqusition period. Up to, during and afterwards.Very informing. I also like the poetic way in which she uses the titles of the chapters, eg: Chapter Six - "Thou preparest the table before me" etc, and the way it ends.
The poem written by Judah Abravanel to his kidnapped son. Real life stories. Real people, Troubled times. Very nicely done. ... Read more

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Beginning in the year 711 and continuing for nearly a thousand years, the Islamic presence survived in Spain, at times flourishing, and at other times dwindling into warring fiefdoms. But the culture and science thereby brought to Spain, including long-buried knowledge from Greece, largely forgotten during Europe's Dark Ages, was to have an enduring impact on the country as it emerged into the modern era. In this gracefully written history, Richard Fletcher reveals the Moorish culture in all its fascinating disparity and gives us history at its best: here is vivid storytelling by a renowned scholar. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

A thousand years of history in miniature
In Moorish Spain Richard Fletcher achieves a significant feat. In a short book he not only chronicles the bones of nearly a millennium of history, but also offers much that adds to our understanding of the social context, both of his chosen era in particular and of history in general.

Moorish Spain does not aspire to scholarly excellence. Richard Fletcher's stated aim is to provide a fuller and more accurate account of Islamic rule in the Iberian peninsula than the cursory accounts offered in travel books. He also aspires to a treatment of the subject that is more accurate than the romanticised position of nineteenth century travellers, accounts that served to create and then perpetuate myth.

And paramount in this myth is the received opinion that in Moorish al-Andalus all things social were both sweetness and light and pure harmony. Not so, says Fletcher, as he chronicles power struggles, intrigues and repeated conflict. He describes the different interests that ensured that conflict, both small-scale and local or larger-scale and spread across a wider front, was never very far away. When competing parties felt that they could all benefit from interaction and trade, it was, he suggests, largely pragmatism that kept the peace.

His story begins in the early eighth century when the first invasion of what we now call Spain arrived from Morocco. It ends with the expulsion of the Mozarabes in the sixteenth century. In between, in a quite short and accessible book, he illustrates how shifting alliances and opportunity for short-term gain mix with broader views and humanitarian concerns to present a patchwork of history. And this patchwork is characterised, above all, by our inability to generalise. Throughout, it is the particular that is important.

In contrast he presents a number of generalised overviews and illustrates how none of them is more than partially correct. In a short but telling final chapter he offers a generalisation of his own to illustrate how dominant contemporary ideas can filter history in order to enhance its own credibility. Tellingly, he also reminds us of how much chronicled history relates only to the recorded opinions and lives of a wealthy, sometimes educated elite. How much detail of life in the twentieth century USA could be gleaned half a millennium from now if the only source was a telephone poll of Hollywood celebrities?

Richard Fletcher's book therefore transcends its own subject matter. It presents a rounded, carefully reconstructed picture of an immense swathe of history.In such a short account, of course, he can only present a relatively small amount of detail, but what is there goes a long way beyond what the average reader might ever discover from a shallow tourist guide. The style is easy but never racy and the content has a feeling of reliability that suggests a second visit would be worthwhile.

at last

Finally, at long last, just when I had about given up hope, I found a recently published history text that is actually a pleasure to read. In which the author has taken the trouble to do such things as organise his material and make thoughtful comments about it. Thank you, Richard Fletcher.

History as a Bombardment of Dates
In terms of literature and story-telling, I much preferred Menocal's "The Ornament of the World". The die-hard historians and scholars out there will most likely not agree with me because of the apparent romantic aspiration of the author to present the history of Moorish Spain in a glowing, golden light. That being said, I found Fletcher's book overwhelming and sometimes confusing in that the book is often a bombardment of dates and facts. The first chapter reads well, it provides a nice overview but from then on, pages and pages go by filled with countless names and dates that begin to tire the reader. I could never be a historian because I find most history texts bewildering in the amount of information shoved onto a page.

