The Ornament of the World by Maria Rosa Menocal

The Ornament of the World

How Muslims, Jews, and Christians Created a Culture of Tolerance in Medieval Spain

Maria Rosa Menocal, María Rosa Menocal

Little, Brown and Company · Print & ebook · November 29, 2009

This classic bestseller — the inspiration for the PBS series — is an "illuminating and even inspiring" portrait of medieval Spain that explores the golden age when Muslims, Jews, and Christians lived together in an atmosphere of tolerance ( Los Angeles Times ).

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Who it’s for
A lucid, elegant look at how cultures met, mingled, and left stubborn traces behind.
Genres
Spanish & Portuguese History, Medieval History, Islamic History
Published
Little, Brown and Company, November 29, 2009

About this book

This classic bestseller — the inspiration for the PBS series — is an "illuminating and even inspiring" portrait of medieval Spain that explores the golden age when Muslims, Jews, and Christians lived together in an atmosphere of tolerance ( Los Angeles Times ).

Continue reading

This enthralling history, widely hailed as a revelation of a "lost" golden age, brings to vivid life the rich and thriving culture of medieval Spain, where for more than seven centuries Muslims, Jews, and Christians lived together in an atmosphere of tolerance, and where literature, science, and the arts flourished. "It is no exaggeration to say that what we presumptuously call 'Western' culture is owed in large measure to the Andalusian enlightenment...This book partly restores a world we have lost." —Christopher Hitchens, The Nation

Crossing Cultures

A lucid, elegant look at how cultures met, mingled, and left stubborn traces behind.

Come here for

  • cultural crosscurrents
  • a thoughtful, literary sweep through medieval Spain

Expect

  • history braided with religion
  • a patient, essayistic pace

Where it sits

Islamic History89%
Spanish & Portuguese History88%
Medieval History53%

Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.

Publisher categories

  • Medieval History
  • Social History
  • History of Religion
Authors
Maria Rosa Menocal, María Rosa Menocal
Publisher
Little, Brown and Company
Published
November 29, 2009
Format
Print & ebook
Reading lane
Medieval History