The Golden Age of Aragonese Jewry: Community and Society in the Crown of Aragon, 1213-1327 (The Littman Library of Jewish Civilization) - Hardcover

Yom Tov Assis is Professor of Medieval Jewish History at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, former Chair of the Institute of Jewish Studies and the Dinur Centre for the Study of Jewish History, and currently Head of the Ben-Zvi Institute for the Study of Jewish Communities in the East and
Hispania Judaica Centre for the Study of Jewish History and Culture in Sepharad. He has published extensively on the history of the Jews in the Middle Ages, and his books include The Jews of Santa Coloma de Queralt (1988), with R. Magdalena, The Jews of Navarre in the Late Middle Ages (1990),
Aljamia romance en los documentos hebraiconavarros (siglo XIV) (1992), Jewish Economy in the Medieval Crown of Aragon (1997), and with R. Magdalena and C. Lleal, Navarra hebraica (2003).

`The thematic coverage is so broad that no survey can do it justice . . . Assis offers scholars a starting point (and much more) from which they can take up specific areas of interest . . . the fact that he clarifies the terminological confusion that frequently characterizes Hebrew sources is of great importance . . . a wealth of information and commentary that will serve researchers for many years.'- Marc D. Meirson, Zion `A most welcome book, solidly based on vast documentation. It crowns several decades of work by the author in these sources . . . it offers the reader a richly textured understanding of the real context of Jewish life in Iberia during this period.' - David J. Wasserstein, Mediterranean Historical Review `A much needed distillation of the fruits of scholarship on the Jews in the Crown of Aragon . . . conveys a sense of the variety and creativity of the Jewish experience in the Middle Ages, and of Jewish history as viewed from the inside. When all is said and done, this is an essential book for anyone interested in Jewish life in medieval Spain, or in medieval Europe.' - Elka Klein, Medieval Review `It is solidly based on both Jewish and non-Jewish sources . . . The picture that emerges from this monumental work (for the two books must be regarded as one for this purpose and together they constitute a worthy and much more complete successor to the pioneering efforts of Jean Regne) does indeed contain many of the elements of a `Golden Age' . . . they contribute significantly to our understanding of some vibrant Jewish communities which have often been neglected . . . the achievement of these books is to be lauded . . . excellent and valuable work.' - John Edwards, Journal of Jewish Studies `Significant contribution to medieval Jewish history . . . absorbing and enlightening reading . . . One finishes the book with a satisfying impression of Jewish life in medieval Catalonia and Aragon. In addition to the superb text, bibliography and index, the book's appendices are of great value: maps, a glossary of relevant Hebrew Castilian, Catalan, Aragonese, and Arabic terms, a genealogical chart of sovereigns, and an explanation of the currency with monetary equivalents.' - Leila Arvin, Jewish Book World `General readers, as well as specialists, cannot fail to learn from the wide sweep of [the book's] erudition.' - David Nirenberg, AJS Review