The Alhambra Decree

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Book.......2001-03-23

It is a superb historic novel full with suspense, passion and drama. It is a real pity that is out of print.

Average customer rating:

Great book. Crap printing
Part Spanish Arabian Nights, Part Travel Writing, All Wonderful
Exciting stories, stirring history, and a great guidebook
The Alhambra

The Alhambra
Washington Irving
Manufacturer: Book Jungle
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Classics | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Literary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

The Alhambra (Wonders of the World)
Iberia
Seville, Cordoba, and Granada: A Cultural History (Cityscapes)
The Story of the Moors in Spain
Moorish Spain

ASIN: 1594624291

Book Description

Rough draughts of some of the following tales and essays were actually written during a residence in the Alhambra; others were subsequently added, founded on notes and observations made there. Care was taken to maintain local coloring and verisimilitude; so that the whole might present a faithful and living picture of that microcosm, that singular little world into which I had been fortuitously thrown; and about which the external world had a very imperfect idea. It was my endeavor scrupulously to depict its half Spanish, half Oriental character; its mixture of the heroic, the poetic, and the grotesque; to revive the traces of grace and beauty fast fading from its walls; to record the regal and chivalrous traditions concerning those who once trod its courts; and the whimsical and superstitious legends of the motley race now burrowing among its ruins.

Download Description

Sparklesoup brings you Washington Irving's classic tale set in Spain. This version is printable and immediately easy-to-download with links to interesting facts and sites.

Customer Reviews:

Great book. Crap printing.......2007-06-28

I ordered this as a gift for my Ma.

When I visited her a few weeks later I saw something that looked like

a high schooler had copied at kinkos.

The type is blurry and smudged.

Some paragraphs are unreadable.

Will Amazon take it back?

No, it been more than 30 days....40 days to be exact.

I will not purchase gift books from Amazon again...better off going to Borders....get a

clean copy and ship it yourself.

Part Spanish Arabian Nights, Part Travel Writing, All Wonderful.......2007-06-03

Many Americans know Washington Irving as the author of "the Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle". Few realize that he was also a world traveler, scholarly fluent in Arabic and Spanish and something of an Hispanophile, to the say least.
Irving's book is largely responsible for the widespread romantic image of Spain. It is a collection of observation, history, fairy tale, written in Irving's unique blend of romanticism and healthy skepticism. It is roughly framed by his journey to the Alhambra and his departure from it, an in between we are given a tour of the grounds and hear a few tales (including tales of Moorish ghosts on headless horses) which are roughly intertwined as in the Arabian Nights. Indeed, this little book is the 'Arabian Nights' of the west.
Before visit the Alhambra read this book. If you are not planning on going, read it and you'll probably change your mind.

Exciting stories, stirring history, and a great guidebook.......2006-09-06

Irving's book on the Alhambra and the surrounding territory of Granada remains one of the best guidebooks to the region--and one of the most entertaining travelogues ever written. Anyone who has visited (or plans to visit) southern Spain will be thrilled by the account of Irving's trip, but I'll go further: you need not ever go there to enjoy this classic work of history and humor.

Irving stayed at the Alhambra for three months in 1829 and jotted down notes concerning its history and legends. Early in his visit, Irving was accosted by Mateo Ximenes, a credulous and indigent "son of the Alhambra" who soon proves a worthy and endearing companion, a guide to secret chambers, and a conveyor of whimsical traditions. A couple of years later, while in London, Irving wrote "The Alhambra," describing his idiosyncratic hosts, recounting the millennium-old history of the Moorish occupation, and transcribing fresh versions of the palace's medieval legends and myths, many of which resemble stories from the "Arabian Nights." The first edition appeared in 1832, a second American edition was published four years later, but Irving extensively revised and enlarged the book in 1851, incorporating material unavailable or unknown to him in the 1830s. This last edition is the one most commonly available today.

The result is easily Irving's most accessible book, filled with wit and anecdote. Alongside the history of the Moorish kingdom of Granada, Irving intersperses tales (both historical and mythical) of enchanted caves, imprisoned princesses, and buried treasure. His admiration for Islamic heritage is obvious throughout: "The Arab invasion and conquest brought a higher civilization and a nobler style of thinking, into Gothic Spain." And he regularly denounces the prejudices (both medieval and contemporary) "so strongly characteristic of the bigot zeal, which sometimes inflamed the Christian enterprises" and which have prevented his fellow Europeans from studying a rich and justifiably proud tradition.

