A Vanished World: Muslims, Christians, and Jews in Medieval Spain
by Chris Lowney
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Description
In a world troubled by religious strife and division, Lowney's book takes us back to a medieval Iberia that prefigured the Renaissance, offering a hopeful historical reminder: Muslims, Christians, and Jews once lived together in Spain, creating a centuries-long flowering of commerce, culture, art, and architecture. In 711, a ragtag army of Muslim North Africans conquered Spain and launched Western Europe's first (and to date only) Islamic state. In 1492, Ferdinand and Isabella vanquished show more Spain's last Muslim kingdom, and forced Jews to convert or emigrate. In the years between, Spain's Muslims, Christians, and Jews forged a golden age and distanced Spain from a Europe mired in the Dark Ages. Medieval Spain's pioneering innovations touched every dimension of Western life.--From publisher description. show lessTags
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Member Reviews
A little dry in some parts, and a little rambling in others, it ultimately gives the reader a clear window into the world of al-Andalus. It sparked my desire to study the period further.
This book clearly and vividly presents a detailed yet not overwhelmingly complicated survey of a fascinating millenium in Spain. The culture clashes and cultural developments are intriguing, evocative, and still very relevent to the modern world.
I read this a few years ago while traveling through Spain (Madrid, Toledo, Granada, Seville) and ended up reading each chapter slightly before visiting its respective city -- it served as a brilliant travel guide in terms of understanding the cultural history (and present) of the places I was visiting.
Overall, I found reading this to be informative, exciting and poignant.
Overall, I found reading this to be informative, exciting and poignant.
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Author Information
Chris Lowney, a former Jesuit, was named a managing director of J.P. Morgan Co. while still in his thirties and held senior positions in New York, Tokyo, Singapore, and London before leaving the firm in 2001. He is the author of the best-selling Heroic Leadership: Best Practices from a 450-year-Old Company That Changed the World. Lowney lives in show more New York. Visit his Web site at www.chrislowney.com show less
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- A Vanished World: Muslims, Christians, and Jews in Medieval Spain
- Original title
- A Vanished World: Muslims, Christians, and Jews in Medieval Spain
- Original publication date
- 2005
- People/Characters
- El Cid; Alfonso VI, King of Castile and León; Alfonso X, King of Castile and León; Averroes (Ibn Rushd); Fernando III, King of Castile and León; Isabella, Queen of Castile (show all 9); Isidore of Seville; James the Greater Apostle (Saint); Maimonides (Moses ben Maimon or Rambam, 1135-1204)
- Important places
- Spain; Córdoba; Granada; Santiago de Compostela; Toledo
- Epigraph
- Jews, Christians, and Muslims, as we know, come from different religious traditions, but have many ties to each other. In fact, all the believers of these three religions refer back to Abraham . . . for whom they have a prof... (show all)ound respect, although in different ways . . . If there IS not an amiable peace among these religions, how can harmony in society be found?
From believers, from the representatives of religion, from persons who have spent so many years of their life in meditation on the sacred kooks, the world is waiting for a world of peace.
Pope John Paul II, April 30, 1991, to a conference of Christians, Muslims, and Jews - First words
- Preface On a sunny March morning in 2004, as Spanish commuters converged on a Madrid pulsing with the gathering energy common to rush hour in every large city of the world, ten bombs shredded four commuter trains.
... (show all)
Introduction In 711 C.E., some ten thousand Muslim invaders from North Africa engineered a stunningly abrupt conquest of 5 million on the Iberian Peninsula.
1. lmagine a world in which one person could know everything worth knowing. - Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)These two great commandments are reverenced in the faith proclaimed by today's Muslim, Christian, and Jewish descendants of Isidore, Tariq, EI Cid, Maimonides, Almanzor, Alfonso, and Averroes, whether in Córdoba, Jerusalem, Bethlehem, or New York. To dishonor those commandments in God's name is to dishonor the One God who uttered them.
- Original language
- English
Classifications
- Genres
- History, Nonfiction, Religion & Spirituality, General Nonfiction
- DDC/MDS
- 946.02 — History & geography History of Europe Spain & Portugal Spain Moorish kingdom 711-1479
- LCC
- DP99 .L695 — History of Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania Spain – Portugal History of Spain History By period 711-1516. Moorish domination and the Reconquest
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 228
- Popularity
- 142,948
- Reviews
- 3
- Rating
- (3.85)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 3
- ASINs
- 1
