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The History of Spain: Land on a Crossroad
12 hours 4 mins
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.
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.
13 pages, Audible Audio
First published July 21, 2017
11 people are currently reading
204 people want to read
About the author
Joyce E. Salisbury
41 books14 followersProfessor Emerita of Humanistic Studies (History)University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
October 10, 2024
Very good.
Currently this title is included in the Audible Plus catalogue for free and I recommend it to those who -like me- have only a basic knowledge about Spanish history, but would like to know more.
The lecturer, Joyce E. Salisbury, took on quite a challenge with these series of lectures: giving an interesting, intriguing & thought-provoking summary of any country's history just in 12 hours (24 lectures, each 30-minutes long) is no easy feat, but I think she managed it very well. I went through them quickly and easily and was always anticipating what was still coming.
As mentioned before, this is an overview (with accompaniment pdf material - very helpful), not a finely detailed narrative, but I felt that all the major events/persons/issues were touched upon and all aspects (historical, political, social, religious, artistic) were presented analytically, objectively and in context. It can also serve as a solid starting point if you decide to try and find more books on Spanish history.
Recommended.
List of lectures:
1. From Stones to Bronze: Prehistoric Spain
2. Celtic, Phoenician and Greek Colonists
3. Rome Conquers the Iberian Peninsula
4. Christianity Comes to Hispania
5. Barbarian Tribes Divide the Peninsula
6. The Visigoths Unite Spain
7. Islam: The New Religion
8. Conflict with Islam
9. The Moors and the Glory of al-Andalus
10. The Christian Reconquista
11. Medieval Spanish Culture
12. The Sephardim: Iberian Judaism
13. Gypsy Influences on Spain
14. The Growth of the Catholic Religious Passion
15. Columbus and the New World
16. Conquistadors and Missionaries
17. The Spanish Main: Trade Convoys and Piracy
18. The Golden Age of the Spanish Habsburgs
19. Religious Wars on Muslims and Protestants
20. The 18th Century Bourbon Kings of Spain
21. Spain Loses its Empire
22. 20th Century Spanish Modernism
23. The Spanish Civil War and Franco's Reign
24. Modern Spain: still on a Crossroad
Currently this title is included in the Audible Plus catalogue for free and I recommend it to those who -like me- have only a basic knowledge about Spanish history, but would like to know more.
The lecturer, Joyce E. Salisbury, took on quite a challenge with these series of lectures: giving an interesting, intriguing & thought-provoking summary of any country's history just in 12 hours (24 lectures, each 30-minutes long) is no easy feat, but I think she managed it very well. I went through them quickly and easily and was always anticipating what was still coming.
As mentioned before, this is an overview (with accompaniment pdf material - very helpful), not a finely detailed narrative, but I felt that all the major events/persons/issues were touched upon and all aspects (historical, political, social, religious, artistic) were presented analytically, objectively and in context. It can also serve as a solid starting point if you decide to try and find more books on Spanish history.
Recommended.
List of lectures:
1. From Stones to Bronze: Prehistoric Spain
2. Celtic, Phoenician and Greek Colonists
3. Rome Conquers the Iberian Peninsula
4. Christianity Comes to Hispania
5. Barbarian Tribes Divide the Peninsula
6. The Visigoths Unite Spain
7. Islam: The New Religion
8. Conflict with Islam
9. The Moors and the Glory of al-Andalus
10. The Christian Reconquista
11. Medieval Spanish Culture
12. The Sephardim: Iberian Judaism
13. Gypsy Influences on Spain
14. The Growth of the Catholic Religious Passion
15. Columbus and the New World
16. Conquistadors and Missionaries
17. The Spanish Main: Trade Convoys and Piracy
18. The Golden Age of the Spanish Habsburgs
19. Religious Wars on Muslims and Protestants
20. The 18th Century Bourbon Kings of Spain
21. Spain Loses its Empire
22. 20th Century Spanish Modernism
23. The Spanish Civil War and Franco's Reign
24. Modern Spain: still on a Crossroad
April 6, 2020
This is an excellent overview of Spanish history. Dr. Salisbury is a specialist in Medieval Spain and her lectures on the period of religious tolerance in Al-Andalus and the Inquisition of the Reconquista were especially good. I began this lecture series preparation for a trip to Spain that we cancelled because of Covid-19. The series made me more determined to visit, once this craziness has passed.
