El Cid

the long version

"M. J. Trow strips away layers of legend and history to reveal the true figure of the Cid; a 'traitor' who fought for Muslim as well as Christian, sending a shudder of outrage through Castile and the whole of Christendom; a hero who was named 'king's champion'; a man who died, not in battle, but peacefully in his bed." "He investigates the dozens of legends that have grown up around the man since his death, examines the way in which Spain's politicians and ruling elite have used the icon of the Cid for their own ends and looks at the fascination he has held for writers in many countries; including the poet Robert Southey. Set against the historical context of the enigma that is Rodrigo Diaz of Bivar, this is an investigation of how men become myths and history becomes legend."--Jacket.