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The History of Spain: Land on a Crossroad cover art

The History of Spain: Land on a Crossroad

Written by: Joyce E. Salisbury, The Great Courses
Narrated by: Joyce E. Salisbury
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Publisher's Summary

Spain has played a unique and essential role in Western civilization. To understand the unfolding of Spain's epic history is to come to terms with one of the West's great cultures, and to grasp its enduring presence and impact on the world stage.

In these 24 accessible lectures, Professor Salisbury presents a broad and enthralling panorama of Spanish history, covering the centuries from the first prehistoric settlement of the peninsula to Spain's 20th-century civil war.

Linking one seminal era with the next, the course begins with how early Spain drew a range of peoples from ancient Africa, the Mediterranean, and the Middle East, who formed vibrant communities on the peninsula. From there, you'll witness the rule of the peninsula by both Rome and Visigothic peoples, leading to the spellbinding drama of Islamic Spain and the Reconquista, Catholic Spain and the Inquisition, and the opening of the New World. Finally, you'll travel into the kingly dynasties and the dazzling artistic heritage of the Habsburgs and Bourbons, and you'll track Spain's emergence into the modern world.

Together with the unfolding of Spanish history, Professor Salisbury illuminates Spain's iconic cultural forms - such as flamenco music and dance, and the ritual of bullfighting - and its phenomenal contributions to art, architecture, literature, music, theology, and learning.

Across the centuries, you'll explore jewels of Spanish architecture, from the resplendent Moorish Alhambra and Alcázar of Seville to the sublime Sagrada Familia cathedral of modernist Antoni Gaudí. And you'll encounter Spain's geniuses of the visual and written arts, including such masters as the painters Velasquez, el Greco, Goya, and Picasso, and writers from the philosophers Averroes and Maimonides to literary greats Lope de Vega and Cervantes.

Travel with us to this remarkable culture, and savor the beauty and the great human drama of the history of Spain.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2017 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2017 The Great Courses

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Can't bother to have correct Doctrine/History

Martyrs of the early Christian churches were venerated, not worshiped. The veneration of the Martyrs are not magical and their use was for worship.

Her explanation of the origin of the naming convention of "Christians" failed to mention anything about it's etymological roots from Antioch.

Additionally, there's clear bias when naming the Roman Catholic Church and when trying to describe it's origins along side with the Arians.

More so, she seemed willfully ignorant of the early Christians community structure and its relationship to the Roman Emperor. All of which have serious influence to Spain.


The Roman Empire and the Roman Catholic Church are not the same and painting it as such creates ignorance.

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2 people found this helpful

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  • Rei
  • 2023-06-11

Alright, but not great.

Learned a lot and enjoyed listening for the most part. Felt like some parts of history were skipped? For instance, there is no mention of the Spanish Micronesia occupation or Spanish Indies until they mention their revolutions in the 1800s.

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    4 out of 5 stars

Stylistic choices undermine the lectures.

Very informative, but the performance is jarring. The lecturer insists on forcing the spanish pronunciations of places to the effect that it leaves the flow of her sentences jilted and broken.
Caveat emptor.

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Incomplete and unsatisfactory

This is the only Great Courses program I have not liked. The so called complete history of the Spanish peninsula has massive gaps that make the story incomplete at best. The entire Roman conquest during Republican times at people like Viriathus of Lusitania are completely ignored. Stories and details about Navarre and Leon are non existent.
The only 2 people in the Middle Ages that get any mention are Ferdinand and Isabela. Even there, Isabels unlikely rise to power and dominance in policy setting and sending Columbus to America are not addressed. The details of the actual civil war of 36-39 are skipped. Who lead the Republicans? What specific circumstances occurred that lead to their division and weakness when they lost. Why not play more sample of Spanish music when discussing music, since it’s an Audio book? Lots of useful information, but overall disappointing and incomplete.

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