In a world troubled by religious strife and division, Lowney's book takes us back to a medieval Iberia that prefigured the Renaissance, offering a hopeful historical reminder: Muslims, Christians, and Jews once lived together in Spain, creating a centuries-long flowering of commerce, culture, art, and architecture. In 711, a ragtag army of Muslim North Africans conquered Spain and launched Western Europe's first (and to date only) Islamic state. In 1492, Ferdinand and Isabella vanquished Spain's last Muslim kingdom, and forced Jews to convert or emigrate. In the years between, Spain's Muslims, Christians, and Jews forged a golden age and distanced Spain from a Europe mired in the Dark Ages. Medieval Spain's pioneering innovations touched every dimension of Western life.--From publisher description.