As Irving accurately summarizes, Moslem Spain was "a region of light amid Christian, yet benighted Europe; externally a warrior power fighting for existence; internally a realm devoted to literature, science, and the arts; where philosophy was cultivated with a passion . . . and where the luxuries of sense were transcended by those of thought and imagination." Plus, the Islamic "occupiers" and Christian warriors certainly knew how to tell a good story. This book will delight both history and literature buffs.

The Alhambra.......2002-12-27

I don't always like to read classics, but when a friend of mine suggested that I read this book, I decided to try it, and I am very glad that I did. Irving's words, though written so many years before now, still paint eloquent pictures of the Spain of his time. I could almost see what he was seeing. The stories and legends are also wonderful and fascinating. An antique copy of this book is one of my most treasured gifts.

Washington Irving : Bracebridge Hall, Tales of a Traveller, The Alhambra (Library of America)

Average customer rating:

To hear is to forget,, to see is to remember, to experience is to understand
Wait until you get back
Don't go to Spain without packing this book!
Travel companion
forgotten classic

Washington Irving : Bracebridge Hall, Tales of a Traveller, The Alhambra (Library of America)
Washington Irving
Manufacturer: Library of America
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Classics | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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United States | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Washington Irving : History, Tales, and Sketches: The Sketch Book / A History of New York / Salmagundi / Letters of Jonathan Oldstyle, Gent. (Library of America)
Washington Irving: Three Western Narratives: A Tour on the Prairie / Astoria / The Adventures of Captain Bonneville (Library of America)
Herman Melville : Pierre, Israel Potter, The Piazza Tales, The Confidence-Man, Tales, Billy Budd (Library of America)
William Faulkner: Novels, 1957-1962: The Town / The Mansion / The Reivers (Library of America)
James Fenimore Cooper : Sea Tales : The Pilot / The Red Rover (Library of America)

ASIN: 0940450593

Book Description

Three story collections of great urbanity and poise from the first American author to burst onto the international literary scene. "The Alhambra," Irving's "Spanish Sketchbook," was inspired by his 1829 residence at the ancient Moorish palace at Granada; weaving history, legend, and description, it remains the best guidebook to this haunting place. Over 120 tales in all.

Customer Reviews:

To hear is to forget,, to see is to remember, to experience is to understand.......2006-04-08

Once you have visited the Allhambra in Grenada, Washington Irvines book comes to life. The tales come to life. The experience is so magical that you believe the fables may have actually happened. Who knows? I had to purchase the book immediately after my visit and it is the best book purchase I have ever made

Wait until you get back.......2001-11-10

I think this book is much more enjoyable if you read it after you have visited the Alhambra; two Moorish palaces that sit on top of a mountain in the beautiful Sierra Nevada mountain range of Spain, palaces of incredible architecture and setting, the last outpost of the Moors in Spain. Christopher Columbus waited for 6 years before Queen Isabell would give him ships, she made him wait until the Moors were driven out of Spain. When the Alhambra finally falls, Coloumbus is given permission and ships for his quest a few days later, and the next year the Spanish Inquisition starts.
All of this comes to you if you visit the very romantic/historic city of Granada and the Alhambra, and after seeing the Alhambra restored, having walked its rooms and grounds, having listened to the fountains, letting your immagination run, then read this book, after you return home. Washington Irving's stunt of taking up residence in the rundown, forgotten Alhambra of his time seems even more fantastic. In fact, if you are going to Spain, buy a copy of this book in Granada; they are sold everywhere in different languages, and have pictures of paintings done in the period around Irving's stay. If you haven't been to the Alhambra, you should go.

Don't go to Spain without packing this book!.......2001-06-26

"Tales of the Alhambra" is must-reading for the traveler in Spain. Irving is best remembered in this country for his collections of American folklore, like the stories of Rip Van Winkle and the Headless Horseman, but in Spain they remember him for the Alhambra stories -- in fact, there's a hotel named in his honor in Granada. Irving lived in that beautiful old Moorish palace at a time when it was a neglected ruin, and his wonderful descriptions, interspersed with the folk-tales that he collected from the people of Granada, helped to spark interest in repairing and restoring the monument. The folk tales, told in Irving's inimitable, witty style, usually deal with romantic elopements, or buried treasure, or both. My personal favorite is the story of the young prince living in the Generalife (the beautiful summer palace) who learned the language of the birds. That one is fantasy, but it's true that there was hidden treasure in the Alhambra: the palace itself, its architecture and decoration, and we have Irving to thank for rediscovering it.

