This book is very comprehensive: it is a revised vision of a period very bad known. Because the first part is closely linked to the monarchy of the Regnum Gothorum in Toulouse and Hispania, it is difficult to read and understand; you must be familiar with the subject to have a clear idea of ​​the discourse. But, this can not be avoided due to the scarcity of primary sources that throw light upon the issue.

Despite these problems, Collins is able to propose a general and original overview about the Visigothic Kingdom in Spain and, even, includes several ideas about the arriving and the triumph of the Muslims in the year 711 CE.

The following chapters are, somehow, simpler but equally revealing. It collects almost all of the latest researchs, breaking down many myths and misunderstandings, and giving a weighted view of that matter.

However, to have a better thorough knowledge of the time when the Visigoths ruled the Iberian Peninsula, it is necessary to complement this book with with all the academic articles we can get.

—Updated Mar 30, 2012