For those who want history, those who have a good scholarly background, I'm sure this is just a walk in the park and probably not up to standards by some. But despite the logical and linear grouping of chapters, I foundthe text itself often uninteresting. Fletcher no doubt knows his stuff but that doesn't presuppose he is a talented writer/editor of his own ideas. The ability to convey history with both meaning and wonder is a gift few historians I have read possess. Menocal may be the weaker historian in that she glosses over some details in her account of Moorish Spain (not a word about slavery in her book) but she is a superior storyteller, making this fascinating time in history come to life. Fletcher is a solid read but even the effort to keep track of all the names, facts and dates go to the point of exhaustion. I am very careful reader but at certain points in this book, I simply gave up and read without actually absorbing.

I absorbed Menocal's book, I felt alive and invigorated while reading it; Fletcher's put me into a dormant, sulky mood at times (although he does have his good moments, elucidating on the culture, philosophy and literature of Moorish Spain - which thankfully kept my interest).

I'm not giving it two stars because I think it is an important text to read. It merits three stars in that there is a lot here and perhaps could be of great use as a reference text. If you want 'just the facts', this is a place to start. But if you want history to enchant you or least instill the yearning to learn more, read Menocal's book, the stronger voice in my opinions in terms of beauty and passion.

Riveting, accurate and succinct
For all students of Islam, Richard Fletcher's 175 pages of text are critical reading that dispel the widely disseminated myths of a kind, gentle "golden age" of Andalusian Islam.

Many accounts exist from Islamic conquerors and subjugated Christians, but only three important contemporary reports meet scientific tests---a "single but crucial administrative document from the Islamic side," "a small amount of archaeological evidence" and an anonymous Christian, Latin narrative (aka "Chronicle of 754")---give a "more reliable account of events in Spain during the first half of the eighth century than any other surviving narrative sources."

In 711, after early 8th century Arab raids had laid waste to "several provinces," North African governor Musa ibn Nusayr sent Tariq's army to Spain, followed shortly after with his own fully equipped legions.

Tariq's Islamic invaders decisively defeated Roderic of Spain (and murdered him) in 712 at the "Transductine promontories," most likely situated between Algericas and Jerez.

In Toledo, Musa executed prominent nobles, wasted the countryside, also then devastating the Ebro valley and Zargoza, where he inflicted further mass murder. Toledo's Bishop fled. When the Umayyad Caliph recalled Musa to Damascus---with innumerable enslaved Visigoth lords and their gold bullion and jewels---he assigned Spain's governorship to his son Abd al-Aziz, who by 715 conquered provinces throughout the Iberian peninsula.

Other documents corroborate the Toledo Bishop's arrival in Rome, archaeological excavations discovered signs of violent 8th century devastation alongside 711 to 713 coins. Also, Abd al-Aziz' April 5, 713 treaty promised Theodemir lordship over seven southeastern Spanish towns and free Christian practice---in exchange for stiff annual poll taxes (one silver dinar per person) plus wheat, barley, unfermented grape juice, vinegar, honey and oil and promises not to aid the Islamic conquerors' enemies.

As-Samh distributed Visigoth monarchy lands "by lot" to Muslim governors and conquering soldiers from 718 through 720; the Arab minority obtained most fertile lands and North African Berbers got the less fertile central and northern peninsula and southern and eastern mountains. Some 150,000 to 200,000 Arab and Berber warriors migrated to Spain as well.

The Berbers 739 Maghreb revolt precipitated an "endemic civil war" in Andalusia. In 750, the Abbasids (descended from Mohammed's uncle Abbas) defeated the Umayyads---shifting Islam's center east to Baghdad, where the Abbasid Caliphate established its capital in 762. But in 756 Umayyad Abd al-Rahman escaped Abbasid Caliph al-Saffah ("shedder of blood"), crossing to Spain, and establishing a rival Umayyad empire in Cordoba, which ruled Spain until 1031.

It was never a kind and gentle rule or "Islamic golden age," despite frequent claims to the contrary. Apart from 8th Century devastation and waste of Spain, the Umayyads wrecked havoc later too. Emir al-Haken (796-822) established a palace cavalry of 2,000 and standing army of 60,000; crucified 72 people in 805, and leveled Cordoba's southern suburb in 818. The Umayyads divided Spain into three regions--"tugurs" (meaning "front teeth)---ruled by military governors. These remained in virtually constant states of war. Burgos, for example, was laid waste "to its foundations" in 884.