Travel companion.......2000-10-19

A great book to read while traveling in spain. If you are going to Alhambra, read this book! It will bring the palace alive for you. The writing is very accessable, and easy to follow for having been written so long ago.

forgotten classic.......2000-10-01

When we were kids, we had a card game called Authors. I think the object was to be able to name the works of famous authors. At any rate, there were three titles that always seemed especially enticing: Idylls of the King, The Heart of Midlothian and Tales of the Alhambra.

Thirty years later, I picked this one up with some trepidation; we've all struggled through classics of two hundred years ago, baffled by arcane language & outdated usages. However, to my very pleasant surprise, the book is terrific, combining an Iberian travelogue with delightful tales and legends of Moorish Spain. Irving's travels are interesting enough in themselves, but it is the tales, which have everything from flying carpets to hidden treasure, that really make the book.

Book Description

Washington Irving's dreamlike description of Spain's Granada and the beautiful Moorish castle, the Alhambra, remains one of the most entertaining travelogues ever written. Enhanced here with exquisite Spanish guitar music, the narrative is a heady mix of fact, myth, and depictions of secret chambers, desperate battles, imprisoned princesses, palace ghosts, and fragrant gardens, described in a wistful and dreamlike eloquence, will transport listeners to a paradise of their own.

Customer Reviews:

Part Spanish Arabian Nights, Part Travel Writing, All Wonderful.......2007-06-03

Long on myth. Short on facts........2006-11-03

Washington Irving is credited with bringing the glorious history and unbelievable beauty of the Alhambra, in the city of Granada, (the last stronghold of the Moors in the South of Spain) to Western conciousness.

After spending a day at the Alhambra last Summer, and passing by the closed apartments that he occupied, I decided to listen to his book while driving one hour each way to work. (any short trips won't work because all of the 'tales' are lengthy)

My title says it all. If you are a student of dry history this book is not for you. Only about 20-30 minutes will satisfy your curiosity for the facts. If you enjoy legend and lore this book is it. The bulk of the book tells numerous stories of princes and princeses, kings and soldiers, common laborers such as mule drivers and water carriers, loves found and loves lost, and especially the perrenial human lust for long lost and buried treasure, etc., all told with a wonderous style and feel for southern Spain of the 13-th to 15-th centuries.

The factual account of how Columbus finally came to agreement with Isabella and Ferdinand to sign the contract for the three ships, almost by chance in 1492, while the two sovereigns were outside Granada laying the final siege of the Alhambra fortress, is mind blowing. History came 'that close' to having Columbus sail three French ships instead of the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria.

If you want just the facts, look elsewhere. But if you are planning a trip to Granada and the Alhambra, definitely pick up this book, along with a second, more fact based, and give a read or listen. I wish I had done that before my trip. It would have given much more life and enjoyment to the place as I walked through the various rooms and towers and gardens that Irving so lovingly describes.

Wonderful.......2006-08-24

I am a Moor and I relate to the stories well. The stories reminded me of the things to avoid for the things that will come. A Moorish Empire will rise again.
Irving starts with his personal journey then he has several stories of gallant and modest characters which makes you feel your in the garden or the palace. It brings back what love was and how it should be. I really like the story of the Father striving to keep his son from learning about love. I know no matter what you do you can never lock love away because of its power and its vast estate one would have to know it is impossible. This is a worth while reader for anyone who knows and wants the best from humanity for it is the Moors who created civilization and it is their station to restore it.

A Classic Written by an American Classical Author!.......2005-01-04

This wonderful book written by a well-loved American author details his travels in Spain, and more specifically in the Castle Alhambra. These tales are delightful, and seemlessly weave from fact to fiction to history to folklore. It is a true travel log, done oh so many years ago, and done with Irving's whimcical and enchanting style. The sketches give a good description of Spain and travel in the early 1800's. Older children and adolescents would probably enjoy these sketches.

Tales of the Alhanbra used book.......2004-08-04

On 7/24/04 through Amazon Marketplace I purchased this used book.
It arrived within the week and was excellently packed and shipped by bea4books@yahoo.com. A lovely "Thanks for Buying!" note was included with the invoice. The book is in very good condition with wonderful pictures. A surprise was that it had belonged to the Austin Public Library - a favorite city of mine. I'll be ordering more through you! Thank you.

