The very name El Cid sums up much of the special character of medieval Spanish warfare. It comes from the Arabic al sayyid; master or chieftain; and seems to have been given to Rodrigo de Vivar by his Muslim foes. But was it given in recognition of El Cid's victories against Islam in the 'Reconquista' – or because this Castilian nobleman was as content to serve beside the Muslims as to fight them? The story of the Christian conquest of the Iberian peninsula which gave rise to the legend of El Cid; is here examined by David Nicolle; who outlines the history; tactics; arms and armour of the period.
#639004 in Books 2010-10-19 2010-10-19Ingredients: Example IngredientsOriginal language:EnglishPDF # 1 10.90 x .90 x 9.40l; 2.82 #File Name: 0847833917192 pages
Review
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. what's great about this book is truly wonderfulBy trfThis is a fascinating book if you live in; or are familiar with Los Angeles. So why did I give it only three stars? Another reviewer said it before. This book takes large maps and shrinks them down to small maps. It works with some; but fails with others. We keep a strong magnifying glass next to the book to browse; but even with that; some maps are too small to make sense of. The shrinking has effected the resolution to the point that some of the maps; even with magnification; are undecipherable. Don't get me wrong; what's great about this book is truly wonderful; however; I think that if I had had the opportunity to see the book in person before deciding to buy it; I may well have passed on it.3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Makes a great giftBy The Hollywood HillsI first heard about this book from the LA Times and it sounded right up my street - it's about my favourite town; and I love maps. Double bingo!Written by LA Public Library archivist Glen Creason; who clearly has access to some wonderful resources; this book is informative and entertaining in equal measure. I've heard people say that LA has no history; a rather arrogant assertion that has no basis in fact. LA's history is right there if you've got the eyes to see it; written into the landscape; as this book shows in great detail.The maps reproduced here cover most of the recorded history of the region; and show the various geographical features of the LA basin and the surrounding area; from topographical maps to the early pueblo layout to the locations of the oil fields. The quality of printing is very good; with the maps rendered in sharp detail on very good quality paper; with each map featuring at least a page of accompanying text putting the map in context and describing its genesis.It's not without its flaws; the proof reader must have been asleep; as there are quite a few errors - on the very first map page Harriman's name gets transposed to "Harrington" by the end of the page; and later on we're told that in 1928 Los Angeles harbor handled "26.5 tons" of cargo; "a record which stood for decades". 26.5 tons! That's out by a factor of a million. Also although the printing is very sharp; some of the maps are printed across the folio; so it's sometimes hard to make out detail across the page crease. I'd also liked to have seen more maps of the fault lines across the county; it is after all a major earthquake zone and fault lines are a very important feature of the region.Still; these are minor quibbles. There's much to reward the interested viewer here; and it's the type of book that I'll be dipping into many times over the years. Thank you Mr. Creason for this treasure trove!Interested readers might like to see the following video; an interview with the author about the book:[...]0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Mental Mini VacationsBy CourtneyLovely book; terrific for lovers of the City of Angles. Fine quality and value; swift and secure packaging; great communications. Highly recommended dealer. A+++
