The Alhambra

Washington Irving has long been admired for his writings on American lore and history, but his work on Islamic subjects, particularly his studies of Moorish Spain, deserve wider recognition. This edition of The Alhambra, here republished in facsimile from the 1908 edition, complete with illustrations by Joseph Pennell, presents a welcome opportunity to reassess Irving’s European writings. The author first visited Granada in 1828, and revisited the city many times, living within the precincts of the Alhambra and having access to the many historical documents housed there. He later composed his two-volume work Mahomet and His Successors (1849-50), derived from original sources held in Granada. The Alhambra is a more personal study, reflecting the author’s enchantment with the splendours of the palace and his intimate knowledge of the history of the Moors in Spain.