Even reputedly enlightened Abd al-Rahman III (912-961) wielded mighty military power and devastated many areas. A Pyrenean monk at San Juan de la Pena monastery documented the July 26, 920 slaughter in Valdejunquera, southwest of Pamplona. Similarly, al-Nasir's May to July 920 expedition besieged Muez castle on July 25, 920, and "put to the sword" all "combatants," including upwards of 500 "counts and knights" and destroyed many other villages en route back to Cordoba. Poet Ibn Abd Rabbihi described Osma as being left "like a blackened piece of charcoal."

On al-Rahman III's 961 death, he owned 3,750 slaves in his Cordoba palace alone.

After Rahman III's death, al-Hakem II ruled until 976, but Almanzor or Al-Mansur ("the victorious") --- Abu Amir Muhammad ibn Abi Amir al-Ma'afari --- then arose bringing freedman and general Ghalib into his circle. They headed his first campaign, against Leon, in 977.

Overall, Almanzor led 57 campaigns. Hesacked Barcelona and the San Cugat del Valles monastery in 985, and plundering of Coimbra (now in Portugal) in 987. In 995, he captured Castile's count, and destroyed Carrion and Astorga. In 997 he attacked Santiago de Compostela, in 999 destroyed Pamplona and in 1002 flattened Roija and the San Millan de la Cogolla monastery.

He raided Catalonia in 1003, Castile in 1004, Leon in 1005, and Aragon in 1006. So evil was Almanzor--- who self-described all wars against Christians as jihad---he was said to be "seized by the Devil."

Yet worse came with the 11th century invasion of Morocco's Almoravids, who traversed the Atlas mountains to conquer Morocco's plain and then Spain---which they ruled from about 1080 until its liberation in 1248 by Fernando. Historian Ibn Khaldun described the Almoravid religious and military fervor as such that "noting can stand in their way...for their outlook is the same and the object they desire is common to all and is one for which they are prepared to die."

In 1148, for example, the Almohads massacred 100,000 Jews in Fez and 120,000 Jews in Marrakesh and wrecked devastation and death in Spain, from Seville to Tortosa.

Thus in 1148, the renowned Jewish philosopher and physician Maimonides fled Almohad persecution in Cordoba with his whole family disguised as Muslims, until finding asylum in Fatimid Egypt. Arabs and Muslims had "persecuted us severely, and passed baneful and discriminatory legislation against us," he later wrote. "Never did a nation molest, degrade, debase, and hate us as much as they."

His 1172 Epistle to the Jews of Yemen Maimonides advised his persecuted Jewish brethren that forced conversions they reported in Yemen duplicated those that Berbers had also forced upon Jews across the Maghreb and Spain. Maimonides referred to Mohammed as "the Madman," despairing that the objective of his "invented ... well known religion," was "procuring rule and submission...."

This book gives the true details of Andalusia, Muslim Spain.

--Alyssa A. Lappen

A fine summary
MOORISH SPAIN is a well-written and well-organized history of the nearly 800 years (711-1492) of political rule of parts of the Iberian peninsula by avowed Muslims.It was originally published in 1992, so it predates 9/11, but on balance I believe that is a plus.There was less reason or temptation to sacrifice broad historical perspective and the several judgments that Fletcher ventures are less likely to be dismissed or criticized as tainted by the more recent politico-religious furors.Probably the central point that Fletcher seeks to make, and substantiate, is that Moorish Spain, for all its artistic and intellectual accomplishments, was not a quasi-utopian oasis of peace and enlightened religious toleration, in stark contrast to Christian Europe of the Crusades and anti-Semitic pogroms.Another noteworthy lesson, at least to my mind, is that the Muslim conquests on the Iberian peninsula were motivated more by political considerations than by religious fervor.