February 4, 2018
It is a well-researched and well-structured series of lectures. However, I do not quite agree with Professor Salisbury's holistic approach to Spain. She treats the country as if it existed since before time, and while I understand why she made the choice to use such an approach, frequently it works against her, especially in the final lectures. Professor Salisbury is a medievalist, and the lectures on the Ancient and Medieval periods are the most well-researched and interesting. When talking about the 19th century, however, Professor Salisbury is found somewhat out of her depth.
March 24, 2020
Last summer, I decided to listen to my first audiobook. Something about listening to fiction seems weird to me, so I decided to start with nonfiction and one of my biggest interests: Spain. I found
The History of Spain: Land on a Crossroad
, and was excited to dive in.
This audio book comes from The Great Courses, and is taught by Professor Joyce E. Salisbury from the University of Wisconsin – Green Bay. This audiobook – and I assume all of their offerings – closely resembles a college course. Indeed, the narrator is a professor, and the 24 chapters are actually signified as “lectures.” I enjoyed this format and felt like a student again. What I would give to be in college once more! Thanks to audiobooks – or courses – like this one, I can be a lifelong learner.
In The History of Spain: Land on a Crossroad, Professor Salisbury takes us from prehistoric Spain through now. The early lectures focus on the Stone and Bronze Ages, then we slowly move through the Roman reign, the introduction of Christianity, and the Visigoths. We later see Islam come to what is now Spain, the Moores and al-Andalus, and the horrific Spanish Inquisition.
We spend some time in the New World and both the horrors that went on there and the wonders that were brought back to Spain. Then we work our way through the centuries – learning about the Hapsburgs and Bourbon Kings – until we get to 1900s Modernism, the Spanish Civil War, Franco, and the Spain we know today.
While there was plenty I already knew about Spain, most of what Professor Salisbury presents here was new to me. She goes into great detail and describes historic figures with care. She gives special attention to some of the most well-known artistic works of Spain’s history, and adds a personal touch in mentioning her own views of the topics she discusses.
I also love how Professor Salisbury contextualizes everything. Although I have some basic awareness of world history – or, more precisely, European history – I’m pretty fuzzy on the years and details. She regularly identifies where Europe was at during the many eras of and events in Spain.
The History of Spain: Land on a Crossroad was my first audiobook, but even though I’m a beginner here, for me it was a well-produced and engaging narrative. Professor Salisbury is an animated speaker, and although some minor errors could have been edited out, they didn’t detract from the course.
I love Spain, and lived there twice. First, I studied abroad there in my third year of college, spending the full spring quarter in León with a terrific host family. Then I did my full one-year Master’s program in Valencia. Since then, I’ve been obsessed with learning more about the country. I have a number of fictional books set in Spain, but with The History of Spain: Land on a Crossroad, I was able to learn more about its past and its culture.
If you want a far-reaching overview of Spain – from the Stone Age to now – then The History of Spain: Land on a Crossroad is an excellent place to start.
* Please check out my full review on my blog, Amanda's Book Corner! *
This audio book comes from The Great Courses, and is taught by Professor Joyce E. Salisbury from the University of Wisconsin – Green Bay. This audiobook – and I assume all of their offerings – closely resembles a college course. Indeed, the narrator is a professor, and the 24 chapters are actually signified as “lectures.” I enjoyed this format and felt like a student again. What I would give to be in college once more! Thanks to audiobooks – or courses – like this one, I can be a lifelong learner.
