I think this book is much more enjoyable if you read it after you have visited the Alhambra; two Moorish palaces that sit on top of a mountain in the beautiful Sierra Nevada mountain range of Spain, palaces of incredible architecture and setting, the last outpost of the Moors in Spain. Christopher Columbus waited for 6 years before Queen Isabell would give him ships, she made him wait until the Moors were driven out of Spain. When the Alhambra finally falls, Coloumbus is given permission and ships for his quest a few days later, and the next year the Spanish Inquisition starts.
All of this comes to you if you visit the very romantic/historic city of Granada and the Alhambra, and after seeing the Alhambra restored, having walked its rooms and grounds, having listened to the fountains, letting your immagination run, then read this book, after you return home. Washington Irving's stunt of taking up residence in the rundown, forgotten Alhambra of his time seems even more fantastic. In fact, if you are going to Spain, buy a copy of this book in Granada; they are sold everywhere in different languages, and have pictures of paintings done in the period around Irving's stay. If you haven't been to the Alhambra, you should go.

"Tales of the Alhambra" is must-reading for the traveler in Spain. Irving is best remembered in this country for his collections of American folklore, like the stories of Rip Van Winkle and the Headless Horseman, but in Spain they remember him for the Alhambra stories -- in fact, there's a hotel named in his honor in Granada. Irving lived in that beautiful old Moorish palace at a time when it was a neglected ruin, and his wonderful descriptions, interspersed with the folk-tales that he collected from the people of Granada, helped to spark interest in repairing and restoring the monument. The folk tales, told in Irving's inimitable, witty style, usually deal with romantic elopements, or buried treasure, or both. My personal favorite is the story of the young prince living in the Generalife (the beautiful summer palace) who learned the language of the birds. That one is fantasy, but it's true that there was hidden treasure in the Alhambra: the palace itself, its architecture and decoration, and we have Irving to thank for rediscovering it.

A great book to read while traveling in spain. If you are going to Alhambra, read this book! It will bring the palace alive for you. The writing is very accessable, and easy to follow for having been written so long ago.

Great photographs that really evoke the feeling of the Alhambra. Not too much text, but what is there does a nice job of covering the history, the layout, and the essential sense of the place. I purchased the book several months before a trip to Spain for background information. It is also good armchair travel book. I also found that my wife loved it for a gardening book. You can look at the photos over and over again.

Now that we are back from Spain, the book is an excellent reminder of a very lovely place. An interesting book from both travelling and gardening viewpoints.

In addition to the excellent photos and detailed brief description of the Alhambra and the Generalife, this sixty-nine page book contains other information such as a map of the palace, and of the Generalife garden. It is a great book for anyone who plans to visit this Last Stronghold of the Moors in Spain, or just to remember its enchanted halls, and courts. If you have never been there, this book is a good starting point. You will fall in love with its decorative details, towers, gardens, and pools. The Alhambra is a very romantic and peaceful place. Excellent for students and tourists. However, tales of the Alhambra are found in other books.

I visited Spain in Nov 2002 and was absolutely enchanted by the Nasrid Alhambra palace in Granada. Built in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains, it casts a watchful eye over the inhabitants of the city below.

From the exterior, palace is surrounded by an imposing fort structure built of reddish brown stone - clearly meant to give the vision of martial strength to the outsiders. At night from the Albaycin (Old Arab Quarter), the palace is hauntingly beautiful-floodlights on the fort giving it a ghostly appearance. Upon entering the deceptively unassuming palace, a world of breathtakingly beautiful art and architecture slowly overwhelms you.

I simply couldn't get enough of this palace and often found myself trying to absorb as much of it's ambiance as possible. I was introduced to Washington Irving's work when I had bought an audioguide at the entrance of the palace. This guide was essentially oral excerpts from his book detailing the history and legends of each room as I walked through them.

