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Moorish Spain

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.

Paperback: 206 pages

Publisher: University of California Press; 2nd Revised edition edition (May 5, 2006)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0520248406

ISBN-13: 978-0520248403

Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.5 x 9 inches

Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)

Best Sellers Rank: #130,863 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #109 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Islam > History #117 in Books > History > World > Religious > Islam #2114 in Books > History > Europe

Richard Fletcher's MOORISH SPAIN is an excellent addition to the library shelf holding Bovill's GOLDEN TRADE OF THE MOORS and Peter Russell's PRINCE HENRY 'THE NAVIGATOR': A life. The book is an easy and enjoyable read, but probably intended more for the lay reader than for scholars of al-Andalus (indeed, the author states that the work "is intended as an introduction to the history and culture of Islamic Spain" which lays "no claim to deep or original scholarship" which explains why it only includes a list of recommended reading rather than a complete bibliography with chapter sources). That being said, the book should deepen the understanding of the general reader.Fletcher details the Islamic, Arab-led Berber invasion of Visgothic Spain (formerly a Roman territory) from northern Africa in 711 (after the conquest of northern Africa). We are informed that in large part the conquest was intended to further the Islamicization of the Berbers. Many of the cities were originally surrounded and reached an accomodation with the invaders allowing the continued existence of djimmis of Christians. Those which did not were crushed and the lands of those who made any attempt to oppose the invasion were taken and redistributed (with the Arabs getting the most arable land and the Berbers getting the remnants). Captives were either ransomed or - if too poor or otherwise unable to pay ransom - sold into slavery. Conversion from Christianity meant an opportunity to advance oneself and to avoid periodic outbreaks of anti-Christian violence. In the meanwhile, the conquest was pushed back from those northernmost areas considered least habitable, setting the stage for the slow "reconquest" of Spain.

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