'This is an intriguing book. Lengthy and witty, Linehan's book is nevertheless primarily a work of formidable scholarship. Linehan has an unrivalled grasp of the early medieval Church and its doings.'Times Literary Supplement'The theme of this notable book is the manipulation of Spain's medieval history by Spanish historians, then or later. In the course of his ample investigations, impeccably researched, cogently and often wittingly presented, he succeeds in this aim and offers us a great deal more besides. This is a weighty and distinguished contribution not merely to Spanish medieval studies but to the history of historiography at large. This splendid book deserves to bewidely read.'R.

A. Fletcher, University of York, EHR Jun '94'This vast book is a study of medieval Spain between the end of the Roman period and the fourteenth century, and its historians, from the chroniclers of the middle ages to the post-Franco era.'The Medieval World'This is an immensely learned book, which displays great sophistication within a very restricted area . the persistent student may learn a great deal from what he has to say . This book may, therefore, be recommended for its learning, at times for its wit, and for some mordant characterizations of major episodes in Spanish medieval history.'John Edwards, Journal of Theological Studies, Vol. 47, No. 1, Apr '96.