Customer Reviews

El Cid historico (La Espana plural) (Spanish Edition)

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This is a balanced view of the Spanish hero of the Reconquest, El Cid. Those familiar with the subject know that one is either a Cid lover or a Cid hater. The same bipolar attitude pervades in Spain. Mr. Diez' study is a well-researched, well-written account of the historical Cid. Although references are made to the fate of the hero in the national epic and the ballads, the author presents a rational, positivistic, view of Spain's most beloved albeit most controversial figure. So deep is the controversy, that one is either a "cidophile" or a "cidophobe." Mr. Diez, a Spaniard himself from Burgos, the Cid's adopted city (he was born in Vivar, a small rural town just north of Burgos), understands both sides and takes a balanced view. Although he does not unduly criticize Menendez Pidal, Spain's leader Cidian scholar, he nevertheless takes issue with "the master's" massive work in some points. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Spanish medieval history in general, and the Cid in particular.