The Jewish community of medieval Spain was the largest and most important in the West for more than a thousand years, participating fully in cultural and political affairs with Muslim and Christian neighbors. This stable situation began to change in the 1390s, and through the next century hundreds of thousands of Jews converted to Christianity. Norman Roth argues here with detailed documentation that, contrary to popular myth, the conversos were sincere converts who hated (and were hated by) the remaining Jewish community. Roth examines in depth the reasons for the Inquisition against the conversos, and the eventual expulsion of all Jews from Spain.
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“Roth is impressive in telling the conversos story. He makes extensive use of new sources and gives detailed case studies to show the progress of conversos in economic, political, and cultural life. His survey of the literature is the work of a historian’s historian.”—Charles Brockwell, Historian
From the Back Cover
"With scrupulous scholarship based on a profound knowledge of the Hebrew, Latin, and Spanish sources, Roth sets out to shatter all existing preconceptions about late medieval society in Spain."-Henry Kamen, Journal of Ecclesiastical History
"Scholarly, detailed, researched, and innovative. . . . As the result of Roth's writing, we shall need to rethink our knowledge and understanding of this period."-Murray Levine, Jewish Spectator
"Roth is impressive in telling the conversos story. He makes extensive use of new sources and gives detailed case studies to show the progress of conversos in economic, political, and cultural life. His survey of the literature is the work of a historian's historian."-Charles Brockwell, Historian
"The fruit of many years of study, investigation, and reflection, guaranteed by the solid intellectual trajectory of its author, an expert in Jewish studies. . . . A contribution that will be particularly valuable for the study of Spanish medievalism."-Miguel Angel Motis Dolader, Annuario de Estudios Medievales
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More About the Author
Norman Roth was born in Denver, Colo. in 1938; graduated from University of Denver, followed by several years of study in Israel. He received his Ph.D. from Cornell University (Ithaca, N.Y.) and from 1976 to 1997 was professor of Jewish history and studies at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. He is now professor emeritus. Main areas of interest: Jewish history and culture of medieval Spain, medieval Hebrew literature and poetry (lots of articles, but no books yet; one is in process). I am always happy to hear from readers and particularly from students who may have questions or need advice.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
An author with a logic problem,
By El Picaro "Lion of New Spain" (Colorado, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Conversos, Inquisition, and the Expulsion of the Jews from Spain (Paperback)
Roth consulted some records but apparently failed to understand the explicit meaning of forced conversion. This work is an example of failing to use the whole record for an accurate conclusion. There are many inquistion records, especially in the New World, of Jews clinging to the faith of their fathers and dying in inquisitional flames as a result. Also, the Amsterdam Jewish community was established by Crypto-Jews this author contends didn't exist. This blatant failure to get the facts right leads one to believe that Roth either has a hidden motive or is incompetent beyond belief.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A nice start into the toppic of Conversos.,
By A Customer
This review is from: Conversos, Inquisition, and the Expulsion of the Jews from Spain (Hardcover)
If you are new to this toppic then this is the right book for you. You'll get the historical dates of the Spanish Inquisition and some more informations about the life of Jews in this time, including all problems Jews had to deal with. If you get interested in the Conversos you should read Benzion Netanyahu's books that are dealing with more background informations.
5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Not the most reliable source,
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This review is from: Conversos, Inquisition, and the Expulsion of the Jews from Spain (Paperback)
I was very disappointed with this book and I will be giving it to Goodwill or getting rid of it so that others are not misled. On one of the first pages at the bottom of the Acknowledgments, the author thanks U of Wisconsin press for publishing a book that no one else wanted to publish, "simply because of its length." Uh, no, it's because it is not a very good or accurate book, yet the author goes on and on about how everyone else is wrong and they don't have anything to back up their ideas. It would be very interesting to understand what is driving this author. He was too busy looking for the crypto Jews in Spain that he has no idea where they went, therefore they must not have existed at all. He couldn't find them because they were busy hiding out in the mountains of Northern New Mexico and Southern Colorado, among other places.
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