Cristãos e Muçulmanos. A Luta pela Península Ibérica

A History of Spain

by Bernard F. Reilly, Maria José Giesteira (Translator)

Este obra constitui uma excelente síntese da mais recente investigação sobre 130 anos da Peninsula Ibérica, desde a queda do Califado até à ascensão e declínio do Império, sendo o primeiro trabalho acerca desse periodo que nos dá uma visão integrada das zonas católicas e muçulmanas. O autor descreve e analisa as várias sociedades, culturas e governos da Ibéria Católica e Muçulmana, na época em que se deu o seu confronto decisivo. Começa com a desintegração do Califado de Córdoba, no principio do Século XI, traça o declínio dos Reinos de Taifas e explica a sua conquista pelos impérios fundamentalistas do Norte de África.

Genres: History, Spanish History, Spain, Islam, Nonfiction

327 pages, Paperback

First published January 17, 1995

Reviews

[J.M. Hushour · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent account of this pretty pivotal time in Iberia, that weird moment between Muslim domination and the beginnings of the Reconquista. However, the sheer amount of mind-boggling detail, the litany of names, places, and events (it is based on the extant documentary record, so...) might detract somewhat from the enjoyment for the lay reader.
I can sum it up succinctly: this period saw the fracturing of Muslim Andalucia into the taifa, the politically smaller units that mirrored the already-existing dynastic slaughterhouse of the Christian north. The rise to prominence of Castille-Leon during this time was due less to Christian strength as Muslim disunity. There was a lot of back and forth, with Muslims hiring themselves out to Christian factions and so on, so it was a lot muddier than you'd think. Plus, the Murabits and Muwahhids were trying to keep a toehold in Iberia while the various Alfonsos and the awesome Urraca (queen empowerment) were wrangling Christian towns into their seeds of future kingdoms.