The Story of the Moors in Spain by Stanley Lane-Poole

More than five centuries have passed since paradise was lost and the Arab presence came to an end in those Spanish lands, which had witnessed periods of radiance and dazzling brilliance that have captivated people in ancient and modern times alike. As much as the world, West and East, agrees on the greatness of Andalusian civilization and the splendor of its architectural, artistic and scientific achievements, just as much controversy surrounds the history of Andalusia, which a good number of historians have related in a confused and muddled way; impartial histories that portray the facts as they were, without exaggeration or disparagement, are rare. Hence, having a book like this in the reader’s hands is a way of grasping the truth as seen by the fair-minded English orientalist «Stanley Lane-Poole», who has enabled us to see the complete picture of that civilization whose light shone for nearly eight centuries and whose wondrous tales still echo to this day. A concise book on the history of the Muslims in Andalusia from the conquest to the fall, in which the author praises the morals and civility of the Muslims and the great civilization they built, and also reproaches them for their failings, for abandoning the chivalry for which they were known and for neglecting their religion, which led to what is known as the loss of paradise. One of my favourite histories of Moorish Spain