New
Books
Stefano Cingolani. Jaume I. Història i mite d'un rei. Barcelona: Edicions 62, 2007
The author studied the Llibre dels fets to produce a biography that pays particular attention to the concept of power held by the king — he attributes to the latter a messianic charisma that flowed from the fact he created the great Crown of Aragon — and his own opinion of himself. He also examines the king's family relations — from a psychological point of view — the gestation and evolution of his military campaigns and his relationship with history.
Antoni Furió. El rei conqueridor. Jaume I entre la història i la llegenda. Valencia: Bromera, 2007
The Professor of Medieval History at the University of Valencia is the author of a very good biography, updated and accessible to all readers, suitable for a present with excellent photographs. Other features also deserve a mention. It lets the defeated Muslims speak for themselves and give their view of the king, it describes very well the hostility he developed towards his heir, Pere el Gran, and provides some information on the king's wives, so important in his life but who hardly get a mention in the biography he himself dictated.
Ernest Belenguer. Jaume I i el seu regnat. Lleida: Pagès editors, 2008
The life of the king and his rule — in social, political, legal and economic terms — are at the heart of this study by the Professor of Modern History at the University of Barcelona, who has already produced a detailed study of the king in two volumes: Jaume I a través de la història (Valencia: Tres i Quatre, 1984).
Ernest Marcos. La croada catalana. L'exèrcit de Jaume I a Terra Santa. Barcelona: L'esfera dels llibres, 2007.
Focussing on explaining the context and the reasons for the failure of the Catalan expedition to the Holy Land, this book recreates scenes such as the capital of the Mongol empire and the camp of the French crusaders at Tunis, with figures like Charles of Anjou, Alfonso X of Castile, Michael VIII Palaeologus, Luis of France and Pope Clement IV.
M. Carme Roca. Les dones de Jaume I. Barcelona: L'esfera dels llibres, 2008.
A study of the women who surrounded the king. Parading through its pages we find his wives, like Eleanor of Castile, Yolanda of Hungary and Teresa Gil of Vidaure, along with concubines and lovers, such as Aurembiaix of Urgell, Blanca of Antillon, Berenguera Ferrandis, Guillema of Cabrera, Berenguera Alfonso and Sibilla of Saga.
Agnès and Robert Vinas. La conquesta de Mallorca. Mallorca: Editorial Moll, 2007
Period texts help the authors describe the king's first great military campaign.
Les Quatre Grans Cròniques: I Llibre dels Feits del rei en Jaume Primer. Edició de Ferran Soldevila. Barcelona: Institut d'Estudis Catalans, 2007
Re-issue of the first great royal medieval chronicle, with footnotes by the historian Maria Teresa Ferrer Mallol and the linguist Jordi Bruguera.
Jaume I. Llibre dels fets. Barcelona: Proa, 2008
Edited by Jordi Bruguera, this is a modern edition in standard Catalan to make it more accessible to the general public.
Albert Salvadó. Jaume I el Conqueridor. Barcelona: Ed. Columna (and Labutxaca), 2008
For fans of historical novels, here is a re-issue of this novel, whichincludes the three parts: El punyal del sarraí, La reina hongaresa and Parleu o mateu-me.