In The History of Spain: Land on a Crossroad, Professor Salisbury takes us from prehistoric Spain through now. The early lectures focus on the Stone and Bronze Ages, then we slowly move through the Roman reign, the introduction of Christianity, and the Visigoths. We later see Islam come to what is now Spain, the Moores and al-Andalus, and the horrific Spanish Inquisition.
We spend some time in the New World and both the horrors that went on there and the wonders that were brought back to Spain. Then we work our way through the centuries – learning about the Hapsburgs and Bourbon Kings – until we get to 1900s Modernism, the Spanish Civil War, Franco, and the Spain we know today.
While there was plenty I already knew about Spain, most of what Professor Salisbury presents here was new to me. She goes into great detail and describes historic figures with care. She gives special attention to some of the most well-known artistic works of Spain’s history, and adds a personal touch in mentioning her own views of the topics she discusses.
I also love how Professor Salisbury contextualizes everything. Although I have some basic awareness of world history – or, more precisely, European history – I’m pretty fuzzy on the years and details. She regularly identifies where Europe was at during the many eras of and events in Spain.
The History of Spain: Land on a Crossroad was my first audiobook, but even though I’m a beginner here, for me it was a well-produced and engaging narrative. Professor Salisbury is an animated speaker, and although some minor errors could have been edited out, they didn’t detract from the course.
I love Spain, and lived there twice. First, I studied abroad there in my third year of college, spending the full spring quarter in León with a terrific host family. Then I did my full one-year Master’s program in Valencia. Since then, I’ve been obsessed with learning more about the country. I have a number of fictional books set in Spain, but with The History of Spain: Land on a Crossroad, I was able to learn more about its past and its culture.
If you want a far-reaching overview of Spain – from the Stone Age to now – then The History of Spain: Land on a Crossroad is an excellent place to start.
* Please check out my full review on my blog, Amanda's Book Corner! *
September 9, 2023
3. 5 stars. This Great Course is a 24 lecture series on the history of Spain, a topic which I am very interested in. It was mostly a good series of lectures and I am pleased that I made time to listen to these lectures. I would have liked a more in depth series of 36 or even 48 lectures. I think that the history of Spain is fascinating and certainly could have gone more in depth.
I have listened to Professor Salisbury previously in her lecture series, "Warriors, Queens, and Intellectuals: 36 Great Women Before 1400", which I would give a five star rating. Professor Salisbury has a very good speaking style, she speaks clearly , is engaging to listen to, and knows how to tell a good story.
The downsides to this lecture series besides not going into enough detail is that it is weighed heavily towards the Middle Ages and quickly skirts the rest of Spanish history. By my count 9 out of the 24 lectures cover the Middle Ages. I know that the Middle Ages is a long stretch of time, and Professors tend to emphasis the areas that they've done their research in (one whole lecture devoted to the gypsy influence in the Middle Ages felt like a bit much), but I still feel more time could have been given to Spain's golden age from 1500 to its decline in the 1800's. I will also say that this is more a cultural history than a political history. For example, when talking about the Spanish civil war, the only battle mentioned is Guernica, and that is done to understand the context of Picasso's famous painting. I like cultural history a lot, so this isn't exactly a compliant, but I would have liked more information about Spain's rulers and leaders to go along with Spain's rich cultural history. And make no mistake, Spain has extraordinary culture history.
I have listened to Professor Salisbury previously in her lecture series, "Warriors, Queens, and Intellectuals: 36 Great Women Before 1400", which I would give a five star rating. Professor Salisbury has a very good speaking style, she speaks clearly , is engaging to listen to, and knows how to tell a good story.
