Tales of the Alhambra

A Series of Tales and Sketches of the Moors and Spaniards

By: Washington Irving

Narrated by: Ralph Cosham

Written in 1831, Irving's dreamlike description of the Alhambra, the beautiful Moorish castle that defined the height of Moorish civilization, and the surrounding territory of Granada remains one of the best guidebooks to the region and one of the most entertaining travelogues ever written.

A heady mix of historical fact, medieval myth and mystery, sensual descriptions, and an appreciation for a civilization which valued beauty, philosophy, literature, science, and the arts on an equal level with warrior skills. Secret chambers, desperate battles, imprisoned princesses, palace ghosts, and fragrant gardens, described in a wistful and dreamlike eloquence will transport the listener to a paradise of his own.

The narrative is bewitchingly enhanced by Spanish guitar music. Tales of the Alhambra is a delightful offering for the romantic on anyone's holiday list.

(P)2004 Blackstone Audiobooks

The Wonderful Magic and History of the Alhambra!

I have just returned from visiting the Alhambra in Granada, Spain. What a delight to hear Washington Irving's stories of the time he lived there and also the magical, mystical tales of Granada! I enjoyed the voice of the narrator too.

Olde Worldy travel guide

I love Ralph Cosham and had just finished The Alchemist and A Thousand and One Nights and so thought I'd enjoy this. A bit too slow for me and the language is pretty out dated being written in the 1830's(?). Good for another time maybe.

gorgeous

After visiting the Alhambra in person. I was amazed at the mystery and beauty that building has. I was eager to learn more and now in earnest to return there one day.

Great storytelling

Great book. Makes the visit so much more meaningful. History illustrated by these sweet stories

Enchanting

If you have had the pleasure of visiting the Alhambra, listening to this will be magic. If you listen to it before you get there, you will see much more than I saw in my own nine visits.

A delightful diversion

I visited the Alhambra recently and immediately downloaded this book. It was time well spent on both counts!

I loved this audiobook!!

The narration of this classic was entrancing and beautiful. I will listen to it multiple times. What a colorful portrayal of history.

You will be transported to Andalusia.

Last night I stayed up until the wee hours of the morning listening to this wonderful book which paints the picture, the history and the culture of the Alhambra in such vivid detail that I was enchanted and transported. I could see the beautiful mosaics and hand carved details. I could smell the spices. I could feel the chill of the night in the mountains. I felt like I was actually there! And, for me, it brought back memories of my trip of a lifetime which I took to Morocco a couple years ago. About halfway through I actually stopped the book and looked for images of the interior and when I found them it looked exactly like I pictured it. And I found photos on my hard drive from that trip to Morocco which were exactly like the Alhambra. I was so thrilled to know that Irving had drawn the picture so perfectly in my mind that it matched exactly what I had seen before and what I found online. It is no wonder that this book is sold in Granada. What an accomplishment for an American writing in 1831!

An interesting place, The Alhambra...

It was interesting to read about Spain and the Alhambra as it was so long ago. The characters are well drawn, the stories are fascinating. My only complaint would be the lisp and monotonous tone of the reader. That almost put me off when I first started to listen to the book. I would still recommend it, I did get used to reader eventually.

Wonderful narrator!

I enjoyed this book as much fior the content as the sound of the narrator's voice!