@Planet of Hats is working on an Al-Andalus TL. He might have some good sources.
Thanks for the info, and I shall ask him.
@Planet of Hats is working on an Al-Andalus TL. He might have some good sources.
Well there are always some people that translate and share for free, and I hope there were more as I still haven't found a free version of Tactica.
Also, this will be a bit off topic and I hope you don't mind, do you know of any decent source about the Taifa period? I'm interested in their interactions with the Christian Kingdoms of Iberia but I don't find anything other than the interactions during the Kingdom of Asturias period.
I wouldn't know, al-Andalus is not my area of expertise.
Also, this will be a bit off topic and I hope you don't mind, do you know of any decent source about the Taifa period? I'm interested in their interactions with the Christian Kingdoms of Iberia but I don't find anything other than the interactions during the Kingdom of Asturias period.
I suppose you meant the First Taifa period, right?
If it's the case, I think that most of history textbooks focusing on al-Andalusian history would describe it in at least one chapter. I doubt portuguese or english books are vastly different on this matter than french books. I mean virtually every textbook on medieval Spain that I went into did : If really you can't find any, I could try to scan what I have but it would be in French, but I was under the impression that Portuguese studies hold well their own when it came to describing Arabo-Andalusian history.
As a primary source, is a bit passionated, Kitab al-Muqtabis fi tarikh al-Andalus, or Kitab al-Matin (lost but recorded by Ibn Hassam), by Ibn Hayyan is probably the best primary source.
t if you want a specialized book, there's one that I think is particularily good, but in my knowledge wasn't translated in english or portuguese (but was in spanish, so if you can read it, go for it) : Les Royaumes des Taifas by Pierre Guichard, who is one of the leading authorities in Arabo-Andalusian studies.
But, really, a trustworthy textbook on medieval Spain will or should include a significant part on descriving taifas.
Go for university-level textbooks : they're generally a good generalized description and first secondary sources immediatly avaible in any important enough university library.Portuguese textbooks (don't know about the Uni ones) tend to be very selective...we don't like to speak about conflict so we just go independence-feudal period-finish reconquista-explanations.
Well, secondary grades 'History classes tend to go for a broader view on History in most of Europe : french lycées History classes for what matter ancient world, are mostly focused on Mediterranean and North Sea basin rather than just France for instance.Funny enough while studying to my exam on the 12th grade I knew more about English and French economical protectionist measures than I knew about what with did in the 17th century.
Portuguese textbooks (don't know about the Uni ones) tend to be very selective...we don't like to speak about conflict so we just go independence-feudal period-finish reconquista-explanations.
We also skip the war part of the Napoleonic wars, the war of 1640, we never speak about our involvement in the seven years war, speaking about the conflicts in India during the 16th 17 th century is overlooked (with some exceptions on the Dutch war), etc...
Our history textbooks focus more on the society of the time in question and the economy.
Funny enough while studying to my exam on the 12th grade I knew more about English and French economical protectionist measures than I knew about what with did in the 17th century.