There are a few slow patches (for example, Chapter 3) and several lapses into mind-numbing lists of political succession, but on the whole Fletcher, who obviously is conversant with a considerable number of both secondary and primary sources and clearly knows his stuff very well, does an admirable job of summarizing and synthesizing.I would be surprised to find another brief (less than 200 pages) history of the period and region that is comparable, much less superior.
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This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

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This concise, illustrated volume explores the remarkable history of Spain -- a thriving centre of Islamic civilisation for many centuries until its conquest by the Christian kings. Before long, this country has expanded to become one of the world's greatest empires, with traces of itc culture, language, and religion throughout the world. Among other historical topics, the author recounts events of the 20th century in which Spain descended into a bloody civil war and years of dictatorship, and emerged, almost miraculously, as a fully democratic state. ... Read more

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This volume examines the period of history which saw the decline of Spain and the Thirty Years War. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (12)

Empires
J.H. Elliott's massive and groundbreaking Empires of the Atlantic World: Britain and Spain in America 1492-1830 (2006) describes specific details in the interplay of time, place, people, religion, geography, economics, and environment in two key Atlantic empires as they developed in both similar and unique ways. Told chronologically and divided into three sections--"Occupation," "Consolidation," and "Emancipation"--Empires of the Atlantic World reveals that both colonial areas developed in many similar and in many different ways. More importantly, the careful analysis and use of Atlantic World methodologies demonstrate that, although they were separated by thousands of miles, people were very aware of events throughout the New and Old Worlds.

Elliot's account is not built on an overarching thesis. Rather, Empires of the Atlantic World establishes numerous arguments built on and only possible with a comparative investigation. Both countries established themselves in the New World with the expectation or hope that they would establish a growing empire of peoples; find gold, silver, or other products for the Crown at home; and both sought to conquer the environments, peoples, and places they encountered. Both New World societies sought to be self-subsistent. Both sought and found a commodity to make money for the respective mother countries and were steadily defined as unique and different. And perhaps most importantly, both empires thought that they had preordained rights and plans in the New World, and all colonial empires remained in competition. They were different in many other ways. Whereas the Spanish established a heavy presence and direct involvement, the English remained fairly independent and free of oversight from the mother country--although practices in both places eventually reversed. Similarly, the public image of Spanish and English colonists differed: The Spanish were destined to conquer and explore the area, whereas the English were primarily planters. The colonizers in both societies wanted other peoples, whether indentured servants, convicts, or slaves, to perform any necessary labor. Geographically, areas in Latin America lacked the geographic and environmental diversity, especially in terms of rivers, found in North America. Throughout their development from the 1500s until the early 1800s, Britain's colonial population remained more rural and small. While the development of both societies included an increasing diversity of different ethnicities, the two colonies responded differently. In terms of Native-Americans, the English sought to decimate or remove them and generally favored a more homogenous culture. In contrast, the Spanish sought to convert and integrate Native-Americans into everyday life. In other areas, Elliott discusses how the process of developing and maintaining the Atlantic World on both sides of the ocean proved much more difficult and costly, especially as European wars, immigrants, and Enlightenment philosophies spread to the Americas. The American Revolution was successful in the face of many similar and unsuccessful revolutions in Latin America because revolutions in the Spanish empire lacked a unified group of peoples and visions.

In terms of methodology, Elliott makes many important arguments and significant choices. By providing side-by-side analyses, he makes many important parallels and distinctions not readily present or possible in existing secondary literature. The book is very selective in regard to the peoples, places, and events it does include (for example there is very little discussion on the role of enslaved Africans), but those Elliott includes add to this comparative history informed by well over one thousand books, as indicated in his bibliography. One additional welcome feature found in this work is the discussion of Native-Americans and their individual agency when encountering Europeans. Empires of the Atlantic World is a valuable source: one that explores the push and pull factors that created the ever-present cycles of action and reaction in colonial Atlantic Worlds. Its methodology should be used more so that historians can have a sharper understanding of past times and places. There is much value in simply comparing and contrasting.

