"This is a masterly revisiting of the period, every clause of Linehan's sentences embodying not only that eloquence of rhetorical style he so admired in the work of another Fellow of St. John's, Prof. John Cook (see the obituary by Lineham in The Independent, 15 September 2007), but a freshness and vitality of vision that find their fullest expression in his portrait of King Alfonso el Sabio." (Speculuma Medieval Studies, April 2011) "His expertise in both the history and the historiography of that period provides a complex, multifaceted perspective on an era that demands nothing." (English Historical Review, 1 August 2010) "As the author of a survey of Spanish history in the late twelfth and early thirteenth centuries, Peter Linehan is a natural choice. His expertise in both the history and the historiography of that period provides a complex, multifaceted perspective on an era that demands nothing less." ( English Historical Review , August 2010) "The work presents a valuable scholarly addition that details medieval Spain through a large primary source body of evidence, and offers valuable insight into the multifaceted reality that was medieval Spain between 1157 and 1300." ( Choice Reviews , May 2009) "Peter Linehan's remarkable scholarly productivity richly qualifies him to be the author of such a book.

" ( The American Historical Review , February 2009) "The balance of the book represents in essence a study of the course and impact of Alfonso X's long and problematic reign, in the context of peninsular, European and Mediterranean politics and culture. The book is written in Linehan's trademark style, which readers will either find entertaining, frustrating or both. It is dense and detailed, written in breathless prose, peppered with ironies and inside jokes." ( The Medieval Review , February 2009) "Both unified Spain and the multiple Spains of the reconquest are here superbly narrated and explained by one of the foremost specialists of Medieval Spain." ? Jacques Le Goff , Ecoles Des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales.