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A brilliant read. The first 50 pages or so were quite boring in a way and I wondered if I should continue reading, but then the book became quite interesting and I could not put it down. This book is a classic and was first published in 1886. It tells the story of the medieval Islamic cultures and the history of their invasion and subsequent life in Spain. It tells of what they brought to a medieval Spain, of their art, their great learning, their poetry, their refined ways, their cleanliness, while Christian Europe were still in the habit of shunning washing themselves or their clothing, of their excellent ways with agriculture, turning Southern Spain into a luxurious place of tropical plant growth and rich harvests. It also tells of the murder and plunder which both the Christians and the Muslims engaged in, of the petty jealousies and the power struggles. A real eye-opener, a valuable work for those that want to study human nature. I loved the descriptions of the Alhambra and of the gardens of Cordova. I quote: "Here is everything to delight a southern voluptuary: fruits, flowers, fragrance, green arbours and myrtle hedges, delicate air and gushing water..." and "..But its night is always perfumes, for morning pours on it her grey amber, and night her black musk."
I would recommend this book to all lovers of history. Though I must say that I myself have not got much historical knowledge to compare this chronicle to and so I must just accept that it is somewhat the truth, and it is told in a most fascinating way.