The downsides to this lecture series besides not going into enough detail is that it is weighed heavily towards the Middle Ages and quickly skirts the rest of Spanish history. By my count 9 out of the 24 lectures cover the Middle Ages. I know that the Middle Ages is a long stretch of time, and Professors tend to emphasis the areas that they've done their research in (one whole lecture devoted to the gypsy influence in the Middle Ages felt like a bit much), but I still feel more time could have been given to Spain's golden age from 1500 to its decline in the 1800's. I will also say that this is more a cultural history than a political history. For example, when talking about the Spanish civil war, the only battle mentioned is Guernica, and that is done to understand the context of Picasso's famous painting. I like cultural history a lot, so this isn't exactly a compliant, but I would have liked more information about Spain's rulers and leaders to go along with Spain's rich cultural history. And make no mistake, Spain has extraordinary culture history.
January 1, 2021
A very interesting course that does well at teaching the history of possibly the most diverse European country. Spain's history is one of extreme highs and lows, of superpower status with a vast overseas empire that brought in many a fortune to a country often wracked by civil and/or religious wars. My main disappointments with the course were the beginning lecture and the final two. I feel that finding a bunch of old bones at the bottom of caves hardly constitutes a certainty of early peoples (homonids) being there 250,000 years. Professor Salisbury seemed far too sure about this when in reality it is a theory. Not saying she is wrong to teach the prevailing theory but it is important that it remains a theory. It always amazes me that so many incredibly good history professors take this approach: Teach an awesome 24 or 30 or more lecture course on the history of a country and then cram several hundred thousand years into a few sentences. And that's based on some old bones or stone ax heads. Seems more like maintaining the status quo then being honest about our knowledge of early history.
The final two lectures dealt with Franco's reign and modern Spain...and were for the most part very good. I felt though that the political right was singled out as being far more evil than the political left. Spanish communism was treated as a sort of benign problem but the more nationalist, Catholic right was portrayed as more evil then they probably were...at least if compared to what an extreme (communist) left Spainish government in the mid-20th century could have looked like.
All in all though ,I highly recommend. She does a great job of putting a personal touch in her teaching that I enjoyed.
The final two lectures dealt with Franco's reign and modern Spain...and were for the most part very good. I felt though that the political right was singled out as being far more evil than the political left. Spanish communism was treated as a sort of benign problem but the more nationalist, Catholic right was portrayed as more evil then they probably were...at least if compared to what an extreme (communist) left Spainish government in the mid-20th century could have looked like.
All in all though ,I highly recommend. She does a great job of putting a personal touch in her teaching that I enjoyed.
September 5, 2020
The History of Spain: Land on a Crossroad by Professor Joyce Salisbury is a fairly good survey of Spanish history. There is a far greater influence of sociology and social history, and there is a great preference for contributions to Spanish culture from the humanities. When you listen to this course, the major takeaway that you will walk away from is just how often the history of Spain is contingent upon factors outside of its geographical location. Part of this is due to the presentation of the course: you will be hard pressed to find an internal motivating factor for anything that is not related to social history or some contribution to, or crime against, the humanities. As such, this is more about how history has affected Spain, rather than Spain and how it effected history. Yet, its very hard to take too much of an issue with that choice, as Spain really is intimately connected to, and dependent on, events outside of their control. Even when they were a superpower, much of what we know about it and study is not internal, but external: their empire, their colonies, their marriages, their economic wealth destroying Europe's economy, their participation in wars of religion and succession, their crusader zeal, etc. I get it, but I'm left wishing there would be a bit more.
88/100
88/100
June 3, 2025
An okay history, but I don’t feel like it was as helpful or enlightening as most histories I’ve read / heard.
September 23, 2024
The lectures did not feel cohesive.
August 29, 2020
Spanish history is so fascinating! This course covered everything from prehistoric cave artists and Phoenician trading posts to the death of Franco and the 1992 Barcelona Olympics (and a lot of stuff in between). Spain is at a crossroads between Europe and Africa, between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, and the mix of peoples who have lived and traveled there created a unique culture. This listen was a bit under 12 hours, so it didn’t go into huge depth, but it was a great overview.
