Muslim Spain and Portugal: A Political History of al-Andalus 1st Edition

So interesting. Such a great read for anyone who loves history, culture, or anything Iberian. Also, it is lovely to read a piece of literature that does not either disregard Portugal or refer to Portugal as Spain. There are so many books out there or even history resources that refer to "Muslim Spain" with no mention of Portugal which is bizarre to me! 1.) It was Muslim IBERIA (meaning Spain & Portugal). Spain did not even exist at the time. The Muslim rule was over all of the Iberian peninsula except for pockets of the north - that means 100% of Portugal and, by far, most of Spain. 2.) Portugal was not some mysterious piece of land on Iberia that had no part in this time of history.Anyways, my point is that it is refreshing to read this written the accurate way for once!!

A very comprehensive book of Al Andalus

I got hooked on learning as much as possible about the early history of the Moors who conquered Spain in 711. This is a great book for the novice and historian alike. It is a political history of Spain. If you want writings on music, art & architecture, economics, Philosophy and Science you will have to purchase The Legacy of Muslim Spain which can be expensive. I went directly to the publisher and got the two volume paperback for $40 which is a fifth of what it sells for on Amazon and other book stores. After reaing this book I visited Spain and went to many of the sites discussed in the book. It gives you an appreciation the Muslim contribution from 711-1492. A real eye opener.

Not finished, but so far has filled in much of what you get from reading about the Reconquista. Explains why the Reconquista occurred, bit by bit, from internal Muslim rule.

Very good book, not too sure what Amazon is on about describing this book as the first to be based upon Arabic sources. What about chejne or Taha or any number of orientalists such as Lane Poole?Anyway, this a well written book, sraight and to the point. Fairly easy to read and covers all of the most important aspects of the history of Andalusia. For anyone wanting to study that period of Iberian history they may want to start with Lane Pooles book, move on to this one then look for the exellent books of L.P. Harvey.

Kennedy's book is a great introduction to the political history of Muslim Iberia. Densely packed with information, the book could have used more maps and lexcionic information. If you are not already familiar with the general outline of the situation in medieval Iberia (either from an encyclopedia or a survey of the Middle Ages), you may want to become so before tackling Kennedy's work. This book should serve as a foundation for building a larger and more detailed understanding through future reading.

Very complicated mot enough sub headings, the maps were minimal and poor, a good read for a afficionado, but could of been done much better. The value of $48 for a papepack of this quality was not good

yet another wretched scan to text riddled with spelling errors, nearly unreadable. very frustrating for such an expensive book, wish i had purchased the print version instead