History of the Moorish Empire in Europe

Samuel Parsons Scott's three-volume history of the Moors in Spain and their influence on the culture of Western Europe was a landmark publication when it first came out in 1904. The first two volumes provide a detailed chronological history while the third volume presents aspects of the culture of al-Andalus, revealing the achievements of the Moorish empire and its impact upon Western scholarship and progress. Topics covered include the Moorish modes of conquest, government and administration; agriculture, trade and commerce; the influence of Moorish learning in science, literature and the arts; and reflections on Muslim social life and practices.This edition includes a new introduction by Elizabeth Drayson, Emeritus Fellow in Spanish, Murray Edwards College, University of Cambridge, UK.

Samuel Parsons Scott (1846-1929) was a US attorney, financier and independent scholar. He used his wealth to travel extensively in Spain and throughout Europe and built up a personal library of some 8,000 volumes on ancient and medieval history, and law. Among his writings are a translation of Las Siete Partidas (the medieval statutory code of Castile). The History of the Moorish Empire in Europe was esteemed by Muslims for the high regard Scott showed for Islam.Elizabeth Drayson is Emeritus Fellow in Spanish at Murray Edwards College, University of Cambridge. Her research focuses on medieval Spanish literature and cultural history, and the relationship between Arabic, Jewish and Christian culture during the Middle Ages and Early Modern period. Her books include Lost Paradise: The Story of Granada (forthcoming), The Moor's Last Stand: How Seven Centuries of Muslim Rule in Spain Came to an End (2017) and The Lead Books of Granada (2013).