The most devastating attacks against the Jews of medieval Christian Europe took place during the riots that erupted; in 1391 and 1392; in the lands of Castile and Aragon. For ten horrific months; hundreds if not thousands of Jews were killed; numerous Jewish institutions destroyed; and many Jews forcibly converted to Christianity. Benjamin Gampel explores why the famed convivencia of medieval Iberian society - in which Christians; Muslims and Jews seemingly lived together in relative harmony - was conspicuously absent. Using extensive archival evidence; this critical volume explores the social; religious; political; and economic tensions at play in each affected town. The relationships; biographies and personal dispositions of the royal family are explored to understand why monarchic authority failed to protect the Jews during these violent months. Gampel's extensive study is essential for scholars and graduate students of medieval Iberian and Jewish history.
#83774 in Books Neil MacGregor 2015-09-29 2015-09-29Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.42 x 2.21 x 6.66l; 1.25 #File Name: 1101875666656 pagesGermany Memories of a Nation
Review
24 of 24 people found the following review helpful. Truly revealing and inspiringBy John Heron800 years in 500 plus pages on each of which you will; unless you are a scholar of Germany; find something you did not know before. Nothing is left out; and even the painful parts of history are dealt with sensitivity and insight. A page turner; I read it straight through in a couple of days—something unusual for me. I will ponder it awhile; and then reread it again.The graphics; which I studied on an iPad; are beautifully done.8 of 9 people found the following review helpful. Eminently readable history of the former German empire and beyondBy Prudence M. ThornerThis is an excellent book written by the former director of the British Museum who curated a recent exhibition of the same name. There are no footnotes and the references are not very clearly attributed; but these very omissions make this easy and pleasant to read. For a general audience this is a great introduction to the making of the modern united nation. Questions about Prussia; the Hanseatic League; and the Holy Roman Empire are answered here in a beautifully illustrated format. Neil MacGregor has written a fine account of Germany then and now.The book is printed in Germany and these qualities are a tribute to their superior printing technology. (See my disparaging comments about the poor production of photographer Sally Mann's recent book "Hold Still" and you will understand why I appreciate the quality of this book).This is a book to enjoy now and to refer to often in years to come.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. This is one of the finest books on German history that I have come acrossBy nmhahlI have a degree in history and have read extensively on European and German history. This is one of the finest books on German history that I have come across. MacGregor's approach is novel in that each chapter is like a short article on a particular topic. Although the flow is chronological; the topics are not detailed expositions of; for example; the Thirty Years' War; but rather a series of tangential and interesting subplots which reveal in their accumulation a fascinating and thoughtful overview of; among other things; what it means to be German. One of the other strengths of the book is that it includes extremely useful maps and contains pictures of nearly all the personalities and pieces of art to which the author refers in the text. A comfortable and hugely enjoyable read.
