Kingdoms of Faith

Brian A. Catlosis a professor of religious studies at the University of Colorado at Boulder. His books have won numerous awards, including the American Historical Association's Premio del Rey Award and John E. Fagg Prize. Catlos lives in Boulder, Colorado, and Barcelona, Spain.

—Matthew Carr, author of Blood and Faith: The Purging of Muslim Spain, 1492-1614
—Elizabeth Drayson, University of Cambridge, author of The Moor's Last Stand
"Mediterranean studies have been shaped in an informative andinnovative way by Brian Catlos's contributions in the recent decades. Hisincursion now into the history of a specific region and polity--that ofal-Andalus (Medieval Iberia under Muslim rule)--brings to the fore the samequalities that characterize his previous work: an inquisitive and incisive mindthat homes in on perceptive questions, combined with the ability to recreatepast events in an appealing manner for a wide audience."—Maribel Fierro, research professor at the Institute of Languages and Cultures of the Mediterranean, CSIC (Madrid)
"Kingdoms of Faithconstitutes a fresh and originalcontribution to the history of al-Andalus, rooted in the author's profoundknowledge of medieval Iberian history. Brian Catlos has managed to produce avery well-written and lively narrative that provides an up-to-date synthesis ofthe most recent developments in this field of history."—Alejandro García Sanjuán, University of Huelva
"Brian Catlos'sKingdomsof Faithoffers an insightful and nuanced view of Islamic Spain from itsorigins in the eighth century to the poignant demise of Islamic presence, asexemplified by his brilliant reflection on Cervantes's fictional Moriscocharacter, Ricote. Based upon a masterly command of sources and the secondaryliterature, Catlos eschews the hyperbolic descriptions of Islam in Iberia andthe exaggerated claims of tolerance while, at the same time, showing its manyaccomplishments and enduring legacy. It is a brilliant, well-written, andwell-researched book that will force historians to see the Islamic presence inthe peninsula in a new light."—Teofilo F. Ruiz, distinguished professor of history, UCLA
"This is a lively andinteresting new account of medieval Spain and Portugal which steers away fromthe usual stereotypes and gives us a new, and much more nuanced, account ofrelations and interactions between the various communities and faith groups inthe peninsula."
—Hugh Kennedy, professor of Arabic at SOAS, University of London and author of Caliphate: The History of an Idea
"InKingdoms of Faith, Brian A. Catlos takes us through the kaleidoscopicinterplay of Muslim-Christian relations, bringing clarity to a complex narrative.His deft analysis illuminates the forces brought to bear in creating both themyth and reality of life in 'Moorish' Spain."—Thomas F. Glick, professor of history, emeritus, Boston University