July 11, 2019
I enjoyed this complete history of Spain. It was a great introduction to the region's history up until 2017 if I am not mistaken.
September 12, 2019
Exactly what I was looking for: a concise but short history of Spain from ancient times till modern day. Enough to get an overall understanding before a trip around the country.
December 21, 2017
I am teaching my Imperial Spain course again this Spring and listened to this lecture series to learn more about how other university instructors approach the subject. The lecturer's focus is the medieval period and she also devotes lots of attention to the history of Spanish, religion, art and culture. Her passion and knowledge for Spain is clear throughout the course and she does a great job of presenting an introduction to Spanish history to students unfamiliar with the subject. This Great Course would be especially useful for travelers as she devotes time to the origins of Spanish guitar music, bull fighting, flamenco and other famous aspects of popular culture.
Overall, I enjoyed the series but thought there should have been more attention devoted to events within Spain during the reigns of Ferdinand and Isabella and Charles V (the lecture series focusing on the New World during this period). Also, the course assumes no previous knowledge of European history and therefore explains the fall of the Roman Empire, the Reformation, the Enlightenment, Romanticism etc. before explaining how these events affected Spain. I would have preferred that listeners be referred to a more general European history lecture series before listening to this course to allow more time for analysis of events within Spain.
Overall, I enjoyed the series but thought there should have been more attention devoted to events within Spain during the reigns of Ferdinand and Isabella and Charles V (the lecture series focusing on the New World during this period). Also, the course assumes no previous knowledge of European history and therefore explains the fall of the Roman Empire, the Reformation, the Enlightenment, Romanticism etc. before explaining how these events affected Spain. I would have preferred that listeners be referred to a more general European history lecture series before listening to this course to allow more time for analysis of events within Spain.
April 12, 2018
The crossroads of Europe! Spain's rich history, with all the populations that lived there and how these populations affected the place and all surrounding countries (so you think bagpipes are Scottish? think again, they came from the Arabs that took the Iberic peninsula). Since the Greek and Roman times the land that would eventually become Spain was an incredibly important crossroad for commerce with Northern Africa and would be home for the discovery of the Americas and the birth of the global empires. It's influence is still felt today with widespread use of it's language, the amount of tourists the country attracts, it's cuisine and so many other pieces of the culture produced by the children of Hispania and the many other populations that found it's way there. While we can't forget the evils perpetrated by the colonization of the Americas, religious persecution and prejudice against jews and other populations, Spain is still a byway of commerce and a link between Africa and Europe, bridging the two continents and many different cultures. May we not forget the evils and strive to continue with the good policies of friendship and understanding that have been enacted so many times upon this land.
July 8, 2020
This course is such an informative and lovely overview of Spanish history. Joyce Salisbury's enthusiasm and love for Spain are always evident in her voice -- you can tell she really put her heart into this course. The scope of this book is as large as it gets, spanning from prehistory to 2017. Dr. Salisbury specializes in medieval Spain, and her depiction of that era is particularly vivid and immersive. She also briefly shares some of her niche expertise from her dissertation work and other research, which is a treat. Thanks to Dr. Salisbury, I went from knowing very little about the history of Spain to now being ready to engage with more in-depth books on particular eras of Spanish history. But most importantly, she has fanned my flame of passion for this amazing country! I cannot wait to travel to Spain!
October 14, 2018
I've been watching a number of Spanish TV series lately, which naturally led to an interest in Spain, a country I didn't know much about. This wasn't my favorite Great Courses audiobook but I agree with others that it's incredibly well-researched and well-structured. My main complaint is that some areas felt rushed. It seemed like we jumped from the Renaissance to the 19th century to the Spanish Civil War very quickly. It's difficult to squeeze the entire history of one country into a 12-hour lecture, and I think it would have benefited from being split into multiple parts. Still, I think anyone interested in Spain will learn a lot from Professor Salisbury, and I don't regret the time I spent with her.