Average customer rating:

Good supplment, against other material but can't stand on itself.
THE guide to the Alhambra.
Scholarly architectural history ...
Remarkable book about a remarkable place

The Alhambra (Wonders of the World)
Robert Irwin
Manufacturer: Harvard University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

General | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

General | Europe | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Seville, Cordoba, and Granada: A Cultural History (Cityscapes)
The Alhambra
Moorish Spain
The Story of the Moors in Spain
The Art of the Islamic Garden

ASIN: 0674015681

Book Description

The Alhambra has long been a byword for exotic and melancholy beauty. In his absorbing new book, Robert Irwin, Arabist and novelist, examines its history and allure.

The Alhambra is the only Muslim palace to have survived since the Middle Ages. Built by a threatened dynasty of Muslim Spain, it was preserved as a monument to the triumph of Christianity. Every day thousands of tourists enter this magnificent site to be awestruck by its towers and courts, its fountained gardens, its honeycombed ceilings and intricate tile work. It is a complex full of mysteries--even its purpose is unclear. Its sophisticated ornamentation is not indiscriminate but full of hidden meaning. Its most impressive buildings were designed not by architects, but by philosophers and poets. The Alhambra, which resembles a fairy-tale palace, was constructed by slave labor in an era of economic decline, plague, and political violence. Its sumptuously appointed halls have lain witness to murder and mayhem. Yet its influence on art and on literature--including Orientalist painting and the architecture of cinemas, Washington Irving and Jorge Luis Borges--has been lasting and significant. As our guide to this architectural masterpiece, Robert Irwin allows us to fully understand the impact of the Alhambra.

Customer Reviews:

Good supplment, against other material but can't stand on itself. .......2007-06-25

The good: debunks some of the myths, gives a good background to some of the names and how the appearance was radically altered by perceptions of what people thought (and what they wanted to think) represented Moorish architecture.

The bad: He spends so much time explaining why this or that is not true that we almost learn about the Alhambra by what it is not. He never really gets has a together, narrative history here, which makes it difficult to get a 'grasp' on the place by just reading this book alone.

Also He unfairly criticizes Irving's Tales of The Alhambra (apparently Washington Irving was at once dull, but too imaginative, prejudiced against Moors but sympathetic to Bobadil, cheering for the Spanish yet anti-Catholic - and yes Irwin contradicts himself on the same page!) while (strangely) praising movies like the 7th Voyage of Sindbad (which was filmed there). Shows a lack of understanding or depth about Orientalist Art, which doesn't stop him from talking about it.

The guide he suggested to buy, available at the site and in Granada, is far better- (unfortunately not available in the US)

Overla

THE guide to the Alhambra........2007-02-25

Visiting the Alhambra is a once in a lifetime, must do event. See it first from the plaza adjacent to the little church of St. Nicholas across the valley. And when you do finally go in to the Alhambra, bring this guide.

It's the sort of guide one might have had when visiting this place two hundred years ago--more Baedeker than Lonely Planet. It emphasizes the wonder of the place rather than entrance prices and opening times. Written in a narrative style that plays up the history of this magnificent palace, it is a joy to read both before and during one's visit. In fact, a careful reading of the book prior to visiting the Alhambra is bound to enhance the visit tremendously (as, after all, the Alhambra is so popular you'll be limited to a 15 to 30-minute window to make your entrance into the most stunning part of the complex, the Nasrid palace.) For that reason you'll want to know ahead of time what you'll be looking at, because once you're inside the rooms and courtyards go by in a blur--a gorgeous procession of delicate columns and sparkling fountains. If you're trying to read your guidebook for the first time in the midst of it all, you'll miss most of it. Once you are inside, you're much better off just using the book for a quick consultation as you enter each new room, gallery, or alcove.

Irwin's 'Alhambra' tells you what you really need to know about this place (one of Europe's most magnificent palaces) including the unfortunate fact that much of what you will see (or are seeing) has been recreated; the presumed use of each area of the palace is at best an educated guess (and at worst, a shot in the dark). Even some of the carved inscriptions are misleading (assuming you can read medieval Arabic). As Irwin notes: "...Contreras, who knew no Arabic, rearranged them [the inscriptions] in such a way that it is no longer possible to make sense of them" (p. 47, hardbound). Regardless, there is beauty in this truth, and this book has it in spades. Your standard tourist guidebook will not confront you with such sincerity (although you'll need it for the basics mentioned above: entrance prices, opening times, etc., as Irwin is not concerned with those).

