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Product Description
Philip II of Spain -- ruler of the most extensive empire the world had ever known -- has been viewed in a harsh and negative light since his death in 1598. Identified with repression, bigotry, and fanaticism by his enemies, he has been judged more by the political events of his reign than by his person. This book, published four hundred years after Philip's death, is the first full-scale biography of the king. Placing him within the social, cultural, religious, and regional context of his times, it presents a startling new picture of his character and reign.
Drawing on Philip's unpublished correspondence and on many other archival sources, Henry Kamen reveals much about Philip the youth, the man, the husband, the father, the frequently troubled Christian, and the king. Kamen finds that Philip was a cosmopolitan prince whose extensive experience of northern Europe broadened his cultural imagination and tastes, whose staunchly conservative ideas were far from being illiberal and fanatical, whose religious attitudes led him to accept a practical coexistence with Protestants and Jews, and whose support for Las Casas and other defenders of the Indians in America helped determine government policy. Shedding completely new light on most aspects of Philip's private life and, in consequence, on his public actions, the book is the definitive portrayal of Philip II.
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First Sentence
In July 1522 the Emperor Charles V returned to his Spanish dominions. Over two years previously he had sailed from them, just as revolution was breaking out in the major cities of Castile. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
In July 1522 the Emperor Charles V returned to his Spanish dominions. Over two years previously he had sailed from them, just as revolution was breaking out in the major cities of Castile. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Whilst this may not dwell to a macabre degree on incest, schizophrenia and murder, it is an impressive portrait of a king whose life bestrode the 16th Century. If you want a work of highly controversial speculation, look elsewhere. If you want to find out more about a troubled and private king, and his relationship with the rest of Europe, then read it. Although Kamen tends towards defending Philip on most occasions, this is not without careful thought on the part of the author, and he uses his impressive research to exonerate Philip from some of the more notorious charges levelled against him (murdering his wife and son, for example). A little over-positive in places, perhaps, but a thoroughly worthwhile and readable addition to the huge bibliography available about the most powerful and controversial man of his age.
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
This book was FANTASTIC for my Uni work, really really helpfull - good for both scanreading and in-depth reading. The book was in fantastic condition, as if new and arrived very quickly. Overall a really good buy, great book and great seller.
6 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Kamen goes on too much about the mechanics of things that occur and too little about what this shows us about the type of person Phillip was. It serves well as a detailed account of Phillip's military actions but doesn't provide much of an original insight into his life and into how his reign shaped the future of Spain. IT was a bit dull and not very engaging.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Written without imagination or flair
As a once-historian of Latin American Colonial History I had hoped for an insightful adition to my library, but instead I found a badly written book, without any imagination or... Read more
Published on 1 Sep 1999
Written without imagination or flair
As a once-historian of Latin American Colonial History I had hoped for an insightful adition to my library, but instead I found a badly written book, without any imagination or... Read more
Published on 1 Sep 1999
Written without imagination or flair
As a once-historian of Latin American Colonial History I had hoped for an insightful adition to my library, but instead I found a badly written book, without any imagination or... Read more
Published on 1 Sep 1999
Balanced and Intelligent review of the age
Kamen touches on all aspects of Philips life with great intuity. He exposes a man that was emotionally scarred more than once in his life, a man that worked incessently for the... Read more
Published on 4 Dec 1997
The Philip Whitewash
All that work, and out comes an apologia. No word, really, how the Habsburgs got to take over Spain. Read more
Published on 9 Nov 1997
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