Synopses & Reviews
From the late-fifteenth to the mid-eighteenth century, Spain was the most extensive empire the world had seen, stretching from Naples and the Netherlands to the Philippines. This provocative work of history attributes Spain's rise to power to the collaboration of international business interests, including Italian financiers, German technicians, and Dutch traders. At the height of its power, the Spanish Empire was a global enterprise in which non-Spaniards -- Portuguese, Basque, Aztec, Genoese, Chinese, Flemish, West African, Incan, and Neapolitan -- played an essential role.
Challenging, persuasive, and unique in its thesis, Henry Kamen's Empire explores Spain's complex impact on world history with admirable clarity and intelligence.
Review
“As new forms of global imperialism develop, this sophisticated and broad-minded book could not be more timely.” Publishers Weekly
Review
“An import chronicle, written with fluidity and a commanding sweep, along with a sharp eye for telling detail.” Atlantic Monthly
Review
“Enthralling …. Magnificent history.” Wall Street Journal
Review
“Well written and exactingly researched.” Kirkus Reviews
Synopsis
Over the course of two and a half centuries, Spain established the most extensive empire the world had ever known. But how did a barren, thinly populated country, isolated from the rest of Europe, become the world's first superpower? Henry Kamen's Empire offers a fresh and highly original answer, stressing the role of international business interests rather than military might. The Basques, Aztecs, Chinese and West African people all played a role in the development of the Spanish empire, and it is this vast diversity of resources and people that led to its success.
Kamen not only reinterprets the world of Imperial Spain, but also recreates that dazzling era, from the capture of Moorish Granada and Columbus' first voyage in 1492 to its expansion into Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas through the 18th century. Challenging, persuasive, and unique in its thesis, Empire explores Spain's complex impact on world history with admirable clarity and intelligence.
Henry Kamen is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society in London and has been Professor of the Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC) in Barcelona for the past ten years. He is also Visiting Professor in the University of Chicago's program in Barcelona. He is the author of numerous books, including Philip of Spain and The Spanish Inquisition. He lives in Barcelona.
"This is a history of large forces moving sometimes of their own accord and by their own logic ... Well written and exactingly researched." -- Kirkus Reviews
--Kirkus Reviews
About the Author
Henry Kamen is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society in London and has been Professor of the Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC) in Barcelona for the past ten years. He is also Visiting Professor in the University of Chicago's program in Barcelona. He is the author of numerous books, including, most recently, Philip of Spain and The Spanish Inquisition. He lives in Barcelona.