Reviews for The Aristocracy in Twelfth-Century Leon and Castile

The average rating for The Aristocracy in Twelfth-Century Leon and Castile based on 2 reviews is 3.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2014-12-16 00:00:00 George Bergstrom This weighty study examines the nature and process of aristocratic society and power in the northwestern Iberian peninsula during the high middle ages. Non-clerical magnates filled multiple roles, including family protector, landlord, judge, courtier, church patron, military commander, and diplomat, and the inheritance of these duties from one generation to the next led to a growing awareness of lineage. The lower half of the peninsula was still in Moslem hands, which had a lot to do with how the noble warrior class developed, because the concept of crusade led to influence far from home and the court. Many of Barton's sources are not available in English and he includes several previously unpublished documents, as well as a very extensive bibliography, a biographical chapter on the counts of León and Castile, and a set of relevant genealogical tables.

Review # 2 was written on 2019-05-08 00:00:00 Chris Guy Professor Black, one of the top historians of his generation, provides an overview of the history of international political relations from the Peace of Westphalia to the downfall of Napoleon. This study is valuable for its analysis and inclusion of events in East Europe. Even so, the study falls short of replacing the work of Derek McKay and Hamish Scott. The bibliography is a disappointment.