October 2, 2021
WOW! Of all the Great Course History programs I've completed this one started the slowest but quickly turned into one of the best. In the end it was like a the best tour book ever leaving you wanting to visit Spain and all the remarkable history. The impact of the Catholic Church seems to have been stronger in Spain than any other European country. The Inquisition started in Spain and had a huge impact on the world. The end of the Catholic Church stronghold on Spain's government was when it supported the Fascist Franco, after Franco's death Spain slowly cut all governmental ties with Church policy. Then there is the Muslim issue and the multiple periods when Muslims ruled Spain and brought into Spain Muslim craftsmanship and science.
Absolutely riveting story.
Absolutely riveting story.
June 18, 2021
The history of Spain was a lot more than I expected! What a wild ride!
At first, I was skeptical and not sure about this one. I am so glad I stuck it out and absolutely enjoyed this Great Course on the history of Spain.
I had no idea that Spain was basically a revolving door of conquerors, between the Celtic, Greek, Romans, even Islam jumps in decides to take over at one point.
The cruelty of Cristopher Columbus over the Spanish was very eye opening. His rule was brutal and the things he did to the natives was absolutely horrible and received minimum repercussions for his actions. If Erik "the Red" Thorvaldsson beating ol' Cruel Chris to the US nearly a half millennium prior and not getting the federal holiday named after him didn't make you salty, the content you'll be exposed to within this Great Course will.
The Islamic rule over Spain was very interesting as well. This Great Course actually does a very good deep dive on Islam, covering the 5 pillars and a whole lot of other information I had zero knowledge prior to this course.
Also super interesting to me was all the fishing content about Spain within this book. Apparently, Spain's natural resource of surrounding aquatic life greatly supported their economy and was an extremely valuable asset back in more difficult times!
I am fortunate enough to have visited Spain back in 2013. I went to a beach in Lloret de mar and even got in the water (super cold by the way), I drank sangria from local establishments that was super refreshing and delicious, I went to a Falmenco show, ate paella, and even went to a medieval show where they jousted and did sword fights in armor in front of the crowd. I honestly cannot think of a better vacation back then in the stage of my life where I was single with no kids. In all honesty though, it was a pretty family friendly trip overall and who knows... maybe one day I could try to replicate that same experience for my daughters one day.
-1 Star because I wanted MORE! It was good content, I just wish she kept it going and had a little bit more coverage in different aspects of Spain and its people.
Highly recommend this one.
At first, I was skeptical and not sure about this one. I am so glad I stuck it out and absolutely enjoyed this Great Course on the history of Spain.
I had no idea that Spain was basically a revolving door of conquerors, between the Celtic, Greek, Romans, even Islam jumps in decides to take over at one point.
The cruelty of Cristopher Columbus over the Spanish was very eye opening. His rule was brutal and the things he did to the natives was absolutely horrible and received minimum repercussions for his actions. If Erik "the Red" Thorvaldsson beating ol' Cruel Chris to the US nearly a half millennium prior and not getting the federal holiday named after him didn't make you salty, the content you'll be exposed to within this Great Course will.
The Islamic rule over Spain was very interesting as well. This Great Course actually does a very good deep dive on Islam, covering the 5 pillars and a whole lot of other information I had zero knowledge prior to this course.
Also super interesting to me was all the fishing content about Spain within this book. Apparently, Spain's natural resource of surrounding aquatic life greatly supported their economy and was an extremely valuable asset back in more difficult times!
I am fortunate enough to have visited Spain back in 2013. I went to a beach in Lloret de mar and even got in the water (super cold by the way), I drank sangria from local establishments that was super refreshing and delicious, I went to a Falmenco show, ate paella, and even went to a medieval show where they jousted and did sword fights in armor in front of the crowd. I honestly cannot think of a better vacation back then in the stage of my life where I was single with no kids. In all honesty though, it was a pretty family friendly trip overall and who knows... maybe one day I could try to replicate that same experience for my daughters one day.
