Overview

Exploring medieval literary representations of the Islamic conquest of Spain in 711, Hazbun discusses chronicles, epic and clerical poetry, and early historical novels. While material on the conquest of Spain is substantial, it is understudied and this book works to fill that gap.

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9781137520517

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The study is likewise about the underlying sources, perceptions, rhetoric, and, one might add, philosophy of history. ... This is a fascinating and remarkably nuanced analysis. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above. (E. H. Friedman, Choice, Vol. 53 (9), May, 2016) In this creative and refreshingly original study of prominent medieval narratives of the Islamic conquest of Spain, Geraldine Hazbun finds these texts to be less strictly about victor or vanquished, enemy or ally, and more reflective of a binary conception of the world they inhabit, a flux of sorts between oblivion and renown, cowardice and heroism, sacrifice and reward. By studying these texts together, Hazbun elicits cultural sophistication and nuance where previously we saw authorial single-mindedness and certitude. - Matthew Bailey, Professor of Spanish, Washington and Lee University, USA Geraldine Hazbun makes a significant and much-needed contribution to medieval Spanish literary studies. Her work challenges already published research on Spanish conquest narratives in this area in terms of its tendencies to adhere to Orientalist paradigms and to present an excessively polarized and generalized perspective on Christian-Muslim relations. No previous research brings the texts discussed together in one book, nor views them as a corpus, foregrounding their novelty and inclusivity. - Elizabeth Drayson, Senior College Lecturer in Spanish, Murray Edwards College, University of Cambridge, UK

In this creative and refreshingly original study of prominent medieval narratives of the Islamic conquest of Spain, Geraldine Hazbun finds these texts to be less strictly about victor or vanquished, enemy or ally, and more reflective of a binary conception of the world they inhabit, a flux of sorts between oblivion and renown, cowardice and heroism, sacrifice and reward. By studying these texts together, Hazbun elicits cultural sophistication and nuance where previously we saw authorial single-mindedness and certitude. - Matthew Bailey, Professor of Spanish, Washington and Lee University, USA Geraldine Hazbun makes a significant and much-needed contribution to medieval Spanish literary studies. Her work challenges already published research on Spanish conquest narratives in this area in terms of its tendencies to adhere to Orientalist paradigms and to present an excessively polarized and generalized perspective on Christian-Muslim relations. No previous research brings the texts discussed together in one book, nor views them as a corpus, foregrounding their novelty and inclusivity. - Elizabeth Drayson, Senior College Lecturer in Spanish, Murray Edwards College, University of Cambridge, UK

Author Information

Geraldine Hazbun is Associate Professor of Medieval Spanish Literature, St Anne s College at Oxford University, UK.

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