The hardbound version of Irwin's 'The Alhambra' makes a great keepsake to remind you of your visit, and you can put it on your shelf next to the copy of Washington Irvings' 'Tales of the Alhambra' you picked up in the gift shop. Bottom line--if you are going to visit the Alhambra, do it right: bring this book, and read it ahead of time.

Scholarly architectural history ... .......2007-01-05

This little book is packed with the author's detailed opinions about the history of this marvel. It's good reading to prepare one for a visit, but it left me wondering if the legends that the author debunks may not be a prophecy of what tomorrow's scholars may think of this work.

Remarkable book about a remarkable place.......2005-08-12

One is almost immediately captured by this book from the very opening paragraphs - there is wonderful description of the Alhambra from the perspective of tourist guidebooks which would lead a visitor through the many palaces, chambers, and courts, filling in detail about the history from both Muslim and Christian eras. Then author Robert Irwin lets the reader know the sad truth - almost all of what is presented on this virtual tour is almost all false. The Alhambra is, if nothing else, a greatly misunderstood place, perhaps an architectural embodiment of Emerson's dictum about greatness.

The Alhambra, a grand structure on the outskirts of Granada in southern Spain, is in fact a series of palaces, perhaps more akin to the Forbidden City in China than any European or Islamic palatial counterpart. It is also the only medieval Islamic palace to survive - tradition was among Islamic rulers was to abandon the palace of the old ruler in favour of building a new one, and often the old palaces were razed for building materials - if not by the new ruler, then by the population around the old palaces, now no longer guarded. It is somewhat ironic that it may be because the Alhambra came to be part of Christendom that it, as a classic Islamic building, came to survive at all.

Irwin gives a revised tour of the facility following the virtual tour of false information - in this he describes the different palaces, the functions of different buildings and courtyards, and the influence the Alhambra has had both in artistic imagination as well as political and military significance.

There are bits of fancy here - the Sala de los Mocarabes, a room whose name comes from the stalactite decorations on the ceiling, is in fact a room without stalactite decorations (those having been burned centuries ago, but the name endures). Names and symbols throughout the buildings incorporate both Islamic and Christianised names, with a not insignificant Jewish influence as well in many respects. The Alhambra was built and preserved over a period of social tolerance and cultural flowering, but allowed to fall fallow during Spain's slow decline as a world power.

People such as Washington Irving, Benjamin Disraeli, the Duke of Wellington, the vicomte de Chateaubriand, Victor Hugo and other notables of later mainstream Anglo-American and European culture drew inspiration from and were fascinated with the Alhambra. Indeed, some artists of some periods began to have a distaste for the kinds of Arabesque and medieval influences derivative of the Alhambra, for it has become far too commonplace in their opinion. More modern figures such as Jorge Luis Borges have also drawn inspiration from the site.

Robert Irwin's book is a treat to read, giving a sense of the place from an aesthetic, philosohpical, architectural, and historical sense. His tracing of the influences expanding from this almost mythical and mystical place is fascinating.

Reckless: Millionaire Record Producer Phil Spector and the Violent Death of Lana Clarkson (St. Martin's True Crime Library)

Average customer rating:

Interesting
The Author Takes the Low Road
Not about the death in the castle.
A complete waste of money!!
Not a good read

Reckless: Millionaire Record Producer Phil Spector and the Violent Death of Lana Clarkson (St. Martin's True Crime Library)
Carlton Smith
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Criminology | Crime & Criminals | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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True Crime | True Accounts | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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Phil Spector: Out Of His Head
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Be My Baby: How I Survived Mascara, Miniskirts, and Madness, or My Life As a Fabulous Ronette
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Wall of Pain: The Biography of Phil Spector

ASIN: 0312994052
Release Date: 2004-08-05

Book Description

In the early morning hours of February 3, 2003, police were summoned to the spooky Alhambra, California castle of legendary music producer Phil Spector. There they discovered the body of actress Lana Clarkson, dying in a chair, shot through the mouth. Spector claimed she had killed herself, but was soon charged with murder. The pop music genius, who revolutionized music from the Beatles to the Ramones, was making headlines again. But Spector, notorious for his eccentric behavior, volatile temper, and fascination with guns, pleaded innocent. What really happened on that fateful pre-dawn morning in Spector's hilltop mansion? As the controversial wunderkind's life of fame, money, and excess was coming undone, a true Hollywood mystery was about to unfold.