If and only if, that is the question
Elliot covers the colonial adventures and misadventures of the two dominant European powers in the western hemisphere, England and Spain, in the three hundred years following Columbus's landing.Upon her arrival, Spain'swestern possessions were populated by vast pools of indigenous peoples, where intermingling between the new arrivals and domestic peoples became commonplace, and resulted as it did in growingly dominant Creole populations, individuals of mixed Indian/Spanish blood; conversely New Englanders for themost part remained segregated in their Protestant clusters respective to their sparsely populated native cousins.The Protestants placed less premium on missionary outreach than was the case with Spain's Catholic clergy.

At first blush, economic fortunes seemingly shone well on Spain, where a mother load of Peruvian silver, which, in spite of strict mercantile controls by the mother country, fueled a cultural colonial renaissance and resultant growth in universities, cathedrals, and regal cities far larger and exquisite than anything in Massachusetts or Maryland.Silver's blessing, however, also created a false-sense of Spanish invincibility; and it didn't take long for the conquerors to find themselves hard pressed scraping together the necessary resources to police such a vast and increasingly threatened empire.The English, in achieving supremacy over the seas, provided the American colonialists a cushion from outside interference which allowed them the sort of freedom to explore and develop hitherto unknown pluralistic political associations; yet while the English melting pot provided the experimental grounds to reconcile Euro-American inter-cultural and religious conflagrations, it was far less altruistic and tolerant and respectful its indigenous neighbors.Ironic as it sounds, one can easily make the case that the more regimented and Spanish regal/clerical hierarchy did far more than its European rival in giving voice to her native peoples.

It was most intersesting to to see how a third European party, the French, played both a direct and indirect role in putting to an end to the Spanish and English ambitions. While in the case of the Brits, it was the costs associated with on paying for paying for the French and Indian War which resulted in her exit thanin the form of the Revolutionary War.Spain's demise arrived more slowly and subtly in terms of Napoleon's military intrigues in the Iberian Peninsula in the the early 1800s; Spain, in being caught in the whirlwinds war in removing the French invaders from the homeland, found themselves estrnged from her American colonies, creating in the process political independence which ultimately contributed to broking the imperial yoke in the form of Simone Bolivar.

if you cannot read spanish, this one will do.
idealy if you are reading about the spanish colonial hegemony in america, you wouls like to read in spanish. if you're not there yet, this book in english will do. Carefull with the cultural judgements, its inevitable.

Erudite but long
Elliot offers us a very solid comparative history of England and Spain in the Americas and attempts to give some answers as to why the great distinctions arose between Latin America and Anglo America. France and Portugal, the two other main European powers active in the Americas, are perhaps short-shrifted in this history, but I don't feel that it was a substantial detriment to the work that those two powers were largely absent from it. He relates both similarities and dissimilarities in the two imperial experiences. For example, both nations were informed by their prior histories of expansion and colonization in their American efforts: England has it's model in Ireland against the native Irish, and Spain in Andalucia against the Muslim population. In regards to differences, Spain's strongest holding in the Americas were those that had previously had relatively strong, populous, native state systems in place (notably the Inka in the Andes and the various states of Mesoamerica), which had not only existing bureaucratic classes that the Spanish crown could rule through and provide stability in the early years of colonial endeavors, but also a workforce that didn't require transport across the Atlantic. As a result, a complex racially-based hierarchy evolved in Latin America, with Europeans at top, Africans and Natives at bottom, people of mixed ethnic (and indeed cultural) background in the middle. England on the other hand colonized land that was more sparsely settled, which meant that labor had to be imported (in the form of African slaves and European indentured servants), which lead to a simpler hierarchy and a more thoroughly European culture in English colonies. Spanish control tended to be more hands-on throughout the Latin American colonial experience, whereas the weaker English state could rarely muster the power to direct its colonies. Elliot essentially argues that the conditions set up by pre-Columbian demographics and altered by European and African diseases led to the social structures which inherited the reigns of power from their former colonial powers, and that the differing attitudes of those powers towards their colonies (and capacities of those powers to direct colonial policy from Europe) strongly shaped how those colonies were ruled after they won independence. Written in a very balances and informative way, but not necessarily in a easy way. It will take you a good deal of time to read this sucker! But if you're interested in the subject, it's definitely worth it.

