This book was so instrumental in reintroducing western audiences to The Alhambra that a plaque now marks the rooms in which Irving stayed while working on some of the book.

Originally visiting Granada as research for another book, Washington Irving immediately fell in love with “a most picturesque and beautiful city, situated in one of the loveliest landscapes that I have ever seen.” Thanks to his celebrity status his request to access the palace was granted and inspired him to write Tales of the Alhambra. Combining description, myth, and the stories of real historical events, Irving paints pictures of this incredible place.

From Living Book Press edition

[Originally] written in 1831, Irving's dreamlike description of the Alhambra, the beautiful Moorish castle that defined the height of Moorish civilization, and the surrounding territory of Granada remains one of the best guidebooks to the region and one of the most entertaining travelogues ever written.

A heady mix of historical fact, medieval myth and mystery, sensual descriptions, and an appreciation for a civilization which valued beauty, philosophy, literature, science, and the arts on an equal level with warrior skills. Secret chambers, desperate battles, imprisoned princesses, palace ghosts, and fragrant gardens, described in a wistful and dreamlike eloquence will transport the listener to a paradise of his own.

From the Blackstone Audible edition