-1 Star because I wanted MORE! It was good content, I just wish she kept it going and had a little bit more coverage in different aspects of Spain and its people.
Highly recommend this one.
January 24, 2021
Out of the three Great Courses I've watched so far (History Of The Ancient World: A Global Perspective, The Celtic World, and now this one), this course was the best. This course chronologically covers the history of the region that would become Spain, starting with the ancient peoples of the area to the modern day. This course hits on every major migration and every major history point involving the area of Spain as well as providing context for these.
I thought the course was very well organized. Though lots of context was given for the various migrations and events happening in Europe that would come to affect Spain, the course never strayed too far off topic. The lecturer clearly has a great love for Spain and even makes a few quick personal notes about her travels to the sites and sights being discussed. And though the course covers roughly 5,000 years of history over 24 thirty-minute lectures, I still feel like I gained a good overview of the important points of Spanish history. The guidebook was also organized well to accompany the lectures, and I especially enjoyed the questions listed at the end of each section which served well to summarize the information covered.
As far as video vs. audiobook goes, the visuals of this course were mostly portraits of people being discussed, architecture or monuments, and a couple of maps here and there. I feel like audio-only wouldn't miss out on too much, especially if you have access to the guidebook which contains its own visuals.
If you have an interest in the history of Spain but don't know where to start, this course would serve as a great introduction. I would recommend it to anyone interested in the history of the region.
I thought the course was very well organized. Though lots of context was given for the various migrations and events happening in Europe that would come to affect Spain, the course never strayed too far off topic. The lecturer clearly has a great love for Spain and even makes a few quick personal notes about her travels to the sites and sights being discussed. And though the course covers roughly 5,000 years of history over 24 thirty-minute lectures, I still feel like I gained a good overview of the important points of Spanish history. The guidebook was also organized well to accompany the lectures, and I especially enjoyed the questions listed at the end of each section which served well to summarize the information covered.
As far as video vs. audiobook goes, the visuals of this course were mostly portraits of people being discussed, architecture or monuments, and a couple of maps here and there. I feel like audio-only wouldn't miss out on too much, especially if you have access to the guidebook which contains its own visuals.
If you have an interest in the history of Spain but don't know where to start, this course would serve as a great introduction. I would recommend it to anyone interested in the history of the region.
June 10, 2024
Why are history (audio)books so impossible to get through? I didn't think I would finish this. I was like 99% convinced it would sit in my 'currently reading' section for years, quietly haunting me like some other books on there since 2020. Yeah, I am too chicken to DNF anything. The FOMO is strong in this one i.e. me. So I just so happy right now that I can check this off the list.
Coming to the book, I genuinely am so grateful that Audible has these college courses as recorded books because I am thirsty AF for learning. It's probably the ADHD, which is so pronounced that Coursera is too structured for my brain to handle. So now I consume Great Courses audiobooks like I am popping M&Ms and I have no complaints. Well, very minimal complaints: 1) They should release accompanying PDFs and ebooks, cause I am someone who needs to see words to remember them 2) Sources. Sources. Sources please. 3) I caught quite a few factual errors in this book. Some were probably because no differentiation was being between established fact and an educated guess or opinion. In any case, wish there were some corrections issued or at least evidence presented when a theory was presented as a fact.
Coming to the book, I genuinely am so grateful that Audible has these college courses as recorded books because I am thirsty AF for learning. It's probably the ADHD, which is so pronounced that Coursera is too structured for my brain to handle. So now I consume Great Courses audiobooks like I am popping M&Ms and I have no complaints. Well, very minimal complaints: 1) They should release accompanying PDFs and ebooks, cause I am someone who needs to see words to remember them 2) Sources. Sources. Sources please. 3) I caught quite a few factual errors in this book. Some were probably because no differentiation was being between established fact and an educated guess or opinion. In any case, wish there were some corrections issued or at least evidence presented when a theory was presented as a fact.