Very good
I will keep this very short. I had to read this for a graduate seminar. I was pleased with the text. It was very easy to read and very interesting. Elliot does a nice job of interweving the experience of both the Spanish and English together. Now, I was somewhat skeptical at first because many people make the mistake of questioning why one state could nto accomplish what another could, or why one colony suceeded and another did not. ELliot stays clear of these ridiculous comparisons and quite simply places each expeirence next to each other without any links. FOr example, he doesn't question why the English were not unable to do what Spain had done in terms of land. He simply explains why England's expeirence is different.As a PHD in English hsitory, I really enjoyed thsi book. It is a comparative, but in a way Elliot has combined two books. On one side you have the Spanish experience, and on the other the English....The readeris left to interpret or grasp the difference.

If you're not a history major, or graduate student in history, this book is still a great book. It is easy to read and is not bogged down by endless theoretical findings. If you are a history major, either of western European history, US, or Latin American then i would reocmmend this text.

P.S. Please dont comment on my spelling, i dont have time to spell check thisreview, i have more important things to do. ... Read more

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History of the Moors of Spain is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by M. Florian is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of M. Florian then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

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In A Social History of Modern Spain, Adrian Shubert analyzes the social development of Spain since 1800. He explores the social conflicts at the root of the Spanish Civil War and how that war, and the subsequent changes from democracy to Franco and back again, have shaped the social relations of the country. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Makes a good easy read
Not the most detailed book on Islamic Spain but a decent read all the same.Covers all the major points in the history of Islamic Spain from the initial Muslim conquest to the final fall of Grananda with some insight into the art, science and culture of Andalusia.

Decent book, easy to read (you could probably get through it in a day)

I would say worth the money (this was initially published by EUP) but looking at how much it is going for now, maybe not. ... Read more

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This book traces the complex process by which an area, seen initially as a war-zone, was gradually transformed by the actions of the Romans and the reactions of the indigenous inhabitants into an integral part of the Roman world. ... Read more

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Straddling a small corner of Spain and France in a land that is marked on no maps except their own, the Basques are a puzzling contradiction-they are Europe's oldest nation without ever having been a country. No one has ever been able to determine their origins, and even the Basques' language, Euskera-the most ancient in Europe-is related to none other on earth. For centuries, their influence has been felt in nearly every realm, from religion to sports to commerce. Even today, the Basques are enjoying what may be the most important cultural renaissance in their long existence.

Mark Kurlansky's passion for the Basque people and his exuberant eye for detail shine throughout this fascinating book. Like Cod, The Basque History of the World blends human stories with economic, political, literary, and culinary history into a rich and heroic tale.

Among the Basques' greatest accomplishments:

• Exploration-the first man to circumnavigate the globe, Juan Sebastián de Elcano, was a Basque and the Basques were the second Europeans, after the Vikings, in North America
• Gastronomy and agriculture-they were the first Europeans to eat corn and chili peppers and cultivate tobacco, and were among the first to use chocolate
• Religion-Ignatius Loyola, a Basque, founded the Jesuit religious order
• Business and politics-they introduced capitalismand modern commercial banking to southern Europe
• Recreation-they invented beach resorts, jai alai, and racing regattas, and were the first Europeans to play sports with balls Amazon.com Review
The buzz about the Guggenheim Bilbão aside, the Basquesseldom get good press--from the 12th-century Codex of Calixtus("A Basque or Navarrese would do in a French man for a copper coin")to current news items about ETA, the Basque nationalist group. MarkKurlansky, author of Cod, sets out tochange all that in The Basque History of the World.

"The singular remarkable fact about the Basques is that they stillexist," Kurlansky asserts. Without a defined country (other thanEuskadi, otherwise known as "Basqueland"), with no known relatedethnic groups, the Basques are an anomaly in Europe. What unites theBasques, above all, is their language--Euskera. According to ETA,"Euskera is the quintessence of Euskadi. So long as Euskera is alive,Euskadi will live." To help provide a complete picture of the Basques,Kurlansky looks at their political, economic, social, and evenculinary history, from the valiant Basque underground in World War IIto medieval whalers to modern makers of the gâteauBasque. The most affecting chapter focuses on Guernica, a smallmarket town bombed by German planes for over three hours on April 26,1937, and uses interviews with survivors to illustrate the horror ofthe attack.

