A History of Medieval Spain

by Joseph F. O'Callaghan

Overview

This book is a comprehensive narrative history based on an impressively wide reading in the sources and secondary literature. It should prove useful to teachers, students, and general readers in European history.... Soundly traditional in its organization, it gives primacy to political events without neglecting institutional, social, and cultural matters.―American Historical Review

Illustrations, genealogical charts, maps, and an extensive bibliography round out a book that will be welcomed by scholars and students of Spanish and Portuguese history and literature, as well as by medievalists, as the fullest account to date of Spanish history in the Middle Ages.

Medieval Spain is brilliantly recreated, in all its variety and richness, in this comprehensive survey. Likely to become the standard work in English, the book treats the entire Iberian Peninsula and all the people who inhabited it, from the coming of the Visigoths in the fifth century to the reign of Ferdinand and Isabella. Integrating a wealth of information about the diverse peoples, institutions, religions, and customs that flourished in the states that are now Spain and Portugal, Joseph F. O'Callaghan focuses on the continuing attempts to impose political unity on the peninsula.

O'Callaghan divides his story into five compact historical periods and discusses political, social, economic, and cultural developments in each period. By treating states together, he is able to put into proper perspective the relationships among them, their similarities and differences, and the continuity of development from one period to the next. He gives proper attention to Spain's contacts with the rest of the medieval world, but his main concern is with the events and institutions on the peninsula itself.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780801408809
Publisher:	Cornell University Press
Publication date:	01/01/1975
Pages:	736
Sales rank:	864,702
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.25(h) x 2.00(d)
Lexile:	1400L (what's this?)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Joseph F. O'Callaghan is Professor Emeritus of History at Fordham University. He is a past president of the American Catholic Historical Association and the Academy of American Historians of Medieval Spain.

Table of Contents

Preface
Abbreviations for Citations
HispaniaPART I: THE VISIGOTH ERA, 415-711
1. The Visigothic Kingdom
2. Visigothic Government
3. Visigothic Society and CulturePART II. THE ASCENDANCY OF ISLAM, 711-1031
4. The Emirate of Córdoba
5. The Caliphate of Córdoba
6. Government, Society, and Culture in al-Andalus, 711-1031
7. Government, Society, and Culture in Christian Spain, 711-1035PART III. A BALANCE OF POWER, FROM THE FALL OF THE CALIPHATE TO LAS NAVAS DE TOLOSA, 1031-1212
8. Alfonso VI, the Taifas, and the Almoravids
9. Alfonso VII and the Leonese Empire
10. The Duel with the Almohads
11. Government, 1031-1212
12. Society and the Economy, 1031-1212
13. Religion and Culture, 1031-1212PART IV. THE GREAT RECONQUEST AND THE BEGINNINGS OF OVERSEAS EXPANSION, 1212-1369
14. The Great Reconquest
15. Alfonso X and the Lure of Empire
16. The Overseas Expansion of the Crown of Aragon
17. The Straits, the Mediterranean, and Civil War
18. Government, 1212-1369
19. Society and the Economy, 1212-1369
20. Religion and Culture, 1212-1369PART V. THE STRUGGLE FOR PENINSULAR UNION, 1369-1479
21. The Early Trastámaras
22. The Hegemony of the Trastámaras
23. Government, 1369-1479
24. Society and the Economy, 1369-1479
25. Religion and Culture, 1369-1479EPILOGUE
The Catholic Kings and the Perfect PrinceGENEALOGICAL CHARTS
1. Umayyad Emirs and Caliphs of Córdoba, 756-1031
2. Kings of Asturias-León to 1037
3. Rulers of Navarre, Aragon, and Barcelona to 1035
4. Rulers of Portugal, León, and Castile, 1035-1214
5. Rulers of Navarre, Aragon, Catalonia, and Provence, 1035-1214
6. Kings of Navarre, 1194-1512
7. Kings of León-Castile, 1214-1504
8. Kings of Portugal, 1211-1521
9. Kings of Aragon, 1213-1516
10. The Nasrid Kings of Granada, 1232-1492BIBLIOGRAPHY
Abbreviations
General Works
Part I: The Visigothic Era
Part II: The Ascendancy of Islam
Part III: A Balance of Power, from the Fall of the Caliphate to Las Navas de Tolosa
Part IV: The Great Reconquest and the Beginnings of Overseas Expansion
Part V: The Struggle for Peninsular Union
Epilogue: The Catholic Kings and the Perfect PrinceINDEX

Editorial Reviews

Joseph O'Callaghan has now given us, for the first time, a solid and in-depth survey in English on the peninsular kingdoms, drawing together the myriad recent contributions, with the expertise of a recognized scholar in the field and the practicality of a long-time teacher of the topic.... Competence, thorough inclusiveness, clear organization, and solidity are the qualifiers which best sum O’Callaghan’s accomplishment.

The History Teacher

O'Callaghan's A History of Medieval Spain is indispensable to the medievalist and to the Latin-Americanist alike. It is encyclopedic in nature, making it a valuable reference tool.... On the whole, it represents considerable familiarity with the sources of information and learned condensation of that material. The chapters on society, economy, and culture give the reader a wider view than a skeletal political history of medieval Spain.

Southeastern Latin Americanist

This book is a comprehensive narrative history based on an impressively wide reading in the sources and secondary literature. It should prove useful to teachers, students, and general readers in European history.... Soundly traditional in its organization, it gives primacy to political events without neglecting institutional, social, and cultural matters.

American Historical Review

There is no existing substitute for this volume in English for the undergraduate or graduate student seeking a reliable orientation to medieval peninsular history.

Choice

Joseph F. O'Callaghan has met a major, long-felt need with a clearly written, balanced, thorough survey that belongs in every history collection. His Spain is the entire peninsula--Islamic, Jewish, Christian, Portuguese, and Catalonian as well as Castilian. A substantial political narrative is followed by chapters on government, social and economic developments, and religion and culture. The author even-handedly represents the major sides in disputed issues, for his aim is to present the current state of scholarship in a simple narrative form. He has succeeded admirably.

-- "Library Journal"

Joseph O'Callaghan has now given us, for the first time, a solid and in-depth survey in English on the peninsular kingdoms, drawing together the myriad recent contributions, with the expertise of a recognized scholar in the field and the practicality of a long-time teacher of the topic.... Competence, thorough inclusiveness, clear organization, and solidity are the qualifiers which best sum O'Callaghan's accomplishment.

-- "The History Teacher"

O'Callaghan's A History of Medieval Spain is indispensable to the medievalist and to the Latin-Americanist alike. It is encyclopedic in nature, making it a valuable reference tool.... On the whole, it represents considerable familiarity with the sources of information and learned condensation of that material. The chapters on society, economy, and culture give the reader a wider view than a skeletal political history of medieval Spain.

-- "Southeastern Latin Americanist"

There is no existing substitute for this volume in English for the undergraduate or graduate student seeking a reliable orientation to medieval peninsular history.

-- "Choice"

This book is a comprehensive narrative history based on an impressively wide reading in the sources and secondary literature. It should prove useful to teachers, students, and general readers in European history.... Soundly traditional in its organization, it gives primacy to political events without neglecting institutional, social, and cultural matters.

-- "American Historical Review"

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