Customer Reviews:

Interesting.......2007-10-01

I learned a lot about the early music publishing years. The book is mostly about Phil Spector's life, from early years to adulthood. I really enjoyed this book because it was a look into a world I hadn't know too much about beforehand. Recommended !

The Author Takes the Low Road.......2007-07-04

In Reckless, the author masquerades as a true crime story. Writer Carlton Smith, becomes a chronic fabricator who writes with oblivious abandon and apathy about the feelings and good names of others. In Reckless he makes Kitty Kelly seem like Mother Teresa. His book has attempted to sully the reputation and good name of the murdered actress Lana Clarkson. Reckless does this by regurgitating a rumor about her in an article written by Robert Anson in Vanity Fair, knowing that there was no substance whatsoever to this rumor, and then lying about the source. He didn't have to do what he did to make his book sellable. But he went for the sleaze factor about Lana possibly being a call girl after promising me, a person he interviewed for this book, that he would not. This book is dangerous and shoddy tabloid journalism. Smith's book is a valentine to accused murderer Phil Spector and his former lawyer Leslie Abramson.Cartlon Smith jumped at the chance to sully the reputation of Lana Clarkson to sell this book. His non-sourced, post deceased, reputation ruining heresay, shows through and makes for a terrible read. Beside this book trashing the victim Lana Clarkson, it also reads as though Phil Spector edited this book himself.

Not about the death in the castle. .......2007-05-30

Instead, Mr. Smith delivers a one-sided slam against Phil Spector who according to the author hasn't done one nice thing during his whole life. It's amazing that St. Martin's Press would publish such a biased book while a court case is going on.

A complete waste of money!!.......2007-03-08

I've read other titles by Carlton Smith and have enjoyed most of them. However, "Reckless" is by far the worst book I've read in quite some time. In fact, I had to force myself to finish it.
One is led to believe by the back cover of the book that the story is about the murder of Lana Clarkson. Don't be misled. It really isn't about Lana Clarkson at all. It's almost entirely about Phil Spector and his life as a record producer. Smith quotes heavily from two other books in this story. It's almost as if he wrote a repeat of what has already been written before by someone else. Save your time and money.

Not a good read.......2005-12-14

I have struggled with a few of this author's books, but none so much as this one. The main complaint I have with Mr Smith's writing style is that he tends to go off on a tangent, and pads his books with pages and pages of unnecessary detail about things that really are only vaguely relevant to the story.

In the case of 'Reckless', there was relatively little written about the actual murder of Lana Clarkson - in fact there was very little information about Miss Clarkson at all. This book is no more than a rehash of the life story of Phil Spector, taken from a number of 'sources' and put together by Mr Smith in this very uninteresting piece of work. I didn't finish it.

Average customer rating:

A Masterpiece!

Alhambra
Francisco Fernandez , and Michael Jacobs
Manufacturer: Frances Lincoln Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

The Alhambra (Wonders of the World)
The Art of the Islamic Garden
Alhambra: A Moorish Paradise (Small Books of Great Gardens)
Moorish Style
Gardens, Landscape, and Vision in the Palaces of Islamic Spain

ASIN: 0711225184

Book Description

The Alhambra inspires and enchants like no other site. With its fascination history; its romantic locale overlooking Granada, against the backdrop of the Sierra Nevada mountains; its intricately decorated rooms; its numerous courtyards and fountains; the palace city of the Alhambra is endlessly alluring and has captivated the imagination of visitors since it was conceived in the thirteenth century.

By 720 AD, most of Spain was under Islamic rule. Formerly a minor settlement, Granada now thrived: the town was reconstructed as an Islamic city, with a medina and a fortress, and, in the early eleventh century, the residents of the nearby town of Elvisra were relocated to this more strategically-situated and temperate locale. A military fortification had existed at the top of the hill overlooking Granada since the ninth century and this site, know as the "Alhambra", expanded as the city developed.

