First published 2008
David Levering Lewis examines the collision between Islamic and Christian civilizations that shaped medieval Europe. His analysis spans five centuries, from the Arab conquest of Visigoth Spain in 711 to the Latin Church's declaration of total war against the Caliphate in 1215. Lewis argues that Muslim al-Andalus created a flourishing society built on cooperation between Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. Meanwhile, emerging European powers defined themselves through opposition to Islam, embracing aristocratic rule, religious persecution, constant warfare, and human bondage. The book traces this cultural divide from the collapse of Persian and Roman power through Muhammad's rise and the establishment of Muslim Spain. Lewis uses major military campaigns to illustrate how these competing worldviews clashed across centuries. He contends that tolerant, cosmopolitan al-Andalus served as a model of coexistence while proto-Europe chose conflict and exclusion as organizing principles. The work connects these medieval struggles to contemporary global tensions.
Genres: history, non-fiction, military-history, academic
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: clash-of-civilizations, cultural-clash
Setting: Visigoth Spain, Al-Andalus, Europe
Period: 711-1215
512 pages · Hardcover · W. W. Norton & Company