This was quite fascinating and extremely interesting.
Includes a bit of typical white historian in places bordering on white supremacist thinking in relation to some Indigenous peoples of the Americas & other non-Jewish POC. Some of it perpetuates racist colonial myths which he presents as fact and then later concedes may be myth. This impacted the rating.
Otherwise, I quite enjoyed this and will probably have to listen to this again once I understand this period better. This is mostly an overview and expects the reader to be passingly familiar with this time, place and important players.
This gives an interesting background on the 'catholic' encroachment in Umayyad controlled Al-Andalus (what is now Spain).
So after The Visigoths are driven out of most of Iberian Peninsula (Spain), after which the Visigoths clear out of the surrounding area. Over time European Catholic peasants begin slowly to farm in the empty wasteland between settled Catholic Europe and settled Islamic Al-Andalus. After awhile the church shows up to collect tithing and establish a local church. The nobility follows the church in a bid to steal the most from the poor hard working peasants.
From this nobility arise the Kingdoms of Leon, Asturias, Castile, Aragon, Valencia etc. The nobility in these areas claims their right to rule to their fictitious descent from the last Visigoth Dynasty.
In truth these are new Catholics barely if at all related to the previous Catholic Visigothic kingdom.
So the 'reconquest' of Spain is really the conquest of Al-Andalus.
Especially considering that the Muslim Umayyad Kingdom held the land for 700 years, centuries longer than the original Visigoths.
I guess if you're White all land belongs to you and if you're brown you're not entitled to land. ( )