The Reconquista & The Rise of Castile

The Reconquista & The Rise of Castile explores one of the most decisive periods in medieval Iberian history, when Christian expansion, Muslim resistance, dynastic rivalry, and religious warfare transformed the political map of the peninsula.

The book begins with Alfonso VI's capture of Toledo, a victory that shifted the balance of power and revealed the growing strength of León and Castile. It then follows the extraordinary career of El Cid, whose exile, military service, conquest of Valencia, and legendary portrayal in the Poem of the Cid made him one of the most enduring figures of Spanish history.

As Christian kingdoms expanded, new powers crossed from North Africa. The Almoravids under Yusuf ibn Tashfin defeated Alfonso VI and slowed the Christian advance, while the later Almohads imposed an even stronger and more radical imperial challenge. At the same time, the western frontier witnessed the rise of Afonso Henriques and the creation of the independent Kingdom of Portugal.

This fifth volume also examines the union and division of Castile and León, the growing importance of the military orders of Santiago, Calatrava, and Alcántara, and the catastrophic Castilian defeat at Alarcos. The final chapters trace the papal call for a crusade in Spain and the formation of the Christian coalition that achieved a decisive victory at the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa in 1212.