El Cid : the life and afterlife of a medieval mercenary / Nora Berend.
| Author/creator | Berend, Nora author. |
| Format | Book |
| Edition | First Pegasus Books cloth edition. |
| Publication | New York, NY : Pegasus Books, 2025. |
| Copyright Date | ©2025 |
| Description | xii, 236 pages : illustrations (chiefly color), maps ; 24 cm |
| Subjects |
| Contents | Introduction: a hero for all seasons -- Blood and gold: the times -- Through a glass darkly: the man Rodrigo -- A saviour sent by divine providence -- The earliest legends: a paragon of Christian virtue? -- Cherchez la femme -- The legend embodied -- The Cid's rise to literary fame -- The historian -- The dictator and his Cid -- The Cid conquers the big screen -- The two Cids: into the twenty-first century -- Epilogue: fascination and repugnance. |
| Abstract | "Rodrigo Diaz lived a violently colourful life in eleventh-century Spain. An ambitious military leader, exile and brutal mercenary, he served Christian kings, fought against Christian princes in service of Muslim rulers, raided and killed Muslims and eventually struck out on his own, carving out an independent principality. While Rodrigo the man is long dead, El Cid lives on: a superhero; a quasi-saint; the 'spirit of Spain', according to military dictator Franco; and a champion of medieval Spanish multiculturalism. Nora Berend uncovers how el Cid has been transformed across the centuries, confronting the gulf between truth and legend and examining how a military adventurer became a hero to people on opposite ends of the political spectrum. What is it about this man that appeals to us? And why do we transform the most unsuitable people into heroes?"--Publisher's description. |
| Bibliography note | Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| ISBN | 9781639366460 hardcover |
| ISBN | 1639366466 hardcover |
| ISBN | electronic book |
Availability
| Library | Location | Call Number | Status | Item Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joyner | General Stacks | DP103.7 .C53 B47 2025 | ✔ Available | Place Hold |