Kurlansky is clearly enamored of the Basques, which leads him to seethem in a uniformly positive light. That rosy outlook aside, TheBasque History of the World is an excellent introduction to theseromantic people. Are they the original Europeans? Kurlanskydoesn't weigh in on the issue, preferring instead to honor the Basquerequest Garean gareana legez--let us be what weare. --Sunny Delaney ... Read more

Customer Reviews (82)

Recipe for Basque Burrito: ETA-friendly propaganda rolled in colorful history
Kurlansky writes with passion about a people and a land that he loves. All that is admirable, and I did learn more about the mysterious Basque. I was even prepared to forgive the rambling prose which caused me to put down the book on numerous occasions, only to pick it up later, sometimes many months later. (The fantastic cover is probably to thank/blame for the latter: art by Nikolai Punin.) The scattered recipes I could take or leave. But what I most certainly did not want was the one-sided defense of the terrorist organization ETA. Through many of the middle and late chapters in the book, Kurlansky offers a very skewed history of the separatist group's activities, often defending the brutal killings while heaping extra servings of guilt on the Spanish government.

So if you are prepared for the heavy-handed propaganda (whether you agree with the author or not), this could be a 4-star book. Indeed, and in its defense, the book's title (The Basque History of the World) advertises nothing less than a self-centered and self-important perspective, in the same way that the Chinese word for China is "Middle Kingdom." But if you prefer your history lessons cooked evenly, enjoy this with a critical eye and maybe a dose of Mylanta.

Best straight forward information
This book was very informative and easy to understand.There are many opinions about The Basques and their history and I felt this author was able to explain in a straight forward manner without glorifying the Basque or skirting around unpopular moments in history.

History with Recipes

This small book gives readers an introduction and overview of the Basque culture and examines how the group has survived for centuries in a region that straddles the border between northern Spain and France.

I learned a lot about a culture and region I previously knew nothing about, so that is to Kurlansky's credit. I will say I would feel more comfortable about my knowledge of the Basques if this book had footnotes instead of a general bibliography. Much of what he writes about the Basques, to whom he is clearly sympathetic, is likely true, but I have no way of confirming it. This is not really a serious work of history.

The book is at its strongest in detailing Basque resistance to General Franco's four decade rule in Spain. There is far less about events on the French side of the border, which I think would have strengthened the book, if only to contrast how the rural Basque culture thrived in both countries.

Personally, not being much of a cook, I found the recipes that are scattered throughout the book to be mere distractions, but I could see how a reader with a more culinary orientation would enjoy those parts of the book.

The bottom line is that if you are planning a trip to the region, this book would probably be helpful and informative.

Excellent read
For anyone interested in ethnographies, this book is quite a find. The author has expertly laid out the socio-economic history of this group as it relates to the development of civilization within the entire region.
The Basque story is a facinating one, especially as presented by this author. Far from a dry and antiseptic Anthropology primer, this book is as much a page turner as any popular novel today. Highly recommended.

It's a history, it's a cook book... it's both?
Yes, it's an interesting book about an interesting subject but it does seem to go on some tangents. The inclusion of recipes (like I can find baby eels in Fayetteville) gets to be a little annoying at times. A great work to get familiar with this unique people but it's heavily colored by the author's thesis about Basques in the EU. It might be good to supplement it with a more conventional book on Basque folkways and culture. ... Read more

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This book is the first account of the period to consider both Christian and Muslim Spain. The author discusses the various societies, cultures and governments of Muslim and Christian Iberia in the centuries of their critical confrontation. Beginning with the disintegration of the caliphate at Cordoba in the early eleventh century, the book traces the decline of the Muslim taifa states, and describes and explains their conquest, first by the Murabit, and then the Muwahhid fundamentalist Muslim empires of North Africa.

