Reconquest and Crusade in Medieval Spain

The Middle Ages Series

By: Joseph F. O'Callaghan

Narrated by: Tim Lundeen

Drawing from both Christian and Islamic sources, Reconquest and Crusade in Medieval Spain demonstrates that the clash of arms between Christians and Muslims in the Iberian peninsula that began in the early eighth century was transformed into a crusade by the papacy during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries.

Successive popes accorded to Christian warriors willing to participate in the peninsular wars against Islam the same crusading benefits offered to those going to the Holy Land. Joseph F. O'Callaghan clearly demonstrates that any study of the history of the crusades must take a broader view of the Mediterranean to include medieval Spain.

Following a chronological overview of crusading in the Iberian peninsula from the late eleventh to the middle of the thirteenth century, O'Callaghan proceeds to the study of warfare, military finance, and the liturgy of reconquest and crusading. He concludes his book with a consideration of the later stages of reconquest and crusade up to and including the fall of Granada in 1492, while noting that the spiritual benefits of crusading bulls were still offered to the Spanish until the Second Vatican Council of 1963.

Although the conflict described in this book occurred more than eight hundred years ago, recent events remind the world that the intensity of belief, rhetoric, and action that gave birth to crusade, holy war, and jihad remains a powerful force in the twenty-first century.

The book is published by University of Pennsylvania Press.

©2003 University of Pennsylvania Press (P)2013 Redwood Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"A masterful synthesis of work done in both crusade and reconquest history." ( Historian)

"This is a welcome book. It explains the development of crusading in almost all of its aspects in medieval Iberia as well as situates the Iberian crusades within the context of those to the Holy Land." ( Medieval Review)

"A survey of royal military activity in Spain from the late 11th through the mid-13th centuries... Highly recommended." ( Choice)

Crusading Spain

A historical treatise on the connections between the Spanish Reconquista and the Crusades to Jerusalem. Not really a full history of the Reconquista. Rather, a thesis on how the Crusades influenced and helped the Reconquista in Spain.

great story, dull reading

I had serious doubts whether the narrator was a robot or not. I could finally tell that he was human since he managed to mispronounce the same words differently at times.

Spanish?

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I certainly would recommend reading the book. An insightful and interesting foray into the mechanics of Iberian statecraft in the middle ages.

How could the performance have been better?

Tim Lundeen was a bad choice to read this book. Firstly, the mispronunciation of almost every town, village and hamlet in Spain was excruciating and intrusive to the listening experience. Second, his delivery resembled a machine translation much like my car's navigation software with little or no sympathy for nuance in the writing. I'm not saying that you should get Tony Flags (Antonio Banderas) to read a dense history tome, just find someone who knows simple pronunciation and orthography rules. I would liken the 10 or so hours I spent with Tim to how I imagine it would be listening to Don Quixote, narrated by Wilford Brimley.

Thorough academic work low entertainment value.

The script and performance are boring. The substance is thorough and of very high content but about as dry as the Sahara desert. The reading sounds computer generated. If it is computer generated the technique might be profitably employed for obscure publications at a discount price.

Now I know this reading was computer generated. "The Counsel of Lion?" You know, pronounced as: The Counsel of Large Cat!

It is pronounced: lee OWN
not lie on

Oh well. I

Fantastic book, average delivery

Brilliantly researched and written, this masterpiece stumbles a bit in its presentation. Worth it.

The details about the finacing of the reconquest.

The book has got some bad reviews but I think it worth a listen for the really history intrested, especially considering the lack of books on medieval Spain and the reconquest. The narration is maybe not so inspiring but not bad. The book focuses on the reconquest and not the general medieval history of Spain. It can be a little bit difficult to follow with different names of kings and kingdooms if they are not familiar. Then it goes in details about the miltary techniques, taxation, income of the kingdoms and the theology about the reconquest. This part was very informative and intresting. However, a little bit more introduction about the different kingdoms and more information about the moors would be helpful.

Great story but the narration was robotic

The information is very accurate, detailed but the narration is robotic. It misses a Spanish flavor.

Wars and faith

The side notes by Knights ,Bishop and Kings added interest. Enjoy Learning about financing of Crusades, minting and equipment. Cultural and religious differences destroyed a lot of beauty in the desire to take control.

Worst Reading ever. Info useful.

The reading is terrible. Aside from constant naive mispronounced nouns (I've never heard anyone pronounce a trebuchet as "trebushett" before). The Narrator speaks with constant pauses that mean you have to constantly rearrange the sentences in your head.
The actual narrative is lost almost continuously.
Add to this the absolutely dry intonation, and you feel that even an auto reader would do better.
In fact an auto reader would do better.
There are few places to get such well researched data, but I still have half a mind to ask for my money back, you spend so much time translating what he is saying into actual meaning, you miss a lot of the details.
This is a completed unacceptable performance, if I could give zero out of five, I would. To use the books vernacular:
This book.
Should be retracted.
.... by the publisher and.
Anyone else who.
Agrees with me should.
Say so.
In a way that is.
Not confusing.
To a person.
With good reading skills
Etc

Politically biased

Very much influenced by the black legend. Seems more like an anti-Catholic political tract. Waited too long to exchange it, I would prefer not to have it in my library at all.