About the Book
"An Early Modern Dialogue with Islam: Antonio de Sosa's
"Topography of Algiers "(1612)" makes available in translation a
riveting sixteenth-century chronicle of European and North African
cultural contacts that is virtually unknown to English-speaking
readers. The "Topography"was written by a Portuguese cleric, Doctor
Antonio de Sosa, who was captured by Algerian corsairs in 1577 and
held as a Barbary slave for over four years while awaiting ransom.
Sosa's work is a fascinating description of a city at the
crossroads of civilizations, with a sophisticated multilingual
population of Turks, Arabs, Moriscos, Berbers, Jews, Christian
captives, and converts to Islam from across the world.
In the "Topography of Algiers," Sosa meticulously describes the
inhabitants' daily lives; their fashions, pastimes, feasts, and
funerals; their government; the landmarks of the city itself; and
much more. Readers will be struck by the vibrancy of his narrative,
rendered into English with crisp accuracy by Diana de Armas Wilson.
The "Topography" is a treasure trove of amazing customs, startling
behavior, and historical anecdotes that will enthrall readers. The
extensive introduction by Maria Antonia Garces is a superb archival
study of the Mediterranean world described by the "Topography"," "
as well as an expose of the adventurous, even scandalous, life of
its author. The introduction also discusses the fraudulent
publication of Sosa's "Topography"under another man's name.
Sosa's chronicle stands out for its complexity, vitality, and
the sharpness of the author's ethnographic vision. No other account
of captivity in this period offers such a detailed and dynamic
tableau of Algerian society at the end of the sixteenth
century.
"Long overdue, this translation and edition of Sosa's
"Topografia" is an absolute gem. Sixteenth-century Algiers was the
Mediterranean's crossroads, a meeting point and melting-pot for
Christians, Muslims, and Jews. Sosa's survey literally brings this
important city to life. It is all there: architecture, economy, and
religion, plus pirates, renegades, slaves, marriage customs, and
more. There is no better source for understanding the human
complexity of the early modern Mediterranean world, and both Diana
de Armas Wilson--for the translation--and Maria Antonia Garces--for
the introduction and notes--deserve credit for their masterful
achievement." --Richard L. Kagan, Johns Hopkins University
"This is a truly significant text for all scholars of early
modern Europe, worthy of their greatest interest and attention. "An
Early Modern Dialogue with Islam: Antonio de Sosa's "Topography of
Algiers "(1612)"""marks a watershed in our understanding of the
synergies of power and the nature of shifting identities along the
borderlands of sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Europe; this work
stands as an example of interdisciplinary and cross-culture
criticism at its best." --E. Michael Gerli, University of
Virginia
"Maria Antonia Garces, author of the classic "Cervantes in
Algiers: A Captive's Tale," crowns her scholarly achievements with
a true masterpiece: "An Early Modern Dialogue with Islam: Antonio
de Sosa's "Topography of Algiers "(1612)." Sosa's "Topografia" was
formerly attributed to Diego de Haedo, but Professor Garces was
able to solve the centuries-long mystery of the real authorship of
the famous "Topography," thanks to her patient research in European
archives. Garces's stunning discovery, furthermore, sheds new light
on the life of Cervantes, for Sosa was not only his fellow captive
in Algiers, but also his first biographer. As the foremost scholar
on Cervantes's relationship with Algiers and the Mediterranean,
Garces has joined forces with Wilson, a superb translator of
Spanish texts. --Luce Lopez-Baralt, University of Puerto Rico
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