Bernard Reilly describes the rising Christian kingdoms of Leon-Castilla, Aragon, Barcelona and Portugal and shows how they were engaged in a struggle on several fronts. As they vied with one another for control of the old Islamic stronghold of the center and north, they were also in continuous conflict with the Murabit and Muwahhid rulers, while striving to come to terms with the French, the Papacy and the Italian maritime powers. ... Read more

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is on my work: is the best for me
This book is a wonderful thing for me. Because, I'm working on "the Relations Between Muslims and Christians at the Period of Almoraides-Almohades in the Medieal Spain". I'm very glade to theauthor of the book and thanks. I hope that the book would be very usefulfor mankind on the earht..LUTFI SEYBAN, SAKARYA UNIVERSITY-TURKEY ... Read more

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A thorough examination of the history of the Templars in Spain and Portugal

• Explores the mysteries surrounding the location of Templar enclaves

• Examines the Templar connections to the Cathars and to the troubadour culture

• Looks at the Order’s influence in the kingdoms of Aragon and Catalonia and the Spanish monarchy itself

The rise and fall of the Templar Order constitutes a fundamental and decisive episode in medieval history, and the destruction of the Order constitutes a pivotal point that fundamentally altered the direction of society. While much is known about the history of the Templar Order in France, home of its chief commandery in Paris, and in the Latin States of the Middle East, their contribution to events on the Iberian peninsula has until now remained obscure and unexplored.

Renowned Templar scholar Juan García Atienza reveals here the important role the Templars played in the Reconquista that saw the Moors driven out of Spain and demonstrates the great influence they exerted in the kingdoms of Castille and Navarre and the territories of Catalonia and Aragon. He examines the mysterious connections between the Templars and the Cathars and troubadours as well as the mystery surrounding the location of all the Templar enclaves in the Iberian peninsula. He also unveils the important role the Templars had as teachers of the Spanish king James I, known as the Conqueror, whose attempt to establish a universal theocratic empire may have been a reflection of Templar ambitions, and explores the Order’s suppression in Spain and how it survived in Portugal by simply changing its name. ... Read more

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Mysteries Magazine review
There has never been another organization in history that has cast such a mysterious shadow over the human psyche than the Knights Templar.Now, renowned Templar scholar and historian Juan Garcia Atienza has written the definitive book on the Templar's activities in the Iberian Peninsula, exploring the crucial role the Templars played in the Reconquista, the pivotal event that drove the Moors from Spain. Atienza also discusses the dramatic influence the Templars had in the kingdoms of Castile and Navarre, as well as the territories of Catalonia and Aragon.
Atienza investigates the mysterious connection between the Templars and many aspects of the medieval world. Did the Templars learn great secrets while on the throne of Jerusalem? What connection did they have with the Kings of Portugal and why did they associate themselves with the heretical Cathar order? What did the Templars have to do with the creation of the troubadour movement of Spain? Why were they really excommunicated from the Catholic Church and where did they hide their fabled treasure? The Knights Templar in the Golden Age of Spain attempts to answer all these puzzling questions.
With the success of Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code, the market has been flooded with books about the Templars, some good, some terrible. Fortunately, The Knights Templar in the Golden Age of Spain is one of the best Templar books available today on Templar history in Spain.
--Michael Lohr
Mysteries Magazine issue #20

I'll Put It This Way: The Book Would Have Been Better In Spanish
I'm not one to enjoy speculation or the strange theories authors come up with to explain things.So, if you're like me, this book wasn't worthy of note.However, because the book does go into Templar interests, castles, and activities in Spain, it's worth looking into.

Knights Templar
I have read many books about the Knights Templar. Yet, I was surprised when I read this book about their history in Spain. Other books I have read focus on other countries with no mention of Spain. It expanded my knowledge of the Knights Templar, knowledge that had been repressed for centuries. To my suprise, I discovered links to some of my ancestors. I had suspected it for a while as some of my geneology research seemed to point to it. Very interesting. I give it 4 stars only because I have read others that are less tedious to read, but anyone truly interested in the Knights Templars needs to read it. ... Read more