The palace city was mapped out by the founder of the Nasrid dynasty, Ibn Nasr, in 1238 and largely constructed in the fourteenth century by his descendents Yusuf I (1333-1354) and Muhammed V (1354-1391). They built the main structures, known as the Nasrid palaces, which captivate throngs of tourists to this day. In subsequent centuries, other palaces were added-like that of the palace of the Catholic Charles V, whose pioneering building startled locals with its Renaissance style. Today the Alhambra is a fascinating amalgam of style, both Moorish and European, with labyrinthine hallways, numerous fountains, pools, and courtyards, stunning details, and breathtaking views.

In Alhambra, author Michael Jacobs details the history of this spectacular monument-the stories of the ruling families who lived in the palaces, the capturing and recapturing of this region in Spain, and the myths that surround the Alhambra. Evocative photographs by Francisco Fernandez lead readers on a virtual journey through the various palaces, government and military buildings, mosques, baths, courtyards, and beautiful gardens that make up this mythical place.

Customer Reviews:

A Masterpiece!.......2000-06-10

This magnificently photographed volume offers the reader a wonderful insight into one of the most beautiful edifices in the world. This oversized book stunningly recreates the splendor of Grenada. A treasure for any who have visited the Alhambra.

Average customer rating:

A classic!

Tales of the Alhambra
Washington Irving
Manufacturer: Marques de Mondejar
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Iberia
Driving Over Lemons: An Optimist in Spain
Travelers' Tales Spain: True Stories (Travelers' Tales Guides)
The Story of Spain: The Dramatic History of Europe's Most Fascinating Country
For Whom the Bell Tolls

ASIN: 8471690209

Customer Reviews:

A classic!.......2005-10-02

This paperback edition published in Spain (in English), edited by Manuel Sanchez, has many very nice color engravings from Roberts, Lewis and Dore, which really add a lot to the reader's enjoyment.

The Alhambra,: Tales and sketches of the Moors and Spaniards, (The home library)

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The Alhambra,: Tales and sketches of the Moors and Spaniards, (The home library)
Washington Irving
Manufacturer: A.L. Burt Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Europe | Travel | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000855RL4

Alhambra: A Moorish Paradise (Small Books of Great Gardens)

Average customer rating:

Not what I expect however I respect it.
An Alhambra Sampler
Wonderful little book
The Enchanted Palace!
The Enchanted Palace!

Alhambra: A Moorish Paradise (Small Books of Great Gardens)
Gabrielle Van Zuylen
Manufacturer: Vendome Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

Landscape | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

Garden Design | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Landscape | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

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The Art of the Islamic Garden
Apremont (Small Books of Great Gardens) (Small Books of Great Gardens)
Gardens, Landscape, and Vision in the Palaces of Islamic Spain
The Alhambra (Wonders of the World)

ASIN: 0865652066

Customer Reviews:

Not what I expect however I respect it........2006-08-24

I believe I chose the wrong book I was looking for more pictures of the Alhambra because as I listen to the stories of the Alhambra I wanted to imagine I was right there. However I would say to anyone who wants a brief story of the history this book will suffice.

An Alhambra Sampler.......2004-03-26

Having visited the Alhambra and believing it to be one of the most uniquely beautiful places in the world, I wanted a book with photos of the building and grounds. It is a great "Small Book of Great Gardens", but I think more photos of the Generalife are in order. I am grateful for the photos of some of the stone design walk-ways. I gave it a four not a five because I felt it needed and I wanted just a bit more!

Wonderful little book.......2001-05-05

Great photographs that really evoke the feeling of the Alhambra. Not too much text, but what is there does a nice job of covering the history, the layout, and the essential sense of the place. I purchased the book several months before a trip to Spain for background information. It is also good armchair travel book. I also found that my wife loved it for a gardening book. You can look at the photos over and over again.

Now that we are back from Spain, the book is an excellent reminder of a very lovely place. An interesting book from both travelling and gardening viewpoints.

The Enchanted Palace!.......2000-04-04

In addition to the excellent photos and detailed brief description of the Alhambra and the Generalife, this sixty-nine page book contains other information such as a map of the palace, and of the Generalife garden. It is a great book for anyone who plans to visit this Last Stronghold of the Moors in Spain, or just to remember its enchanted halls, and courts. If you have never been there, this book is a good starting point. You will fall in love with its decorative details, towers, gardens, and pools. The Alhambra is a very romantic and peaceful place. Excellent for students and tourists. However, tales of the Alhambra are found in other books.

The Enchanted Palace!.......2000-04-04

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