Kirjahaku

No subject looms larger over the historical landscape of medieval Spain than that of the reconquista, the rapid expansion of the power of the Christian kingdoms into the Muslim-populated lands of southern Iberia, which created a broad frontier zone that for two centuries remained a region of warfare and peril. Drawing on a large fund of unpublished material in royal, ecclesiastical, and municipal archives as well as rabbinic literature, Jonathan Ray reveals a fluid, often volatile society that transcended religious boundaries and attracted Jewish colonists from throughout the peninsula and beyond. The result was a wave of Jewish settlements marked by a high degree of openness, mobility, and interaction with both Christians and Muslims. Ray's view challenges the traditional historiography, which holds that Sephardic communities, already fully developed, were simply reestablished on the frontier. In the early years of settlement, Iberia's crusader kings actively supported Jewish economic and political activity, and Jewish interaction with their Christian neighbors was extensive. Only as the frontier was firmly incorporated into the political life of the peninsular states did these frontier Sephardic populations begin to forge the communal structures that resembled the older Jewish communities of the North and the interior. By the end of the thirteenth century, royal intervention had begun to restrict the amount of contact between Jewish and Christian communities, signaling the end of the open society that had marked the frontier for most of the century.

No subject looms larger over the historical landscape of medieval Spain than that of the reconquista, the rapid expansion of the power of the Christian kingdoms into the Muslim-populated lands of southern Iberia, which created a broad frontier zone that for two centuries remained a region of warfare and peril. Drawing on a large fund of unpublished material in royal, ecclesiastical, and municipal archives as well as rabbinic literature, Jonathan Ray reveals a fluid, often volatile society that transcended religious boundaries and attracted Jewish colonists from throughout the peninsula and beyond. The result was a wave of Jewish settlements marked by a high degree of openness, mobility, and interaction with both Christians and Muslims. Ray's view challenges the traditional historiography, which holds that Sephardic communities, already fully developed, were simply reestablished on the frontier. In the early years of settlement, Iberia's crusader kings actively supported Jewish economic and political activity, and Jewish interaction with their Christian neighbors was extensive. Only as the frontier was firmly incorporated into the political life of the peninsular states did these frontier Sephardic populations begin to forge the communal structures that resembled the older Jewish communities of the North and the interior. By the end of the thirteenth century, royal intervention had begun to restrict the amount of contact between Jewish and Christian communities, signaling the end of the open society that had marked the frontier for most of the century.

Jewish Life in Medieval Spain is a detailed exploration of the Jewish experience in medieval Spain from the dawn of Sephardic society in the ninth century to the expulsion of 1492. An important contribution of the book is the integration of the rise and fall of Jewish life in Muslim al-Andalus into the history of the Jews in medieval Christian Spain. It traces the collapse of Jewish life in Muslim Spain, the emigration of Andalusi Jewry to the lands of Christian Iberia, and the long and difficult confluence of these two distinct Jewish subcultures. Focusing on internal developments of Jewish society, it offers a narrative of Jewish history from the inside out, bringing to light the various divisions and rivalries within the Jewish community. This approach, in turn, allows for a deeper understanding of the complex relations between Spanish Jews and their Muslim and Christian neighbors. Jonathan Ray's original perspective on the Jewish experience is particularly instructive when considering the widescale anti-Jewish riots of 1391. The combination of violence and mass conversion of the Jews irrevocably shifted the dynamics of inter-religious relations as well as those within the Jewish community itself. Yet even in the wake of these tragic events, the Jews of Spain continued to flourish, fostering a culture that they would carry into exile and that would preserve the memory of Jewish Spain for centuries to come.

This new book by leading wine writer, Jonathan Ray, teaches you everything there is to know about fizz by covering the 100 best types, and explaining the key facts so that you can become a bubbly expert. There are so many sparkling wines from all over the world that there's something out there to suit every budget, taste and occasion. Wines featured in this delightfully fun book include types of Champagne, prosecco, cava, crémant, the dazzling rare and precious sparkling ice wine, and everything in between. With characteristic humour and accessibility, Jonathan takes you through the stories and qualities behind the wines and producers, and even gives recipes for some extra-special Champagne cocktails. There is also information about the right kind of glass, the varying sweetness of Champagne, and both a glossary of terms and a wine map are included. And if you can't afford traditional bubbles, don't worry. Prosecco is the new Champagne! But get there quick – it's become so popular in recent times that supplies of it are in danger of running out...

Calling all spirit enthusiasts, wannabe mixologists and fans of aperitifs and digestifs... That's the Spirit! is here to guide and entertain you through the world of spirits and liqueurs, including whiskies both familiar and surprising, dangerous tequila and mezcal, gin and its Dutch counterpart genever, under-rated grappa, love-it-or-hate-it Bailey's, legendary absinthe and enough rum to make you book a flight to Jamaica immediately.Behind this very well-stocked, virtual bar is author Jonathan Ray, who knows a thing or two about alcohol, being drinks editor of the Spectator. Through his personal selection of the 100 most deliciously fascinating spirits and liqueurs in the world, he tells us all about the makers behind the drinks, what makes certain brands so enduring and fascinating, which famous drinkers had one glass too many, and what makes specific tipples taste so irresistible.Among these 100 bottles are tips on your essential home cocktail kit, the world's best cocktail bars, which glassware is right for which drink, and the ultimate way to serve key spirits at home.