Upon completing the tour, I then was compelled to buy the book. Reading it, I could see the Alhambra in front of my eyes again. In addition to that, I could imagine its former royal inhabitants as the legends of chivalry, romance and ghosts were told.

Washington Irving had the opportunity to live for several months in the Alhambra palace. Back then it was a forgotten Moorish fort in a terrible state of disrepair. His style is very soft and dreamlike, thus one is drawn into his writing as he discovers the legends from the 'guardians' who have taken residence in the palace.

This book was truly a delight to read, I highly recommend it to anyone wanting to learn about the Alhambra or as a memoir of one's own visit to the palace.

"Tales of the Alhambra" was penned by American author Washington Irving ("Rip Van Winkle," "Sleepy Hollow") during a stay at the legendary Alhambra in Granada, Spain. I bought this book after my visit to the Alhambra, and found it to be a fantastic companion to what I had seen and experienced.

The Alhambra (and Generalife) is a combination fort/palace/gardens dating from the 13th century, filled with fantastic Arabic architecture (ornate plasterwork, ceramic tiles, sculpted marble fountains and archways), and lots of room for imagining the days of its former greatness, which Irving brings to life most memorably. The book is illustrated with charming and detailed watercolour engravings dating from the same period when the book was written.

Irving seamlessly winds legend, history, and a Spanish travelogue of sorts together, and even though the book is over 170 years old, it seems as if it was written yesterday. There are tales of princes, genies, lost and found loves, enchanted treasures, battles, hellish headless horses (does the inspiration seem familiar?), and commentary on the Spanish landscape and nature of the Spaniards that he lives with. Full of bewitching music, the smell of roses and exotic perfumes, firey sunsets, and the ghosts of the past, the book is a sensory treat as well. If you plan on visiting the Alhambra, read this first--it will definitely enhance your experience. If you've already visited, this makes a priceless souvenir, bringing to life once more the stately halls and fragrant gardens.

I don't always like to read classics, but when a friend of mine suggested that I read this book, I decided to try it, and I am very glad that I did. Irving's words, though written so many years before now, still paint eloquent pictures of the Spain of his time. I could almost see what he was seeing. The stories and legends are also wonderful and fascinating. An antique copy of this book is one of my most treasured gifts.

This magnificently photographed volume offers the reader a wonderful insight into one of the most beautiful edifices in the world. This oversized book stunningly recreates the splendor of Grenada. A treasure for any who have visited the Alhambra.

It is a superb historic novel full with suspense, passion and drama. It is a real pity that is out of print.

This book is a challenge of the mistic history of Alhambra.It's good lecture!

Whoever has had a chance to visit the Alhambra and its surroundings, may complement the experience by reading this narrative of W.Irving. The style is elegant and romantic. Irving is not a historian; he touches on the history of Alhambra as an impressionist painter, historical research and realism are not his concern. There is a series of legends of Moorish lore, which are quite appealing to the young reader.

This book is a rare personal account of Irvings stay in the Moorish palace of Alhambra. It is not a history book but does touch on history of the Moorish rulers of Alhambra. It is a romanticised account and not always historically accurate. There are beautiful collections of legends that abound regarding the Alhambra in local folklore.

The Big Book edition (38x48cm) is great for the classroom. I am an English Activity Co-ordinator for Elementary Schools in Kanazawa in Japan. The children love the bright, colourful pictures and the rhythmical pattern of "It's not I", said the cat. "It's not I", said the rat. June is the rainy season in Japan, so it's a great book to tie in with the theme of rain. There are 14 animals which feature in the book, cat/rat, wren/hen, fox/ox, loon/raccon, cony/pony, dog/frog, bear/hare. (I wasn't sure what a cony was, had to consult the dictionary on that one!!) Once the children became familiar with the rhythmical pattern, they made animal masks, drew their own illustrations on large pieces of cardboard and recited the words in the book, performing a play. In Japanese, this is called, "kamishibai".

This is an excellent book for its simplicity of words, bright and colourful illustrations and versatility in the classroom.