The Alhambra (Wonders of the World)

"In Xanadu once did Kubla Khan A stately pleasure dome decree Where Alph, the sacred river ran Down caverns measureless to man...." Coleridge did not, as far as I know, see the Alhambra, this amazing city on top of a cliff above the rivers in lovely Granada. And as it was in his time, writes historian Robert Irwin in "The Alhambra," a mighty imagination would have been needed to see a pleasure dome in the ruins. Yet it is Coleridge whose poem may sing to those wandering in the gardens of the now-restored palace. Irwin's fine, scholarly study of the Alhambra lacks such wings of imagination, yet gives much depth for readers fascinated by the Alhambra & the palace of the Nasrids. The book is mostly about the palace, the complex of buildings which include the Lion Fountain, the Court of the Ambassadors, and interwoven, green treasures of water gardens. The Alhambra is itself much larger, a city only partly restored, covering the mountain top with fortresses,prisons, baths, chapels, residences, shops, two hotels, and the splendid garden called Generalife. To many however, "Alhambra" means the Nasrid Palace so the title is not misleading. The book begins, as a good travel book should, with an excellent schematic laying out the palace from the entrance (today) at the First Court, through the Court of Machuca, the Court of the Myrtles, to the Gardens and Hall of the Kings, 22 major areas. The four chapters tell the architectural history of this palace, not only who built, who tore down, who replaced, who restored the place, almost wall by wall, but also the political & social history of each of the changes. It is a story as intricate as the beautiful calligraphy and tilework adorning almost every inch of space, but often sadder and darker. Irwin's theme is clear: " Though the Alhambra is easy to enjoy, it is difficult to understand. The more closely one studies the functions and iconography of its various parts and tries to establish how the place was inhabited, the more mysterious the buildings and their inhabitants seem. There are limits to what the historian and archeologist can retrieve." Undaunted, Irwin plunges into history and archeology, vigorously whacking away at currently unproven but popular assertions, diving into the tile designs & what they tell us of construction sequences, and giving the detailed architectural geneology of each major space. The style is scholarly, the text rather a wall-of-words with here and there black & white photos & drawings, with enough information to nourish even a quite hungry reader. The book physically is small & light enough to carry. Reader Alert: The gardens of the Alhambra, admittedly mostly reconstructred as to plantings, are part of its glory & were probably integral to the palace itself. They are mentioned only briefly, and little is said about the views from the many windows & arcades that are integral to the experience of this magnificent place. This would not be the best book for readers interested in the gardens internal or external to the Palace of the Nasrids. Also, this is in no way Brys*n sees the Alhambra. Irwin has a thoughtful rather than a spritely pen. Washington Irving's classic book on the Alhambra would be a good companion here, even after more than a 100 years. Irwin's "The Alhambra" is a wonderful book on its own terms but it is not all things to all readers. Recommended highly to read before, during, and particularly after immersion in the Alhambra itself or for those interested in the history & architectural treasures of the Moors in Spain. PS Really really really if possible, as Irwin and most guidebooks emphasize, reserve tickets well in advance for the earliest entry to the Palace!

Nice little book, arrived right on time.

The main question about this book is who in the world is the intended audience? It certainly isn't the casual tourist. Perhaps the architecture archaeologist, or the serious, and I mean SERIOUS student of the Alhambra complex who has no need of pictures, illustrations, or diagrams to aid their minds because this book will provide precious few. The book is well written and is rich with historic detail and its rhetorical message seems to be that nothing you see today is original. It describes wonderful rooms and towers and gardens and assures us that they no longer exist. I finally gave up when he started detailing the mathematical significance of the decorations. Even though it is short, this book is not for the faint of heart or mind. I guess I am both.

Irwin exhibits remarkable and exhaustive scholarship in this little book, attractively produced, which anyone truly interested in the Alhambra should read. Exposing the heterogeneous mythologies and imaginative, over-romanticised lore of the place, bemoaning various destructions, concealments, and ill-conceived makeovers of the famous site, he provides very interesting commentary on how the Alhambra in multifarious conceptions has ramified over time into a disparate literature (including historiography, novels, poetry, and moral essays), and into music, art, and architecture -- from P.T. Barnum's mansion "Iranistan" in Connecticut to the refined orientalising décor of a sewage-treatment works in England. This is not a guidebook in the conventional sense (although it is conveniently portable): there are rather few pictures, not all of the Alhambra itself, and none in color, but it is the ultimate companion to any guidebook to the Alhambra, unique and engrossing.

I got this book for a trip to Granada on the recommendation of a friend. The Alhambra guide itself was really good, but if you're curious about various interpretations of the complex over time, this is a good and small book to complement travel guides out there. Well divided into chapters to make it digestible (and includes useful surface plan of site that helps to orient you).

REally good to read this before visiting.

Lacking in colour plates this tiny book is more like a tourist guide and had I known would never have bought it. Wasnt worth the postage fee either!

A lot of information, a lot of myths and stories clarified. Irwin does an excellent job of telling us exactly what we know, what we can suppose, and what we don’t know about how the Alhambra was originally designed and used. I learned so much after my trip — I wish I had read this before! I highly recommend this to anyone planning a visit to the Alhambra.

In advance of a visit to the Alhambra, I read this book. It was a great source of information.

Great book, well researched. I read 95% of this book before visiting the Alhambra de Granada last month. Provides a detailed but succinct history of the Alhambra and some of the people who ruled from there and others who eventually took over in Granada. It made the place come alive for me and this book in conjunction with a guide book made the visit extremely enjoyable. I need to go back to see more., the Alhambra needs to be seen more than once. The author writes in a very readable style which made the book enjoyable. Other reviewers complained about the black and white photography, but I found then quite adequate for a paperback book. You can buy one of the readily available guide books should you want full colour photography.

Excellent preparatory reading for a visit to the Alhambra, exploding many pernicious guide book myths. However, reading that the tiles of the buildings known as the Nasrid Palaces were largely replaced in the 19th C, the roof was replaced in the 18th C, the plantings are probably wrong and even the floor levels have been changed at various times I started to wonder why I was going to see the Alhambra at all! Ultimately the complex has to be enjoyed as an aesthetic experience rather than a historical document.

A charmingly written little book, full of illustrations that are almost illegible due to the poor quality of paper and printing. It could be so much better.

Very complicated. Not very good If you want to use It as a guide book. If You enjoy reading what is wrong with other books related to Alhambra, this is the book for you.