Dogs of God: Columbus, the Inquisition, and the Defeat of the Moors

The last book I read from James Reston Jr was called Warriors of God, which was back in 2002 or so. That was about Richard III the Lionhearted and Saladin. The book was written as a semi-biography of the 2 leaders, against the backdrop of the Third Crusade, with emphasis placed on their lives during that Crusade. The author uses a similar method to convey the complexity of the events surrounding...more

The last book I read from James Reston Jr was called Warriors of God, which was back in 2002 or so. That was about Richard III the Lionhearted and Saladin. The book was written as a semi-biography of the 2 leaders, against the backdrop of the Third Crusade, with emphasis placed on their lives during that Crusade. The author uses a similar method to convey the complexity of the events surrounding the "Reconquest" of Spain from the Jews and the Muslims. Just as there was no black and white simplicity in the Crusades, there was nothing clear cut in the efforts of the Catholic Monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella, to expel the so-called "heretics". While their actions were unquestionably evil in light of the culture of tolerance of today, this book explains that at the time, their actions were not viewed as such. This book is excellent for those who don't really know about what exactly happened and would like to gain a basic understanding (like me, before I read this). The other advantage is that in today's climate of confrontation between some Western powers and Middle Eastern powers, this book will (hopefully) make people see the futility and the tragedy of such confrontation. This book is very character driven, much like a novel. The style of the author's writing appealed to me back in 2002, but after having been exposed to so many other styles of writing, I found that this style of writing didn't appeal to me as much anymore, but this is a matter of personal taste, and others may find that it simplifies History, which can sometimes seem needlessly complicated if one were to pick up a more academic book. The bottom line: If you're looking for an introduction to the Reconquista, or simply a good, interesting book to read, this is it. Rating: 4/5   hide