Customer Reviews
A good read. - By: Chris Chamberlain, 17 Jun 2008 
I enjoyed this book. I was a bit put off by the 'propaganda' review & I did expect some knee-jerk anti-westernism from a left wing intellectual like Ali, but this wasn't as bad as I expected. Yeah, sure, there was a bit of Muslims:good, Christians:bad but not let's forget that it was the Christian Church that gave us the Inquisition & the Crusades!
Stylistically the story was good though the writing was a bit clunkyin places but this was a good evocation of Moorish Spain.
I'd say worth a read. Next up : volume 2.
A compelling story simply written - By: Mr. Paul J. Bradshaw, 28 Jan 2006 This tale of a muslim family facing the 'reconquest' of Spain by the Christian rulers is a compelling read that combines a number of threads, as we follow the idealistic oldest son, the hero-worshipping younger son, & a number of particularly strong female characters,in their reactions to the threat of forced conversions.
The reactions vary, & are treated without judgement,in a style that is surprisingly plain & without hyperbole. In some ways it would be good to have a more vivid picture of this little-described age of Moorish Spain, but the clarity leaves the story to force itself through without being muddied. An enjoyable story that makes you seek out the sequels.
A well written and balanced historical novel. - By: Tony, 15 Oct 2005 
Having just read Kagen's Spanish Inquisitiion it was a joy to read this sensitive story of a noble Spanish muslim family embroiledin the final conquest of Granada. Tariq Ali writes beautifuly & this story has everything, love, wisdom, humour, poetry & tragedy. I was impressed how closely the story follows the known events & characters of the time. Tariq Ali puts human faces to this calamatous period of Spanish history through his well drawn characters.
A well written and balanced historical novel. - By: Tony, 15 Oct 2005 Having just read Kagen's Spanish Inquisition, it was a joy to read this sensitive story of a noble Spanish muslim family embroiledin the final conquest of Granada. Tariq Ali writes beautifuly & this story has everything, love, wisdom, humour, poetry & tragedy. I was impressed how closely the story follows the known events & characters of the time. Tariq Ali puts human faces to this calamatous period of Spanish history through his very well drawn characters.
Poorly written propaganda - By: , 22 Apr 2004 
I was delighted to find the book, loving the area of Spain that Tariqwrites about & because there is a real shortage of good literature aboutMuslim Spain. Unfortunately the writing is weak. Characters are poorlydeveloped, the plot lacks grip & worst of all it smells strongly ofpropaganda.
Mr Ali works far too hard to tell us that Iberian Muslims were very veryclean, had a wonderful food culture, centuries of intellectual endeavourto be proud of, & were very badly treated by the Christians. All of thisis fair enough, but he lays it on so thick that the suspicion developed inthis reader that here is A MESSAGE. Towards the end the characterisationof most Muslims as noble & sensitive, & most Christians gross andbrutal rams home the point. In case you don't get it, a very unsubtle linkis explicitly drawn on the last page to the brutal the Spanish conquest ofthe Americas.
If you like history, you may be disappointed by the simple reading ofcomplex issues of conquest, race, borderlands & culture on display here.
