The Golden Age of the Moor (Journal of African Civilizations) [Paperback]

Ivan Van Sertima (Editor)

Book Description

Series: Journal of African Civilizations | Publication Date: January 1, 1991

This work examines the debt owed by Europe to the Moors for the Renaissance and the significant role played by the African in the Muslim invasions of the Iberian peninsula. While it focuses mainly on Spain and Portugal, it also examines the races and roots of the original North African before the later ethnic mix of the blackamoors and tawny Moors in the medieval period. The study ranges from the Moor in the literature of Cervantes and Shakespeare to his profound influence upon Europe's university system and the diffusion via this system of the ancient and medieval sciences. The Moors are shown to affect not only European mathematics and map-making, agriculture and architecture, but their markets, their music and their machines. The ethnicity of the Moor is re-examined, as is his unique contribution, both as creator and conduit, to the first seminal phase of the industrial revolution.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Ivan Van Sertima (1935-2009) was professor of African studies at Rutgers University. He was visiting professor at Princeton University and lectured at more than one hundred colleges and universities. He edited the Journal of African Civiliations, which has greatly changed the way in which African history and culture are taught and studied.

Product Details

• Paperback: 474 pages
• Publisher: Transaction Publishers (January 1, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1560005815
• ISBN-13: 978-1560005810
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #146,008 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

69 of 72 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An execellent work, November 5, 2000

By 

Michael Dennis (Phila, PA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Golden Age of the Moor (Journal of African Civilizations) (Paperback)

Over the years I have both read and heard many different theories about the racial and ethnic identity of the people that history refers to as the Moors. According to history, the Moors are the people who invaded and then occupied southern Spain for some 400 years and made their presence felt thoughout Europe. However, the historians who give us there theories on the racial and ethnic identity of the Moors give very little, and in many cases, no credible evidence at all to support them. In his book The Golden Age Of The Moor, Ivan Van Sertima takes an entirely different approach to identifing the Moors. He dosen't atempt to explain the theories of others nor does he offer a theory of his own. Instead Van Sertima presents a compilation of historical information taken from the museums of Europe that describe the Moors. In his book Van Sertima presents paintings, sculptures, coats of arms, and written records about the Moors, that date back to the period that the Moors were in Europe. Van Sertima's approach is based upon his premis that the most accurate information about the Moors would be the information recorded by the European historians and the European people that lived during the period of time that Moors were in Europe. I wholeheartly agree with Van Sertima. I feel that his book, The Golden Age Of The Moor is an excellent work, highly recomended for anyone looking for factual information on the racial and ethnic identity of the Moors.

43 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Labored, but valuable, September 9, 2003

By A Customer

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This review is from: The Golden Age of the Moor (Journal of African Civilizations) (Paperback)

It is a pity that in the 21st century a book about the Moors still is forced to take great pains over the question of their skin pigmentation. Nonetheless, it is apparently necessary to do so, and this book directs tremendous scholarly firepower on the issue. I hope that it establishes beyond the need for further debate that the Moors were black africans that conquered and civilized Spain, and then lost it again to a white European reconquista.

If one can get that out of the way, there is so much more of interest in this book. The Moors were among the most civilized peoples of the world in their time. The book has a wealth of detail about that civilization. The most interesting thesis in my mind was that the Moors were a source of the knowledge that flooded Europe in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, and thus were coauthors of the renaissance, along with the Arabs and Turks on the other side of the Mediterranean.

The book is occasionally turgid - of interest only to scholars, but there are so many ideas that will be unfamiliar to those of us raised on conventional wisdom, and there is so much detail about the contributions of the Moors to civilization, that this is a must-read for anyone with a serious interest in where we all came from.

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Golden Pages of the Moor, August 10, 2006

By 

Son of the Seven Seas "El Dey" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Golden Age of the Moor (Journal of African Civilizations) (Paperback)

Golden Age of the Moor is destined to become a classic if it isn't already that. If I could give it ten stars, I'd give it twenty. Teeming with boldly told truths and irrefutable facts about what was perhaps the most pivotal time period in the history of African and Western cultures, focusing on one of the greatest empires ever, this book is not merely a great read; it is full scale reeducation. Zooming in on the Moorish occupation of Spain between the 8th and 15th centuries, this book offers readers an inspiring revisitation of that period. Here is an awesome compilation of well presented scholarly essays representing an all-star ensemble of front line scholars and progressive thinkers, complied and edited by the J. A. Rogers of this generation, Dr. Ivan Van Sertima. And speaking of Rogers, Golden Age of the Moor mirrors Rogers, as it too, displays many rare illustrations and photographs depicting historical Moors as the highly civilized and enlightened people they were. And this book boldly identifies Moors as an African phenotype.

It's really exciting to vicariously participate in the collaborative work of these great minds as they converge scholarship on this one important subject; the Moors. One can only imagine the force of energy and unity involved to make this timely project the outstanding resource success it is. It's shameful that so Many people are dumbfounded about this history, thus, I feel awkward saying, this is one of the best books on the subject.

I've read some harsh criticisms about this work and it is nothing but sour grapes. When truth, especially that which has been hidden for a very long time, boldly emerges; some people who have profited by its absence, either emotionally, spiritually, economically or whatever, are certain to anger, and through that anger; they will call the truth teller a liar. Such is the case with the emergence of this book. Moorish history has for too long been pushed out of the big picture and it deserves its proper place on the historical canvas. We applaud those who dare to interpret and report history with integrity to let the chips fall where they may. On that note, I recommend the Euvolution Of Sacred Muur Science By Noble Timothy El as a complementary resource to this book.

My only criticism (and perhaps it's not really that) is that, as some of the contributors here present the research supporting Moorish identity, they seem to almost defend their positions in doing so. While I do understand the reason for this, I insist that truth needs no explanation or defense. Everybody who knows, knows the Moors were Africans. You need not engage, dignify or invite polemics on that topic. History speaks louder than words. Cased closed!

Mr. Van Sertima! Thank you, Sir.