Written over 100 years ago, this book is eloquently written and highlights what the author perceives as the successes of Moorish leadership of Spain – particularly in light of the period “degradation” that later follows under Ferdinand and the Bourbons.  Though historically intriguing for its context of equality of gender and idyllic social communities, this book has been critiqued by modern-day readers for author bias and less than stringent scholarship, compared to current standards. This is a good read for those interested in the Black history of southern Europe, northern Africa, and their joined heritage in modern Spanish-speaking and Latin American communities that derive from this lineage.