The Wise King: A Christian prince, Muslim Spain, and the birth of the Renaissance
SIMON R. DOUBLEDAY

Alfonso the Wise was a ruler, warrior, lawgiver, poet, scholar and patron of arts and sciences. He governed Castile and León from 1252 to 1285, inheriting political turbulence and having to fight wars with the Muslim south and treacherous vassals. He also wrote exquisite songs in honour of the Virgin Mary. By the time he died, he had founded a school of learning with a European reputation.

Simon Doubleday of Hofstra University, New York, presents Alfonso with Hollywood slickness and glamour. It is not hard to see The Wise King as a screen epic. It has drama and betrayal, with battles against Muslim armies and, as Alfonso lay dying, the rebellion of his own son. There is love (and sex).