Book excerpt: First Published in 2005. This book provides a comprehensive review of a remarkable popular literary movement which began in the Spanish Peninsula about the turn of the fifteenth century, spread over western Europe, including England, and having flourished and exercised a considerable influence for some time, died out so completely as to be almost forgotten. Many of the romances created by the movement are now extremely rare and so they are presented here in one volume for the benefit of scholars and general readers alike.