Pen portraits of illustrious Castilians
Author(s)
Bibliographic Information
Pen portraits of illustrious Castilians
(Medieval texts in translation)
Catholic University of America Press, c2003
- Other Title
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Generaciones y semblanzas
Available at 1 libraries
  Aomori
  Iwate
  Miyagi
  Akita
  Yamagata
  Fukushima
  Ibaraki
  Tochigi
  Gunma
  Saitama
  Chiba
  Tokyo
  Kanagawa
  Niigata
  Toyama
  Ishikawa
  Fukui
  Yamanashi
  Nagano
  Gifu
  Shizuoka
  Aichi
  Mie
  Shiga
  Kyoto
  Osaka
  Hyogo
  Nara
  Wakayama
  Tottori
  Shimane
  Okayama
  Hiroshima
  Yamaguchi
  Tokushima
  Kagawa
  Ehime
  Kochi
  Fukuoka
  Saga
  Nagasaki
  Kumamoto
  Oita
  Miyazaki
  Kagoshima
  Okinawa
  Korea
  China
  Thailand
  United Kingdom
  Germany
  Switzerland
  France
  Belgium
  Netherlands
  Sweden
  Norway
  United States of America
Note
Original title only on CIP data
Includes bibliographical references and index
Description and Table of Contents
Description
An English translation of "Generaciones y Semblanzas", a compilation of 34 biographical sketches of the most illustrious Castilians of the mid 15th century. These include three kings, a queen and 30 nobles, prelates and scholars who represented the most prominent families of the day. The text was written in Spanish in 1450 by Fernan Perez de Guzman, an historian, moralist, politician and poet whose personal contact with the most powerful nobles of the time provided him with the material for these intimate and revelaing portraits. Through insightful commentary on his subjects' family background, personality traits, outstanding deeds, virtues and vices, the author brings to the reader vivid portraits of some of the most important players in Castilian history. Within the portraits, occasional digressions provide the author with the opportunity to present his own personal beliefs on such timely issues as the situation of Jewish converts in Castilla, the greed and self-serving motives of many of his contemporaries, and the role played by Divine Providence in shaping the history of his country.
Perez's introduction appears to be the first treatise written in Spanish on the nature of history and on the duties and responsibilities of those recording it. The translators have succeeded in maintaining certain stylistic characteristics of 15th-century Spanish without sacrificing readability. Their introduction and notes provide useful background information, as do the map and genealogical table.
by "Nielsen BookData"