April 17, 2019
I think that “The History of Spain: Land on a Crossroad” is an informative and well-researched course. The professor is knowledgeable of and demonstrably passionate about her subject. The only downside is her overuse of Spanish-language phonology for geographic locations and certain cultural or historical events. This makes the course borderline unlistenable. When lecturing in English to an Anglophone audience, there is no need to pronounce “Barcelona” like “Barthelona” or “Cadiz” like “Cadith.” I understand that that’s how (many) Spaniards pronounce these city names – and I would expect that she use these pronunciations were she speaking Spanish – but it sounds pretentious in English, especially when there are perfectly acceptable anglicized forms available. Other than that, I would recommend giving this course a listen.
May 12, 2023
Having lived in Spain for two years (1985-86), I wanted to read this book to learn a little more about the history of this pivotal country through the various centuries. The pdf included with the book was perhaps one of the best I've seen, giving almost a word by word recap of the audiobook along with some beautiful color pictures and maps. The narrator was good and well-educated in her background of the country. I found myself easily transported back in time with the Visigoths, Muslims, Christians and other groups which inhabited this historic area of the world. I miss it and would love to go back someday.
October 29, 2023
These 24 lectures cover a wide compass from the stone age travelers to Spain to the modern democratic monarchy of today.Salisbury offers a balanced account:she acknowledges, for example, the historical impact of Christopher Columbus and New Spain but she does not shrink from recounting the horrors of his governorship where he made slaves of the natives amidst rape and torture.Her thesis is that Spain has always been a european crossroads since it is so close to North Africa. Her lectures on the cultutal impact of the Moors were especially enlightening. This course is a very good concise introduction to the culture and history of Spain.
January 9, 2018
Excellent overview of the land we now call Spain, from the earliest stone age settlers forward to the modern day. Obviously this can't go into deep deep detail, but the overview is excellent, and I had no idea how progressive and tolerant the country was before the Christian god took over and turned it into a dark, intolerant Netscape for a few hundred years. They've since returned to progressive and inclusive policies, and were among the first countries to legalize gay marriage. It seems like a place I'd really love to visit now.
March 29, 2021
I’ve been very interested in the history of Spain since my Freshman year in college when I took a course on the Reconquista and Salisbury does a wonderful job of detailing the history of this fascinating peninsula from the earliest human peoples to the modern day. Her lectures are engaging and informative and the course moves very quickly. If you have an interest in Spain, this is a great place to flesh out your understanding of its history.
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If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
September 22, 2017
We're going to Spain in the near future, and this was a great overview to familiarize ourselves with the history of Spain, the culture, etc. I listened to the audiobook during my morning walks and it was a lot of fun learning about the history. I felt like it was just the right amount of detail to get a really good overview on Spain.
April 1, 2019
It's better than a simple primer and goes into a lot of detail for each unit. One or two of them lost my interest based solely on the fact that I've already ready books that covered the material, but largely this was an excellent series of lectures (and an accompanying book) by Prof. Salisbury. Really took me back to my Spain years.
October 6, 2021
I enjoyed listening to these lectures. I am not very familiar with the history of Spain, and I chose this series at random. It was difficult to keep all the details straight as I was listening, and sometimes I wished there was more detail about specific figures such as El Cid, but still, I think this is a great overview!
May 16, 2024
I highly recommend this book for anyone wanting to understand the history of Spain dating back to the beginning till present day. Dr Salisbury is such a wonderful professor and despite having a knowledge of the history I’ve re-listened to the several of the audiobook’s chapters that captured my interest the most.
May 21, 2024
Surprisingly immersive and well paced. It dispels the dark ages in a very fair way - by giving each period of history and equal amount of time. I respect this approach because it gives a balanced idea of the past, it's clear that Salisbury doesn't have a preference for any period. Or at least doesn't show it in her writing.
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